Then the elders and all the people at the gate said,“ We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the Lord make her like Rachel and Leah. Together they built up the family of Israel. May you be an important person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem.

在城门坐着的众民和长老都说：“我们作见证。愿耶和华使进你家的这女子，像建立以色列家的拉结、利亚二人一样。又愿你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恒得名声。

在城门坐着的所有百姓和长老说：“我们都是证人。愿耶和华使进你家的这女子，像建立以色列家的拉结和利亚二人一样。又愿你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恒有名声。

在城门坐着的所有百姓和长老说：“我们都是证人。愿耶和华使进你家的这女子，像建立以色列家的拉结和利亚二人一样。又愿你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恒有名声。

聚集在城门口的众人和长老都说：“我们愿意作证。愿耶和华使要进你家门的这女子，像建立以色列家的拉结和利亚一样。愿你在以法他家业兴隆，在伯利恒声名远播。

聚集在城门的众人和长老都说：“我们都是见证人。愿耶和华使进你家的这女人，像建立以色列家的拉结和利亚二人一样。愿你在以法他显大，在伯利恒扬名。

在城门口的全体民众和长老们都说：“我们都是见证人！愿耶和华使进到你家的这女子像建立以色列家的瑞秋和莉亚两人那样！愿你在以法塔做大能的事，在伯利恒得名声！

在城門坐着的眾民和長老都說：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。

在城門坐着的所有百姓和長老說：「我們都是證人。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結和利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆有名聲。

在城門坐着的所有百姓和長老說：「我們都是證人。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結和利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆有名聲。

聚集在城門口的眾人和長老都說：「我們願意作證。願耶和華使要進你家門的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結和利亞一樣。願你在以法他家業興隆，在伯利恆聲名遠播。

聚集在城門的眾人和長老都說：“我們都是見證人。願耶和華使進你家的這女人，像建立以色列家的拉結和利亞二人一樣。願你在以法他顯大，在伯利恆揚名。

在城門那裏的眾民、以及那些長老都說：『我們作見證。願永恆主使進你家的這女子像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣；又願你在以法他大顯才德，願你的名在伯利恆得稱揚；

在城門口的全體民眾和長老們都說：「我們都是見證人！願耶和華使進到你家的這女子像建立以色列家的拉結和莉亞兩人那樣！願你在以法他做大能的事，在伯利恆得名聲！

在邑門之眾、與諸長老曰、我儕為證、願耶和華使適爾家之婦、如拉結利亞、肇造以色列家者、亦願爾稱豪於以法他、得名於伯利恆、

邑門長老與眾俱曰、我儕為證、昔拉結利亞傳嗣於以色列族、願耶和華使適爾家之婦亦若是、亦願爾於以法大得其財貨、於伯利恆播其聲名。

在邑門之眾民及長老曰、我儕為證、願主使入爾家之婦、如昔建立以色列家之拉結利亞二人、亦願爾在以法他居高位、居高位或作所行皆善在伯利恆揚聲名、

Then the elders and all the people at the gate said,“ We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said,“ We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,

Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied,“ We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said,“ We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem.

And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said,“ We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said,“ We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

The elders and all the people who were at the gate said,“ We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

And all the people that[ were] in the gate, and the elders, said,[ We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied,“ We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May you prosper in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said,“ We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

Leah became pregnant. She had a son. She named him Reuben. She said,“ The Lord has seen me suffer. Surely my husband will love me now.”She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said,“ The Lord heard that Jacob doesn’t love me very much. That’s why the Lord gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said,“ Now at last my husband will value me. I have had three sons by him.” So the boy was named Levi.She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said,“ This time I’ll praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children by Jacob. So she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob,“ Give me children, or I’ll die!”Jacob became angry with her. He said,“ Do you think I’m God? He’s the one who has kept you from having children.”Then she said,“ Here’s my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she can have children for me. Then I too can have a family through her.”So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her.And Bilhah became pregnant. She had a son by him.Then Rachel said,“ God has stood up for my rights. He has listened to my prayer and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.Rachel’s servant Bilhah became pregnant again. She had a second son by Jacob.Then Rachel said,“ I’ve had a great struggle with my sister. Now I’ve won.” So she named him Naphtali.Leah saw that she had stopped having children. So she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.Leah’s servant Zilpah had a son by Jacob.Then Leah said,“ What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.Leah’s servant Zilpah had a second son by Jacob.Then Leah said,“ I’m so happy! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.While the wheat harvest was being gathered, Reuben went out into the fields. He found some mandrake plants. He brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah,“ Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”But Leah said to her,“ Isn’t it enough that you took my husband away? Are you going to take my son’s mandrakes too?” Rachel said,“ All right. Jacob can sleep with you tonight if you give me your son’s mandrakes.”Jacob came in from the fields that evening. Leah went out to meet him.“ You have to sleep with me tonight,” she said.“ I’ve traded my son’s mandrakes for that time with you.” So he slept with her that night.God listened to Leah. She became pregnant and had a fifth son by Jacob.Then Leah said,“ God has rewarded me because I gave my female servant to my husband.” So she named the boy Issachar.Leah became pregnant again. She had a sixth son by Jacob.Then Leah said,“ God has given me a priceless gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor. I’ve had six sons by him.” So she named the boy Zebulun.Some time later she had a daughter. She named her Dinah.Then God listened to Rachel. He showed concern for her. He made it possible for her to have children.She became pregnant and had a son. Then she said,“ God has taken away my shame.”She said,“ May the Lord give me another son.” So she named him Joseph.

