Wedding reading
1 Peter 4:8–10
King James Bible
“1 Peter 4:8–10” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about 25 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.
The full text
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
The first verse of 1 Peter names its writer as “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ”, writing “to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia”.
What it says
Above everything, keep your love for each other strong, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Whatever gift each of you has received, use it to serve each other. In three verses it says what a long marriage actually asks for: forgiveness, an open door, and both partners putting what they are good at to work for the other.
Twenty-five seconds, and it covers hospitality and forgiveness. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: hospitality · forgiveness · serving each other · very short.
Who it suits
Couples who want a short, realistic reading that admits people will get things wrong, and couples known for hosting. It suits a church wedding and a civil one with a Christian family. It is short enough to pair with a longer poem.
Where it goes in the ceremony
As a short second reading, or immediately before the vows as a bridge into promises. Often read by a friend or a married couple from the wedding party taking a verse each.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 48 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 20 seconds of reading.
- “Charity shall cover the multitude of sins” is the heart of it. Give it a pause on both sides.
- “Without grudging” can get a knowing laugh from anyone who has hosted family. Let it come if it does.
- Twenty-five seconds goes by fast. Read at half the speed you think you need.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “1 Peter 4:8–10” take to read aloud?
“1 Peter 4:8–10” takes about 25 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “1 Peter 4:8–10”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “1 Peter 4:8–10” runs about 25 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “1 Peter 4:8–10” be printed in a ceremony script?
Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.
Where this text was checked
Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- Romans 12:9–18a minute and a halfPractical love and hospitality, in more detail
- Colossians 3:12–17a minute and a halfBearing with each other and forgiving
- Romans 13:815 secondsOne more very short reading on love
- Matthew 19:4–635 secondsKing James Bible
- Mark 10:6–930 secondsKing James Bible
- Proverbs 30:18–1930 secondsKing James Bible