Verses about dating and marriage

And YHWH Elohim said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make for him a helper corresponding to him.” And YHWH Elohim formed from the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called it, as a living being, that was its name. And the man gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the sky and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper corresponding to him. And YHWH Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his sides and closed up the flesh in its place. And YHWH Elohim built the side that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called Woman, because from Man this one was taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

And Elohim created the human being in his image; in the image of Elohim he created him; male and female he created them. And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every animal that creeps on the earth.”

But he answered and said, “Have you not read that the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Two are better than one, because they have good wages for their toil. For if they fall, the one will lift up his companion; but woe to him, the one who falls and there is no second to lift him up! Also, if two lie down, they have warmth; but for one how can there be warmth? And if one overpowers him, the two will stand against him; and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Whoever finds a wife finds good, and obtains favor from YHWH.

House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but from YHWH comes a prudent wife.

Do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Isaac had come back from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the land of the Negev. Isaac went out to meditate in the field as evening drew near; he lifted up his eyes and saw, and look, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she got down from the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “He is my lord.” So she took the veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother.

Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I give her to another man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they were in his eyes like a few days because of his love for her.

A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives; but if the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

A woman of worth, who can find her? And her price is far beyond pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack plunder. She repays him with good and not with evil all the days of her life.

He said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread the edge of your cloak over your servant, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.” And he said, “Blessed be you by YHWH, my daughter. You have made your last loyal love better than the first, by not going after the young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. All that you say I will do for you, for all the gate of my people knows that you are a woman of worth.

Husbands, love your wives just as also the Messiah loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he himself might present the assembly to himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that she might be holy and without blemish. So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as also the Messiah does the assembly, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking about the Messiah and about the assembly. Nevertheless, you also, each one of you let him love his own wife in this way, as himself; and the wife is to respect her husband.

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Likewise, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, so that even if some disobey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your pure conduct in fear. Let your adornment not be the outward kind: the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the wearing of clothes, but the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For so once also the holy women who hoped in God adorned themselves, submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him master; whose children you have become if you do good and do not fear any terror. Husbands, likewise, live with them with understanding, as with a weaker vessel, the woman, showing honor, as also fellow heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Let the husband give to his wife what is due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

A woman of worth is the crown of her husband, but like rot in his bones is she who brings shame.

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your life of vapor that he has given you under the sun, all the days of your vapor, for that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.

Let marriage be honored among all, and the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Drink water from your own cistern, and flowing water from the midst of your own well. Should your springs be scattered outside, streams of water in the squares? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a loving doe and a graceful mountain goat; let her breasts satisfy you at all times; in her love may you be lost always. And why would you be lost, my son, with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a foreign woman?

And you say, “Why?” Because YHWH has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, whom you have betrayed, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant. And did he not make one, and a remnant of spirit is his? And what of the one? He was seeking offspring of Elohim. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not let anyone betray the wife of your youth. For he hates divorce, says YHWH, Elohim of Israel, and the one who covers his garment with violence, says YHWH Tsevaot. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not betray.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman in order to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

A covenant I made with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?

I make you swear, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, that you not awaken nor arouse love until it pleases.

My beloved answered and said to me, “Arise, my companion, my beautiful one, and come away; for look, the winter has passed; the rain is over, it has gone away. The blossoms appear in the land; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its early figs, and the vines in blossom give fragrance. Arise, my companion, my beautiful one, and come away.”

Scarcely had I passed from them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him and I will not let him go until I have brought him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.

You have stolen my heart, my sister, bride; you have stolen my heart with one of your eyes, with one bead of your necklaces. How beautiful is your love, my sister, bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfumes than all balsams!

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine, the one who pastures among the lilies.

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm, for strong as death is love, hard as Sheol is jealousy; its flames are flames of fire, a flame of Yah. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers flood it; if a man gave all the wealth of his house for love, with contempt they would despise him.