2 Now I commend you all because you always think of what I teach and do, and because you carefully believe and do what I taught you all, 3 but I want you all to know that the messiah is the head of every man, and the man is the head of his wife, and God is the head of the messiah.[fn] 4 Any man who prays or speaks out a prophecy with his head covered is dishonouring his head, 5 but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, because it’s just as if her head had been shaved. 6 In fact if a woman doesn’t cover her head, then she should cut her hair off, but if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, then she should cover her head. 7 On one side, a man shouldn’t cover his head because men present God’s image and his honour, but on the other side, women present their husbands’ honour,[ref] 8 because man wasn’t made from the woman, but the first woman was made out of man.[ref] 9 Indeed, men weren’t created for women, but women for men. 10 Because of that, women should have authority on their heads, because of the messengers.[fn] 11 Nevertheless, in Messiah, women are not independent from men, nor are men independent from women, 12 because just as the first woman came out of the man, so too men are born from women, but everything comes from God.

13 So judge for yourselves: is it proper for women to pray to God with their heads uncovered? 14 Doesn’t nature itself teach you all that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it’s part of her beauty because long hair has been given to women as a covering? 16 However, if anyone’s inclined to be contentious about this, that’s not how either we ourselves or God’s assemblies behave.