Wedding reading
Proverbs 3:3–6
King James Bible
“Proverbs 3:3–6” by 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
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
What it is about
Mercy and truth, bound about the neck and written on the heart.
Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: mercy and truth · written upon the heart · trust · being shown the way · short reading.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Proverbs 3:3–6” take to read aloud?
“Proverbs 3:3–6” 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 “Proverbs 3:3–6”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Proverbs 3:3–6” 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 “Proverbs 3:3–6” 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.