Bible verses about "courtship" | UKJV

¹ And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. ² And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh: ³ And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: ⁴ But you shall go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. ⁵ And the servant said unto him, Possibly the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I essentially bring your son again unto the land from whence you came? ⁶ And Abraham said unto him, Beware you that you bring not my son thither again. ⁷ The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spoke unto me, and that swore unto me, saying, Unto your seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife unto my son from thence. ⁸ And if the woman will not be willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. ⁹ And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter. ¹⁰ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. ¹¹ And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. ¹² And he said O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray you, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: ¹⁴ And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down your pitcher, I pray you, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also: let the same be she that you have appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that you have showed kindness unto my master. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. ¹⁶ And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray you, drink a little water of your pitcher. ¹⁸ And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. ¹⁹ And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have done drinking. ²⁰ And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the gutter, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. ²¹ And the man wondering at her held his peace, to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. ²² And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; ²³ And said, Whose daughter are you? tell me, I pray you: is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in? ²⁴ And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. ²⁵ She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and animal food enough, and room to lodge in. ²⁶ And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. ²⁷ And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren. ²⁸ And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things. ²⁹ And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. ³⁰ And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. ³¹ And he said, Come in, you blessed of the LORD; wherefore stand you without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. ³² And the man came into the house: and he unbounded his camels, and gave straw and animal food for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. ³³ And there was set food before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. ³⁴ And he said, I am Abraham's servant. ³⁵ And the LORD has blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and male servants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. ³⁶ And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him has he given all that he has. ³⁷ And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: ³⁸ But you shall go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. ³⁹ And I said unto my master, Possibly the woman will not follow me. ⁴⁰ And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: ⁴¹ Then shall you be clear from this my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they give not you one, you shall be clear from my oath. ⁴² And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go: ⁴³ Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin comes forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water of your pitcher to drink; ⁴⁴ And she say to me, Both drink you, and I will also draw for your camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD has appointed out for my master's son. ⁴⁵ And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray you. ⁴⁶ And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. ⁴⁷ And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. ⁴⁸ And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. ⁴⁹ And now if all of you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. ⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from the LORD: we cannot speak unto you bad or good. ⁵¹ Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken. ⁵² And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. ⁵³ And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. ⁵⁴ And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. ⁵⁵ And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. ⁵⁶ And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. ⁵⁷ And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. ⁵⁸ And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. ⁵⁹ And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, You are our sister, be you the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those which hate them. ⁶¹ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. ⁶² And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. ⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. ⁶⁴ And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. ⁶⁵ For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. ⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

⁷ And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all of your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. ⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

¹ Furthermore then we plead to you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as all of you have received of us how all of you ought to walk and to please God, so all of you would abound more and more. ² For all of you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that all of you should abstain from fornication: ⁴ That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; ⁵ Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: ⁶ That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. ⁸ He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who has also given unto us his holy Spirit. (o. pneuma)

¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

¹ Be all of you followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. ² Now I praise you, brethren, that all of you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. ³ But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonours his head. ⁵ But every woman that prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. ⁶ For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. ⁷ For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. ⁸ For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. ⁹ Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 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. ¹³ Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? ¹⁵ But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. ¹⁷ Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that all of you come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first of all, when all of you come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. ²⁰ When all of you come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. ²¹ For in eating every one takes before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. ²² What? have all of you not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise all of you the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. ²³ For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: ²⁴ And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do all of you, as often as all of you drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶ For as often as all of you eat this bread, and drink this cup, all of you do show the Lord's death till he comes. ²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. ²⁹ For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. ³⁰ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. ³³ Wherefore, my brethren, when all of you come together to eat, tarry one for another. ³⁴ And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that all of you come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

²² Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, love, (o. agape) peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²⁶ For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

²⁷ All of you have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: ²⁸ But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand offend you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.

¹ Now concerning the things whereof all of you wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

⁹ And he said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth your handmaid: spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman. ¹⁰ And he said, Blessed be you of the LORD, my daughter: for you have showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you followed not young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to you all that you require: for all the city of my people does know that you are a virtuous woman. ¹² And now it is true that I am your near kinsman: nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I. ¹³ Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto you the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, then will I do the part of a kinsman to you, as the LORD lives: lie down until the morning.

⁵ And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh?

² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

¹⁸ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

²² Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour of the LORD.

¹ Now concerning the things whereof all of you wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 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 has not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband has not power of his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Defraud all of you not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that all of you 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 has 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 has a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And the woman which has an husband that believes 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 has called us to peace. ¹⁶ For what know you, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? or how know you, O man, whether you shall save your wife? ¹⁷ But as God has distributed to every man, as the Lord has called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. ¹⁸ Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. ²¹ Are you called being a servant? care not for it: but if you may be made free, use it rather. ²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. ²³ All of you are bought with a price; be not all of you the servants of men. ²⁴ Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. ²⁷ Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. ²⁸ But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remains, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; ³⁰ And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹ And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passes away. ³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: ³³ But he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: (o. pneuma) but she that is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that all of you may attend upon the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any man think that he behaves himself indecent toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sins not: let them marry. ³⁷ Nevertheless he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸ So then he that gives her in marriage does well; but he that gives her not in marriage does better. ³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit (o. pneuma) of God.

¹² Let no man despise your youth; but be you an example of the believers, in word, (o. logos) in conversation, in love, (o. agape) in spirit, (o. pneuma) in faith, in purity.