Tobit 8:4–8
And after that they were both shut in together, Tobias rose out of the bed, and said, Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on us.
Then began Tobias to say, Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers, and blessed is thy holy and glorious name for ever; let the heavens bless thee, and all thy creatures.
Thou madest Adam, and gavest him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: of them came mankind: thou hast said, It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto himself.
And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.
And she said with him, Amen.
Where it fits in the ceremony
Scripture readings usually come early in the ceremony, after the officiant’s opening words and before the vows. Churches differ on translation, and a Catholic wedding Mass draws its readings from an approved list, so check with your officiant before you print this one in the program.
Pair it with
Two readings that balance this one, one sacred and one secular:
- No Woman Was Ever Nearer to Her Mate — “To be together is for us to be at once as free as in solitude, as gay as in company.”
- And You, Helen — “I would give you back yourself” — Edward Thomas’s list of gifts for his wife.