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The Bible calls the marriage eternal union between a man and a woman, wherein both reach spiritual and physical unity and become a single whole. The establishment of marriage takes place at the end of the creation of the world, and becomes an integral trait of the Man. Besides, we can understand from Biblical narratives that the notion "Human being" must be associated first of all to a couple, composed of a man and a woman. According to the testimony in Genesis 2:18-24, man needs a "helper", which means he cannot carry out alone the tasks that were given to him " to cultivate and to guard" the Garden of Eden. It turns out necessary to have a complete unity (one flesh) of two different beings for it; according to the saint-writer’s word, this unity excels any ground relations, including even relatives by blood. The instruction that two persons participate to this union also mean in biblical context an assertion of the monogamy idea.

The presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the marriage in Caen in Galilee and as well as the fact that Jesus compares several times the Kingdom of God to the wedding feast are traditionally considered as an important witness of the blessing of the marriage by God.

Established by God in the garden of Eden before the fall, marriage enters in God's initial plan of a world without sin; besides it, the multiplication of the human race is an important function of the marriage. A nuptial union is realized in love, and this also shows the initial character of marriage establishment. The Bible uses several times the image of marriage as a reference of love uniting people. Inspired lines of psalms, prophets and writings of the wise are dedicated to the greatness and the beauty of this unity in love; the book of Solomon is especially dedicated to that. Marriage is devoted by the Creator’s will to the unity of People, that’s why it presents not only a soulful and physical unity, but first of all a spiritual and religious unity. That is why marriage is mostly used in the Bible as a symbol of covenant with God, and more widely as a symbol of the religion is whole (Hosea 2:1-10)..

Marriage’s high ideal, specific for Holy Scriptures does not become at once a standard of people’s real life. Israeli people keep conceptions and customs specific to all people of the Middle East and to the culture of that era - the beginning of the biblical history. It concerns first of all the permissibility of polygamy and divorce. Marriage of several persons in the Bible involves two persons or more; divorce is also frequently mentioned. It is clear that the Old Testament speaks neither about polyandry, nor about divorce by woman initiative; alongside with the difference in requirements for conjugal loyalty presented to men and women, this reflects the disparity of sexes adopted in the ancient East.

The Law of Sinai (end of year 2000 B. J.C) directly requires monogamy only to high priest; this standard isn’t applied to the other Israelis. Monogamy becomes the standard in the chosen nation at the time of the Second Temple ( end of 6th century Before. J.C); polygamy becomes then at this period a seldom exception, that will finally disappear later. Only monogamy is called pure in the New Testament.

The Prophet Malachi announces in the middle of the 5th century before J. C that divorce authorized by the Sinai’s law is useless to God. To send away his wife means according to the words of the prophet to offend her; the prophet Malachi calls divorce at the same time a perfidy from men; both (divorce and perfidy) are inadmissible according to the spirit of the Law. It is written in Malachie 2:16 " For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel" according to the New American Standard Bible translated from the original Jew, there is a Greek translation of the text which differs; one way or another divorce is unambiguously condemned by Malachi’s words.

The Lord Jesus Christ definitively forbids divorce in the New Testament; He explains that the authorization of divorce given by Moses in the law of Sinai was due to Israelites’ hardness of heart in that period - in other words, their incapacity to surmount their insights to the standards of a biblical monogamous and indissoluble marriage .

The writings of the Wise Israeli (first of all: Solomon’s Song, but also the Ecclesiastes, Salomon's Proverbs, Sirach) speak about love between a man and a woman in marriage as the most wonderful thing that can be in a human being’s life on earth. Salomon lets know in the Ecclesiastes that everything is considered vanity and joy can’t be found in them, but in fact, he makes an exception only for marriage; he talks about marriage almost as the only clear spot that can be in the darkness of a vain life. Sirach also appraise high the meaning of marriage, by paying more attention on the way intrusion of evil infects the conjugal life.

Besides, the law of Sinai settles certain questions, concerning not only the Revelation, but also the nuptial law. So, it prohibits the marriage between members of certain close degree of relationship, it ensures a certain protection of women rights against men's arbitrary treatments. Besides, the law prohibits marriage with foreigners with the aim of avoiding the heathen seductions; the history of Israel gives several confirmations, how serious became the danger of backslide for those who were married to the heathen. This position, so important at the time of the spiritual formation of the chosen people, led further ambiguous consequences. So, Ezra and Nehemiah renewing the covenant at their return from captivity asked Israeli to evict foreign women. The words of prophet Malachi about perfidy towards women are probably “the echo” of these events. This position endures a radical change in the New Testament. Apostle Paul in his first epistle to Corinthians, iterating the prohibition of divorce, says that the faith of one of the spouses can serve through love to the salvation of another – non-believer.

Such notion as levirate is defined after all in the nuptial law of the Old Testament: in the leviratic marriage, the younger brother (or another member of the family) is obliged to get married to the widow of a deceased childless Israelite; the first born in such marriage is considered descendant of the deceased (and not of the biological father). Leviratic marriage was conditioned on one hand by the necessity for the continuation the priests’ race (levitate), and also for property reasons.

