This page gives you King James Version Bible verses about marriage, arranged by the situations couples and spouses actually face: the early years, the hard seasons, the everyday work of loving someone who is not perfect, and the long view of a life shared with another person. It is written for those who want Scripture to shape how they love, forgive and pray for their marriage. What these verses have in common is that they treat marriage as a covenant before God, something built on faithfulness, sacrifice and a commitment that outlasts moods.
Verses for the Early Years of Marriage
The first season of marriage is full of new routines and new expectations. These passages describe marriage as God’s design from the beginning and as a bond that draws two people into one shared life.
Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
(KJV)
This is the foundation the rest of Scripture builds on. Read it on a quiet evening and notice how the verse moves from leaving to cleaving, which means your first loyalty now belongs to your spouse. Choose one practical way this week to put your spouse ahead of a parent, friend or habit.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 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.
(KJV)
Here Solomon describes the strength that comes from partnership, with one person lifting the other when they fall. Think about a moment when your spouse helped you stand up recently. Thank them for it out loud, and ask how you can be the one who helps them up next time.
Proverbs 18:22
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing , and obtaineth favour of the LORD .
(KJV)
This verse frames a good spouse as a gift from the Lord, which changes how you see the daily friction of married life. When irritation rises, try naming one specific thing you value about your spouse before you speak. Gratitude softens the tone of many conversations.
Verses for Love in Everyday Faithfulness
Most of marriage happens in ordinary moments: unfolded laundry, a tired word at dinner, a late text. These passages describe the kind of love that shows up in those small, repeated choices.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
(KJV)
Paul describes love in actions rather than feelings, such as being patient, kind and not keeping a record of wrongs. Read it slowly, and then consider which phrase your marriage most needs right now. Pick that one quality and make it visible in a single concrete act today.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it…
(KJV)
Paul sets the standard for husbands as self-giving love modeled on Christ, who gave himself for the church. If you are a husband, ask yourself what sacrificial act your wife would recognize as love this week. If you are a wife, you can pray that your husband grows into this love and encourage him when he does.
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
(KJV)
Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ is a mutual posture, not a one-way demand. Spouses who both listen and yield tend to build a marriage that feels safe. Try asking your spouse this evening, “What is one thing I could do to make your day easier?” and then do it.
Verses for Hard Seasons and Forgiveness
Every marriage meets conflict, disappointment and seasons of distance. These verses speak to the moments when love must be stretched by forgiveness, patience and a willingness to keep showing up.
Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(KJV)
Paul ties forgiveness to the forgiveness we have received from Christ, which gives it a firm basis. When an old hurt resurfaces in your marriage, name it privately to God first, then decide whether to bring it to your spouse with a spirit of grace. Forgiveness is often a decision you make again and again.
Ephesians 4:26
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath…
(KJV)
Paul acknowledges that anger can arise, but he warns against letting it sit unresolved overnight. If you and your spouse argue tonight, agree to pause, pray briefly, and return to the conversation before you sleep. A soft word at bedtime can keep a small disagreement from becoming a long silence.
Matthew 19:6
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
(KJV)
Jesus says that what God has joined together is not to be separated by human hands. Read this when you feel tempted to give up on a hard season. Ask God to strengthen the commitment you made before him, and let that vow be an anchor when feelings are unsteady.
Verses for Long Love and Lasting Commitment
The verses in this final group look beyond a single season toward a marriage that grows deeper over decades. They describe love that endures, serves and points toward God.
Song of Solomon 8:7
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
(KJV)
The poet celebrates a love that many waters cannot quench, a picture of enduring devotion. Use this verse on an anniversary or during a quiet walk together. Name one way your love has survived a difficulty, and thank God for it.
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
(KJV)
Solomon encourages enjoying life with the wife whom you love, as a good portion given by God. Make space for delight, not just duty, in your marriage. Plan a shared pleasure this month, such as a meal, a walk or an old favorite activity.
1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
(KJV)
Peter urges husbands to live with their wives in understanding and to honor them as fellow heirs of God’s grace. Honor here means treating your spouse with dignity in both word and deed. Consider how you speak about your spouse when others are listening, and let it reflect respect.
How to Use These Verses
Write two or three of these verses on a card and place it somewhere you will see it in a shared space, such as the kitchen counter, the bathroom mirror or your car dashboard. Read one verse each morning before the day gets busy, and let a single phrase guide your conversations. Over time, the words you return to will shape the way you speak and listen.
Pray these verses in your marriage rather than only reading them silently. Turn a verse into a request for your spouse, such as asking God to give them patience or a tender heart, and pray it together before bed if you can. Praying Scripture over your spouse invites God into the details of your shared life.
A Short Prayer for Marriage
Lord, thank you for the gift of marriage and for joining two lives in a covenant that reflects your faithfulness. You know the places where we are tired, short-tempered or distant, and you know the hopes we carry for each other. Teach us to love with patience, to forgive quickly and to speak words that build up rather than tear down. Help us to serve each other the way Christ serves us, and let our home be a place where your presence is felt. Keep our hearts close to yours, and strengthen what you have joined together. Amen.
