Wedding reading
Matthew 19:4–6
King James Bible
“Matthew 19:4–6” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about 35 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 he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
In Matthew 19 these words are Jesus’ answer to a test: Pharisees ask him whether a man may divorce his wife for any reason at all.
What it says
Jesus answers the question about divorce by going back to the beginning. God made them male and female, and for that reason a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two but one. What God has joined together, no one should separate. It is the source of the line most officiants say at the end of the vows.
Where "let no man put asunder" comes from. Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: one flesh · joined together · the traditional wedding gospel · very short.
Who it suits
Traditional Christian weddings, and couples who want the words that the declaration of marriage comes from. It is very short, so it suits a brief church ceremony or a courthouse wedding with a religious family present. Its male-and-female wording makes it a poor fit for a same-sex wedding.
Where it goes in the ceremony
Often read right before the declaration or pronouncement, so the final line leads straight into it. In a Catholic or Anglican service it can be the Gospel reading, read by the priest or minister.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 69 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about 30 seconds of reading.
- It is brief, under forty seconds. Slow down; a short reading read fast sounds like an announcement.
- The passage quotes Genesis inside Jesus’ answer. A small change of tone on “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother” helps the room hear the quotation.
- Do not rush the last sentence; the officiant may echo it in the pronouncement a few minutes later.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Matthew 19:4–6” take to read aloud?
“Matthew 19:4–6” takes about 35 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 “Matthew 19:4–6”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Matthew 19:4–6” runs about 35 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 “Matthew 19:4–6” 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
- Mark 10:6–930 secondsThe same teaching in Mark’s wording
- Genesis 2:18–24a minute and a halfThe creation passage this one quotes
- Ephesians 4:2–640 secondsUnity and patience, from Paul
- 1 Peter 4:8–1025 secondsKing James Bible
- Proverbs 30:18–1930 secondsKing James Bible
- Jeremiah 29:1115 secondsKing James Bible