About using Biblical readings
There are many versions of the Bible, depending on your faith tradition(s). For Christian versions, check out BibleGateway.com, or type in "Bible versions" on your search bar. For example, if you are Christian and modern in nature, you may wish to use the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, or the Living Bible. If you are Jewish, you will probably want to to use the Masoretic text, published by the Jewish Publication Society. There are many other versions from which to use, depending on your denomination. Adherents of each version assert their version is the most accurate one. For our purposes, the choice is yours. Please let your Officiant know with which version of the Bible you are most comfortable.
Readings can be read by the Officiant, or by a friend or family member. Involving friends and family members makes the service more interesting, honors their relationship with you, and will create very touching memories. Be sure to print out the readings on index cards and hand out to the reader at the rehearsal, and bring an extra copy to the wedding, just in case! Another option is to have the guests read responsively, for a very nice effect.
From the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)
The Jewish (Masoretic) version of the Hebrew scriptures can be found online at mechon-mamre.org.
Genesis 2:18-24
(This can be read as it is, or responsively with the witnesses and guests.)
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
And Adam 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.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
"The Priestly Blessing"
Numbers 6:22-27
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."
"I Will Betroth You unto Me Forever"
Hosea 2:19-20
I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.
Proverbs 5:15-19
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a great good, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22 CEV (A more modern translation)
A man's greatest treasure is his wife for she is a gift from the Lord.
From the "Song of Songs"
For love is as strong as death.
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes
leaping on the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My Beloved is like a gazelle,
like a young stag.
See where he stands behind our wall.
He looks in at the window,
he peers through the lattice.
My Beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me,
"Come then, my love,
my lovely, come.
"My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,
in the coverts of the cliff,
show me your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet
and your face is beautiful."
My Beloved is mine and I am his.
He said to me:
'Set me like a seal on your heart,
For love is strong as Death,
jealousy relentless as Sheol.
The flash of it is a flash of fir,
a flame of the Lord himself.'
Love no flood can quench,
no torrents down.
From the "Song of Solomon"
My beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over, and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the
singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle
is heard in the land.
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the
vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Ruth 1:16
Entreat me not to leave you,
and to turn back from following you.
Wherever you go, there I will go.
Wherever you stay, there I will stay.
Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-1
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Christian Readings (from the New Testament)
1 Corinthians 13
Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
(Arranged responsively. This version is very beautiful when read responsively by the gathering of witnesses.)
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Prophecies will come to an end. Tongues will cease. Knowledge will come to an end. We know in part, we prophesy in part. But when he complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child;
When I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. Now, we see in a mirror, a riddle.
Then we see face to face. Now I know in part. Then I will know fully.
Now faith, hope and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
Matthew 19:5-6
and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
Mark 10:6-9
But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
1 Corinthians 7:2-3
....let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
I Corinthians 11:3
But 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.
Ephesians 5:23-33
(Arranged responsively.)
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
1 John 4 (New American Bible)
7, Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4
(Arranged responsively.)
Let us love one another, because love is from God.
Whoever does not love God does not know God, for God is love.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us.
God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them.
There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts our fear.
Those who say, "I love God" and hate their brothers and sisters are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us.
The Beatitudes
(Adapted from Matthew and Luke, arranged responsively.)
Blessed are you poor. The realm of God is yours.
Blessed are you who hunger today. You shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep today. You shall laugh.
Blessed are the humble. They will inherit the earth.
Blessed are the peacemakers. They will be ranked as children of God.
You are the light of the world. When a lamp is lit, it is not put under a bushel, but on the lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
Matthew 5:9; Luke 6:27-31
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God…But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
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