Wives and Husbands (Song of Solomon 1:1–17; Ephesians 5:22–33)
1 UDB You women believers should submit yourselves to your husbands. Do this so that if any of them do not believe the message about Christ, they may become believers without your having to say anything to them. BSB BSB: Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives
2 UDB They will believe in Christ when they see that you honor them and are completely faithful to them. BSB BSB: when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.
3 UDB You women believers should not only show your beauty by the way you wear your hair or by gold jewelry and beautiful clothes you put on. BSB BSB: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,
4 UDB Your beauty should not only be seen in what you wear on the outside, but, even more, your beauty should come from your inner self. That is the beauty that lasts and will not fade, and it is a beauty that has a humble and quiet attitude. That is the kind of beauty that God considers to be very valuable. BSB BSB: but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
5 UDB The women who lived long ago and honored God made themselves beautiful in this way. They trusted in God and they obeyed their husbands. BSB BSB: For this is how the holy women of the past adorned themselves. They put their hope in God and were submissive to their husbands,
6 UDB Sarah, for example, obeyed her husband Abraham and called him "master." God will consider you to be her daughters if you do what is right and are not afraid of what your husbands or anyone else may do to you because you are believers. BSB BSB: just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.
7 UDB You men who are believers, just as your wives should respect you, you should conduct your lives in an appropriate way with them. Treat them respectfully, realizing that they are usually weaker than you are. But also realize that God is making them to live forever, just like you. Do this so that nothing will hinder you from praying. BSB BSB: Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Turning from Evil 8 UDB To end this part of my letter, I say to all of you, agree with each other in what you think. Be sympathetic toward each other. Love each other as members of the same family should. Act compassionately toward each other. Be humble. BSB BSB: Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
9 UDB When people do evil things to you or insult you, do not do the same to them. Instead, ask God to help them because that is what you have been chosen by God to do so that he may help you. BSB BSB: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
10 UDB Consider what the psalmist wrote about the proper way of conducting our lives: "As for those who want to enjoy life and they want good things to happen to them, they must not say what is evil or speak words that deceive others. BSB BSB: For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
11 UDB They must continually refuse to do evil, and they must do what is good. They must try to help people act peacefully toward each other; they must earnestly urge people to act in a peaceful way BSB BSB: He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 UDB because the Lord accepts what righteous people do. He listens to righteous people when they pray, and he answers them. But he rejects those who do evil." BSB BSB: For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 UDB Who is going to harm you if you are making every effort to do what is good? BSB BSB: Who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
Suffering for Righteousness 14 UDB But even if you suffer because you did what was right, God will bless you. "Do not be afraid of the things that others fear, and do not be troubled when people treat you badly." BSB BSB: But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”
16 UDB and make sure that you do nothing wrong, so that those who speak evil about you may be ashamed when they see the good way in which you are conducting yourselves because you are joined to Christ. BSB BSB: keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
17 UDB It may be that God wants you to suffer. If so, it is better to do good deeds, even if you suffer for doing them, than to do evil deeds. BSB BSB: For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 UDB I say that because Christ died once for the sake of people who have sinned. He was a righteous person who died for unrighteous people. He died so that he might bring us to God. During the time that he had an ordinary body, he was killed, but God's Spirit caused him to become alive again. BSB BSB: For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
21 UDB That water represents the water in which we are baptized, by which God saves us because he raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This water, of course, removes no dirt from our bodies. Instead, it shows that we are requesting God to assure us that he has removed our guilt for having sinned. BSB BSB: And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 UDB Christ has gone into heaven and is ruling in the place of highest honor next to God the Father, after he caused all the evil and powerful spirit beings to be made obedient to him. BSB BSB: who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.