“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
The Wedding at Cana — Paolo Veronese · public domain
The Bible treats marriage as a covenant rather than a contract — a difference Genesis 2:24 draws with one verb. A contract says "what I owe"; a covenant says "whosoever" and means it: "they two shall be one flesh." The verses below carry that covenant through its whole life — the finding (Proverbs 18:22), the wedding-day readings (1 Corinthians 13, Song of Solomon), the ordinary arithmetic of two incomes and one household (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), the hard instructions to both husbands and wives in Ephesians and Colossians, and the standing honor the New Testament pays to marriage itself (Hebrews 13:4). All fifteen are shown in full KJV text, ready to read at a ceremony or to keep for an ordinary Tuesday.
Quick answer: Genesis 2:24 is the Bible's founding verse on marriage: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Jesus quotes it in Matthew 19:5-6 and adds the conclusion "what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Ephesians 5:25 sets the husband's standard — "love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church" — and Ecclesiastes 4:12 gives the covenant its famous threefold cord.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Yahweh.
Proverbs 18:22
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
Matthew 19:6
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Mark 10:9
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:3
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
1 Corinthians 13:4
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her,
Ephesians 5:25
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Ephesians 5:33
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
Colossians 3:19
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Hebrews 13:4
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.
You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7
These verses are read at weddings (Genesis 2:24, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 are the traditional three), in marriage counseling, in anniversary cards, and in the ordinary seasons the ceremony never mentions — new jobs, new babies, long illnesses, the slow drift that needs a verse spoken out loud to interrupt. Ephesians 5:25 and 1 Peter 3:7 are addressed to husbands specifically, and they are best read by husbands rather than quoted at wives. For a marriage under real strain, the forgiveness list pairs well with this one: the two practices usually need each other.
Copy any verse from its card — Genesis 2:24 for a program or invitation, Ephesians 5:25 and 5:33 for a challenge issued with love, Ecclesiastes 4:12 for the vow's closing image. Each card toggles between the King James Version and the World English Bible; "one flesh" is identical in both, but "submit" and "love" read with different weight in modern English, which is worth seeing before a discussion rather than after one. Couples reading together often take one verse per week — a year of marriage in fifteen weeks — and the random verse tool above can draw additional verses from this theme.
15 KJV verses about husbands — Psalms 128:2, Psalms 128:4 and more.
15 KJV verses about wives — Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 14:1 and more.
15 KJV verses on family — Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Psalm 127:1, Ephesians 6:4, Joshua 24:15 and more.
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