The apostles’ letters by comparing the relation in marriage to the relation between Jesus and the Church, require to spouses a spiritual unity and speak about the dominant role of the man, this last one assuming the responsibility of all the family in front of God. In addition to that, the New Testament evokes several times the necessity of conjugal fidelity.

Related quotes:

Genesis   ch.  2,  verse 18-24
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Hosea   ch.  2,  verse 1-10
1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.
2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
Malachi   ch.  2,  verse 16
16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
Genesis   ch.  2,  verse 18-24
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Hosea   ch.  2,  verse 1-10
1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.
2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
Genesis   ch.  1,  verse 27-28
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
John   ch.  2,  verse 1-11
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Matthew   ch.  19,  verse 4-9
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Mark   ch.  10,  verse 2-12
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Malachi   ch.  2,  verse 13-16
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
Leviticus   ch.  21,  verse 12-15
12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.
1 Timothy   ch.  3,  verse 2-5
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Ecclesiastes   ch.  9,  verse 9
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Proverbs   ch.  18,  verse 23
23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
Proverbs   ch.  19,  verse 13
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
Leviticus   ch.  18,  verse 6-18
6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
Deuteronomy   ch.  24,  verse 1
1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Deuteronomy   ch.  7,  verse 1-4
1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
1 Corinthians   ch.  7,  verse 2-16
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
Deuteronomy   ch.  25,  verse 5-6
5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
Colossians   ch.  3,  verse 18-19
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Ephesians   ch.  5,  verse 22-33
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
1 Peter   ch.  3,  verse 1-7
1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Hebrews   ch.  13,  verse 4
4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Romans   ch.  7,  verse 2-3
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
John   ch.  8,  verse 2-11
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Proverbs   ch.  5,  verse 18-19
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
Deuteronomy   ch.  21,  verse 18-19
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
Deuteronomy   ch.  22,  verse 13-30
13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,
14 And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:
15 Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:
16 And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;
17 And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.
18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;
19 And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
30 A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt.
1 Corinthians   ch.  11,  verse 10-12
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of god.
Solomon   ch.  8,  verse 3-10
3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.
5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
Sirach   ch.  25,  verse 18-26
18 Her husband shall sit among his neighbours; and when he heareth it shall sigh bitterly.
19 All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman: let the portion of a sinner fall upon her.
20 As the climbing up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of words to a quiet man.
21 Stumble not at the beauty of a woman, and desire her not for pleasure.
22 A woman, if she maintain her husband, is full of anger, impudence, and much reproach.
23 A wicked woman abateth the courage, maketh an heavy countenance and a wounded heart: a woman that will not comfort her husband in distress maketh weak hands and feeble knees.
24 Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.
25 Give the water no passage; neither a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.
26 If she go not as thou wouldest have her, cut her off from thy flesh, and give her a bill of divorce, and let her go.
Sirach   ch.  26,  verse 1-23
1 Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double.
2 A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.
3 A good wife is a good portion, which shall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord.
4 Whether a man be rich or poor, if he have a good heart toward the Lord, he shall at all times rejoice with a cheerful countenance.
5 There be three things that mine heart feareth; and for the fourth I was sore afraid: the slander of a city, the gathering together of an unruly multitude, and a false accusation: all these are worse than death.
6 But a grief of heart and sorrow is a woman that is jealous over another woman, and a scourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.
7 An evil wife is a yoke shaken to and fro: he that hath hold of her is as though he held a scorpion.
8 A drunken woman and a gadder abroad causeth great anger, and she will not cover her own shame.
9 The whoredom of a woman may be known in her haughty looks and eyelids.
10 If thy daughter be shameless, keep her in straitly, lest she abuse herself through overmuch liberty.
11 Watch over an impudent eye: and marvel not if she trespass against thee.
12 She will open her mouth, as a thirsty traveller when he hath found a fountain, and drink of every water near her: by every hedge will she sit down, and open her quiver against every arrow.
13 The grace of a wife delighteth her husband, and her discretion will fatten his bones.
14 A silent and loving woman is a gift of the Lord; and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed.
15 A shamefaced and faithful woman is a double grace, and her continent mind cannot be valued.
16 As the sun when it ariseth in the high heaven; so is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.
17 As the clear light is upon the holy candlestick; so is the beauty of the face in ripe age.
18 As the golden pillars are upon the sockets of silver; so are the fair feet with a constant heart.
19 [My son, keep the flower of thine age sound; and give not thy strength to strangers.
20 When thou hast gotten a fruitful possession through all the field, sow it with thine own seed, trusting in the goodness of thy stock.
21 So thy race which thou leavest shall be magnified, having the confidence of their good descent.
22 An harlot shall be accounted as spittle; but a married woman is a tower against death to her husband.
23 A wicked woman is given as a portion to a wicked man: but a godly woman is given to him that feareth the Lord.
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