Bible Verses About Marriage (KJV) With a Prayer
Bible verses about marriage from the King James Version on love, patience and faithfulness, with a short reflection and a prayer for husband and wife.
A Reflection and a Prayer for Marriage
Scripture opens with marriage and returns to it often. From the garden in Genesis to the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, marriage is described as a union God himself blesses. The verses above show a few of its pillars: companionship, faithfulness, patience, and a love that bears with the other person.
Notice how often the passages speak of action more than feeling. Love suffers long, forbears, endures and covers faults. A good marriage is built on these daily choices, and Catholics believe the sacrament of Matrimony gives husband and wife the grace to make them.
A prayer for a husband and wife to pray together:
Lord, thank You for joining us together. You gave us to each other, and we place our marriage in Your hands.
Teach us to be patient when we are tired, and gentle when we disagree. Help us to listen before we answer and to forgive before the sun goes down. Keep us faithful in small things and in great ones.
When money is tight or worries are heavy, remind us that we face them side by side. Bless our home with peace and our family with Your presence. Make our love a reflection of Your love for Your Church, and let it grow stronger with every year. Amen.
How to Use These Verses in Your Marriage
You do not need a special occasion. Many couples read one verse together at the end of the day, then pray a short prayer in their own words.
For engaged couples: Genesis 2:24 and Mark 10:9 are often chosen for wedding readings and for reflecting on what lifelong commitment means.
For a marriage under strain: Ephesians 4:2 and 1 Peter 4:8 are good verses to read slowly, one person at a time, then pause in silence.
For an anniversary: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is a loving way to name what you have lived together.
A note on context: 1 Corinthians 13 and Ecclesiastes 4:12 are famous at weddings, yet Paul wrote about charity within a church community, and Ecclesiastes speaks about companionship in general. They apply beautifully to marriage, and they are worth reading in their wider setting too.
If your marriage is going through serious difficulty, prayer is a good place to begin, and speaking with your priest or a trusted counselor can help as well.
Scripture to Pray With
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18 (KJV)
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24 (KJV)
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV)
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Mark 10:9 (KJV)
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Ephesians 4:2 (KJV)
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV)
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (KJV)
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:14 (KJV)
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8 (KJV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Bible verse about marriage?
Genesis 2:24 is the foundational verse, describing a man and wife becoming one flesh. Many couples also love Ecclesiastes 4:12 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 for weddings and anniversaries.
What does the Bible say about a husband loving his wife?
Ephesians 5:25 says husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it, which is a call to sacrificial love.
What did Jesus say about marriage?
In Mark 10:9 Jesus says, What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder, pointing back to the union described in Genesis.
What Bible verse is read at weddings?
Common choices include Genesis 2:24, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and Colossians 3:14. The couple and their priest choose the readings together.
Is marriage a sacrament in the Catholic Church?
Yes. The Catholic Church teaches that Matrimony is one of the seven sacraments, in which husband and wife receive God's grace to live out their covenant.
Last updated 2026-10-28