Wedding reading
Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31
King James Bible
“Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31” (King James Bible) is a scripture reading read at weddings and funerals alike. It takes about a minute and a half 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
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
Proverbs 31 opens as “the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him”, which makes this portrait advice passed from a mother to her son.
What it says
The passage praises a capable woman who is worth more than rubies. Her husband trusts her completely. She is strong and dignified, she laughs at the future without fear, she speaks with wisdom and teaches kindness, and she keeps her household running. Her children call her blessed, her husband praises her, and the closing lines say that charm and beauty pass but a person of real character should be honored for what she has done.
Read at weddings, and often at the funeral of a mother or grandmother. Read at weddings and funerals alike. Themes: a woman of strength · wisdom · kindness · a life of work · honoring a mother or grandmother.
Who it suits
Funerals and memorials for a mother, grandmother or wife whose strength held a family together; this is one of the most chosen readings for that. At a wedding it suits a couple who want to honor a bride’s character, but some couples find its focus on one partner lopsided, so offer it rather than assume.
Where it goes in the ceremony
At a funeral, after the eulogy or as the main reading, read by a child or grandchild. At a wedding, as a tribute read by a parent before the vows.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 152 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about a minute and a half of reading.
- The verses are a list of praises. Keep an even pace and let the details land; this passage works because it is specific.
- “She shall rejoice in time to come” is the line that fits a funeral best. Pause on it.
- End on the final verse about her own works praising her in the gates, and stop. It is a natural ending.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31” take to read aloud?
“Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31” takes about a minute and a half 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 31:10–12, 25–31”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31” runs about a minute and a half, 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 31:10–12, 25–31” 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
- Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)a minute and a halfThe same chapter in the Jewish Publication Society wording
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsAnother reading about a woman’s loyalty
- Psalm 12850 secondsA blessing on the household she built
- 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a45 secondsKing James Bible
- Colossians 3:12–17a minute and a halfKing James Bible
- Psalm 90:1–6, 10, 12a minute and a halfKing James Bible