Then his brother’s widow will go up to him in front of the elders. She’ll pull one of his sandals off his foot. She’ll spit in his face. And she’ll say,“ That’s what we do to a man who won’t build up his brother’s family line.”

They moved on from Bethel. Ephrath wasn’t very far away when Rachel began to have a baby. She was having a very hard time of it.The woman who helped her saw that she was having problems. So she said to Rachel,“ Don’t be afraid. You have another son.”But Rachel was dying. As she took her last breath, she named her son Ben- Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.So Rachel died. She was buried beside the road to Ephrath. Ephrath was also called Bethlehem.Jacob set up a stone marker over her tomb. To this day, the stone marks the place where Rachel was buried.

As a vine bears a lot of fruit, so may your wife have many children by you. May they sit around your table like young olive trees.Only a man who has respect for the Lord will be blessed like that.May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you enjoy the good things that come to Jerusalem all the days of your life.May you live to see your grandchildren. May Israel enjoy peace.

“‘ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah. A ruler will come out of you. He will rule my people Israel like a shepherd.’ ”( Micah 5:2)

The Lord says,“ Bethlehem Ephrathah, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come for me a ruler over Israel. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago.”

Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from him.Children who are born to people when they are young are like arrows in the hands of a soldier.Blessed are those who have many children. They won’t be put to shame when they go up against their enemies in court.

A wise woman builds her house. But a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.

Here are the words we heard in Ephrathah. We heard them again in the fields of Kiriath Jearim.

Here are the names of Israel’s children and grandchildren who went to Egypt. Jacob and his whole family are included. Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son.The sons of Reuben were Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. Shaul was the son of a woman from Canaan.The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. But Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon and Jahleel.These were the sons and grandsons born to Jacob and Leah in Paddan Aram. Leah also had a daughter by Jacob. Her name was Dinah. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Leah was 33.The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.These were the children and grandchildren born to Jacob and Zilpah. Laban had given Zilpah to his daughter Leah. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Zilpah was 16.The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.In Egypt, Asenath had Manasseh and Ephraim by Joseph. Asenath was the daughter of Potiphera. Potiphera was the priest of On.The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.These were the sons and grandsons born to Jacob and Rachel. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Rachel was 14.The son of Dan was Hushim.The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.These were the sons and grandsons born to Jacob and Bilhah. Laban had given Bilhah to his daughter Rachel. The total number of people in the family line of Jacob and Bilhah was seven.The total number of people who went to Egypt with Jacob was 66. That number includes only his own children and grandchildren. It doesn’t include his sons’ wives or his grandsons’ wives.The total number of the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt was 70. That includes the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt.

And they gave Rebekah their blessing. They said to her,“ Dear sister, may your family grow by thousands and thousands. May they take over the cities of their enemies.”

