Bible Readings for Weddings

Genesis 2:18-24

¹⁸And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

¹⁹And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

²⁰And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was not found an help meet for him.

²¹And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:

²²and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

²³And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Ruth 4

¹Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

²And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

³And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:

⁴And I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

⁵Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

⁶And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it.

⁷Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, for to confirm all things; a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.

⁸So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.

⁹And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

¹¹And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:

¹²and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

¹³So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

¹⁴And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman, and let his name be famous in Israel.

¹⁵And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.

¹⁶And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

¹⁷And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron;

¹⁹and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab;

²⁰and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon;

²¹and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed;

²²and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Proverbs 5:15-19

¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, and rivers of water in the streets?

¹⁷Let them be for thyself alone, and not for strangers with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed; and rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹As a loving hind and a pleasant doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Proverbs 18:22

²²Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.

¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth: but how can one be warm alone?

¹²And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Matthew 19:5-6

⁵and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh?

⁶So that they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mark 10:6-9

⁶But from the beginning of the creation, Male and female made he them.

⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;

⁸and the twain shall become one flesh: so that they are no more twain, but one flesh.

⁹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

John 2:1-11

¹And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

²and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage.

³And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

⁴And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

⁵His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

⁶Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews’ manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece.

⁷Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it.

⁹And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants which had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom,

¹⁰and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now.

¹¹This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

I Corinthians 7

¹Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

²But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

³Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

⁴The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife.

⁵Defraud ye not one the other, except it be by consent for a season, that ye may give yourselves unto prayer, and may be together again, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency.

⁶But this I say by way of permission, not of commandment.

⁷Yet I would that all men were even as I myself. Howbeit each man hath his own gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

⁹But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

¹⁰But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband

¹¹(but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife.

¹²But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.

¹³And the woman which hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

¹⁵Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us in peace.

¹⁶For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

¹⁷Only, as the Lord hath distributed to each man, as God hath called each, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all the churches.

¹⁸Was any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Hath any been called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God.

²⁰Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.

²¹Wast thou called being a bondservant? care not for it: but if thou canst become free, use it rather.

²²For he that was called in the Lord, being a bondservant, is the Lord’s freedman: likewise he that was called, being free, is Christ’s bondservant.

²³Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men.

²⁴Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.

²⁵Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

²⁶I think therefore that this is good by reason of the present distress, namely, that it is good for a man to be as he is.

²⁷Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁸But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you.

²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none;

³⁰and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not;

³¹and those that use the world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

³²But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

³³but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

³⁴And there is a difference also between the wife and the virgin. She that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵And this I say for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is seemly, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if any man thinketh that he behaveth himself unseemly toward his virgin daughter, if she be past the flower of her age, and if need so requireth, let him do what he will; he sinneth not; let them marry.

³⁷But he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power as touching his own will, and hath determined this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, shall do well.

³⁸So then both he that giveth his own virgin daughter in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not in marriage shall do better.

³⁹A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

⁴⁰But she is happier if she abide as she is, after my judgment: and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

I Corinthians 11:3, 8-9

³But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

⁸For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man:

⁹for neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man:

I Corinthians 13:1-13

¹If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

²And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

³And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

⁴Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;

⁶rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;

⁷beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part:

¹⁰but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things.

¹²For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I have been known.

¹³But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

II Corinthians 6:14

¹⁴Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?

Ephesians 5:22-33

²²Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

²⁴But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;

²⁶that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,

²⁷that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

²⁸Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself:

²⁹for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church;

³⁰because we are members of his body.

³¹For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh.

³²This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.

³³Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she fear her husband.

Colossians 3:18-19

¹⁸Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Hebrews 13:4

⁴Let marriage be had in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

I Peter 3:1-7

¹In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives;

²beholding your chaste behaviour coupled with fear.

³Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel;

⁴but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

⁵For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:

⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

⁷Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.

Revelation 19:7-9

⁷Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

⁸And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God.