A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than
diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and
never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats
him generously all her life long. . .
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to
say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on
everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy
and productive. Her children respect and bless her. Her
husband joins in with words of praise.
—Proverbs 31:10-12,26-28

Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a
married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace.
Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly,
never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—
or accepted. And some decide not to get married for
kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into
the largeness of marriage, do it.”—Matthew 19:11-12

“A man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he
becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals,
but forming a new unity. Because God created
this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate
his art by cutting them apart.”—Mark 10:7-9

If you can’t manage your desires and emotions, you
should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties
of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually
tortured life as a single.—1 Corinthians 7:9

If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but
who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. If you
are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but
he wants to live with you, hold on to him. The unbelieving
husband shares to an extent in the holiness of
his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched
by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children
would be left out; as it is, they also are included in
the spiritual purposes of God.—1 Corinthians 7:12-14

A wife must stay with her husband as long as he lives.
If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she chooses. She
will, of course, want to marry a believer and have the
blessing of the Master.—1 Corinthians 7:39

Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How
can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?
That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends
with dark?—2 Corinthians 6:14

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to
one another. Wives, understand and support your husbands in
ways that show your support for Christ. The husband
provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his
church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as
the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership,
wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives,
exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked
by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church
whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does
and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing
her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.
And that is how husbands ought to love their wives.
They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re
already “one” in marriage.—Ephesians 5:21-28

Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting
to them in ways that honor the Master.
Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t
take advantage of them.—Colossians 3:18-19

Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual
intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm
line against casual and illicit sex.—Hebrews 13:4

The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your
husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands
who, indifferent as they are to any words about God,
will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters
is not your outer appearance—the styling of your
hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but
your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle,
gracious kind that God delights in. . .
The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands
to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As
women they lack some of your advantages. But in the
new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives,
then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.
—1 Peter 3:1-4,7