| And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. | A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. |
| Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. | Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. |
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| For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. | If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. |
| Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. | You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way. |
| And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. | In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. |
| Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. | Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. |
| Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. | For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. |
| And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you. | And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. |
| Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. | Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. |
| Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. | Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. |
| Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? | Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
| House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord. | Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife. |
| And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. | Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” |
| Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. | But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. |
| Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. | As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. |
| For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. | Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. |
| But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. | But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. |
| A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. | A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. |
| Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. | For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. |
| So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. | In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. |
| A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. | Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. |
| Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. | So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. |
| Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. | You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself. |