After the plague, the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest. Eleazar was the son of Aaron. The Lord said,“ Count all the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their families. Count all the men who are able to serve in Israel’s army. They must be 20 years old or more.”At that time the Israelites were on the plains of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them. They said,“ Count all the men 20 years old or more. Do it just as the Lord commanded Moses.” Here are the men of Israel who came out of Egypt.Reuben was Israel’s oldest son. Here are the names of his sons. The Hanokite family came from Hanok. The Palluite family came from Pallu.The Hezronite family came from Hezron. The Karmite family came from Karmi.These were the families of Reuben. The number of men was 43,730.Eliab was the son of Pallu.Eliab’s sons were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were the same community officials who refused to obey Moses and Aaron. They were among the followers of Korah who refused to obey the Lord.The ground opened its mouth. It swallowed them up along with Korah. The followers of Korah died when fire burned up 250 men. Their deaths were a warning to the rest of Israel.But the family line of Korah didn’t die out completely.Here are the names of Simeon’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Nemuelite family came from Nemuel. The Jaminite family came from Jamin. The Jakinite family came from Jakin.The Zerahite family came from Zerah. The Shaulite family came from Shaul.These were the families of Simeon. The number of the men counted was 22,200.Here are the names of Gad’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Zephonite family came from Zephon. The Haggite family came from Haggi. The Shunite family came from Shuni.The Oznite family came from Ozni. The Erite family came from Eri.The Arodite family came from Arodi. The Arelite family came from Areli.These were the families of Gad. The number of the men counted was 40,500.Er and Onan were sons of Judah. But they died in Canaan.Here are the names of Judah’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Shelanite family came from Shelah. The Perezite family came from Perez. The Zerahite family came from Zerah.Here are the names of the sons of Perez. The Hezronite family came from Hezron. The Hamulite family came from Hamul.These were the families of Judah. The number of the men counted was 76,500.Here are the names of Issachar’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Tolaite family came from Tola. The Puite family came from Puah.The Jashubite family came from Jashub. The Shimronite family came from Shimron.These were the families of Issachar. The number of the men counted was 64,300.Here are the names of Zebulun’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Seredite family came from Sered. The Elonite family came from Elon. The Jahleelite family came from Jahleel.These were the families of Zebulun. The number of the men counted was 60,500.Here are the names of Joseph’s sons. They are listed by their families. The families came from Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph.Here are the names of Manasseh’s sons. The Makirite family came from Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead. The Gileadite family came from Gilead.Here are the names of Gilead’s sons. The Iezerite family came from Iezer. The Helekite family came from Helek.The Asrielite family came from Asriel. The Shechemite family came from Shechem.The Shemidaite family came from Shemida. The Hepherite family came from Hepher.Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Zelophehad didn’t have any sons. All he had was daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.These were the families of Manasseh. The number of the men counted was 52,700.Here are the names of Ephraim’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Shuthelahite family came from Shuthelah. The Bekerite family came from Beker. The Tahanite family came from Tahan.The sons of Shuthelah were the Eranite family. They came from Eran.These were the families of Ephraim. The number of the men counted was 32,500. These were the sons of Joseph. They are listed by their families.Here are the names of Benjamin’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Belaite family came from Bela. The Ashbelite family came from Ashbel. The Ahiramite family came from Ahiram.The Shuphamite family came from Shupham. The Huphamite family came from Hupham.Bela’s sons came from Ard and Naaman. The Ardite family came from Ard. The Naamite family came from Naaman.These were the families of Benjamin. The number of the men counted was 45,600.Here is the name of Dan’s son. He is listed by his family. The Shuhamite family came from Shuham. This was the family of Dan.All the men in Dan’s family were Shuhamites. The number of the men counted was 64,400.Here are the names of Asher’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Imnite family came from Imnah. The Ishvite family came from Ishvi. The Beriite family came from Beriah.Here are the names of the families that came from Beriah’s sons. The Heberite family came from Heber. The Malkielite family came from Malkiel.Asher also had a daughter named Serah.These were the families of Asher. The number of the men counted was 53,400.Here are the names of Naphtali’s sons. They are listed by their families. The Jahzeelite family came from Jahzeel. The Gunite family came from Guni.The Jezerite family came from Jezer. The Shillemite family came from Shillem.These were the families of Naphtali. The number of the men counted was 45,400.The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.The Lord said to Moses,“ I will give the land to them. The amount of land each family receives will be based on the number of its men.Give a larger share to a larger family. Give a smaller share to a smaller family. Each family will receive its share based on the number of men listed in it.“ Be sure that you cast lots when you give out the land. What each family receives will be based on the number of men listed in its tribe.Cast lots when you give out each share. Cast lots for the larger and smaller families alike.”Here are the names of the Levites. They are listed by their families. The Gershonite family came from Gershon. The Kohathite family came from Kohath. The Merarite family came from Merari.Here are the names of the other Levite families. They are the Libnite family, the Hebronite family, the Mahlite family, the Mushite family, the Korahite family. Amram came from the Kohathite family.The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed. She was from the family line of Levi. She was born to the Levites in Egypt. Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam were born in the family line of Amram and Jochebed.Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu. He was also the father of Eleazar and Ithamar.But Nadab and Abihu made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. So they died.The number of male Levites a month old or more was 23,000. They weren’t listed along with the other men of Israel. That’s because they didn’t receive a share among them.These are the men counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest. At that time the Israelites were on the plains of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho.The men of Israel had been counted before in the Sinai Desert by Moses and Aaron the priest. But not one of them was among the men counted this time.The Lord had told the Israelites at Kadesh Barnea that they would certainly die in the desert. Not one of them was left alive except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua was the son of Nun.

The man’s name was Elimelek. His wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites whose home had been in Bethlehem in Judah. They went to Moab and lived there.