Wives and Husbands
(Song of Solomon 1:1–17; Ephesians 5:22–33)

1Likewyse let the wyues be in subieccion to their hussbandes, that euen they which beleue not the worde, maye without the worde be wonne by ye couersacion of the wyues, 2whan they beholde yor pure conuersacion in feare. 3Whose apparell shal not be outwarde wt broyded heer, & hanginge on of golde, or in puttynge on of gorgious araye, 4but let ye inwarde ma of ye hert be vncorrupte wt a meke & a quyete sprete, which before God is moch set by. 5For after this maner in the olde tyme, dyd ye holy weme which trusted in God, tyer the selues, & were obedient vnto their hussbades: 6Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham, and called him lorde: whose doughters ye are, as loge as ye do well, not beynge afrayed for eny trouble.

7Likewyse ye men, dwell with them acordinge vnto knowlege, geuynge honor vnto the wife, as to the weaker vessel: & as vnto the yt are heyres with you of the grace of life, that youre prayers be not let.

Turning from Evil

8But in conclusion be ye all of one mynde, one suffre with another, loue as brethren, be pitefull, be curteous. 9Recopence not euell for euell, nether rebuke for rebuke: but cotrary wyse, blesse: and knowe that ye are called therto, euen yt ye shulde be heyres of ye blessynge.

10For who so listeth to lyue, and wolde fayne se good dayes, Let him refrayne his tonge from euell, and his lippes yt they speake no gyle.

11Let him eschue euell, & do good: Let him seke peace and ensue it.

12For ye eyes of the LORDE are ouer the righteous, & his eares are open vnto their prayers. But ye face of the LORDE beholdeth the yt do euell.

13And who is it that can harme you, yf ye folowe that which is good?

Suffering for Righteousness

14Not withstodinge blessed are ye, yf ye suffre for righteousnes sake Feare not ye their threatnynge, nether be troubled, 15but sanctifye the LORDE God in youre hertes. Be ready allwayes to geue an answere to euery ma, that axeth you a reason of the hope that is in you, and that with mekenes & feare, 16hauynge a good conscience, that they which bacbyte you as euell doers, maye be ashamed, that they haue falsely accused youre good couersacion in Christ. 17For it is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doynge, the for euell doynge. 18For as moch as Christ hath once suffred for oure synnes, ye iust for the vniust, for to brynge vs to God: & was slayne after the flesh, but quyckened after the sprete. 19In the which sprete he also wente, and preached vnto ye spretes that were in preson, 20which in tyme past beleued not, whan God once a bode and suffred pacietly in the tyme of Noe, whyle the Arke was a preparynge: Wherin fewe (that is to saye eight soules) were saued by water. 21Which signifieth baptyme yt now saueth vs: not ye puttinge awaye of the fylth of the flesh, but in yt a good cosciece cosenteth vnto God by ye resurreccion of Iesus Christ, 22which is on the righte hande of God, and is gone in to heaue, angels, power and mighte subdued vnto him.