Onanknewthat the offspringwould not be his; so whenhe wentin to his brother'swife,he wastedhis seed on the groundin order not to giveoffspringto his brother.
But whathe didwas displeasingin the sightof the LORD;so He tookhis lifealso.
"For angerslaysthe foolishman,And jealousykillsthe simple.
Wrathis fierceand angeris a flood,But whocan standbeforejealousy?
"Whenbrotherslivetogetherand oneof them diesand hasnoson,the wifeof the deceasedshall not be [married] outside[the family] to a strangeman.Her husband'sbrothershall goin to her and takeher to himself as wifeand performthe dutyof a husband'sbrotherto her.
"It shall be that the firstbornwhomshe bearsshall assumethe nameof his deadbrother,so that his namewill not be blottedout from Israel.
For we alsooncewere foolishourselves,disobedient,deceived,enslavedto variouslustsand pleasures,spending our lifein maliceand envy,hateful,hatingone another.
But ifyou havebitterjealousyand selfish ambitionin your heart,do not be arrogantand [so] lieagainstthe truth.
For wherejealousyand selfish ambitionexist, thereis disorderand everyevilthing.
Ordo you thinkthat the Scripturespeaksto no purpose:"He jealouslydesiresthe SpiritwhichHe has made to dwellin us"?
But Naomisaid,"Return,my daughters.Whyshould you gowith me? Have I yetsonsin my womb,that they may be your husbands?
"Moreover,I have acquiredRuththe Moabitess,the widowof Mahlon,to be my wifein order to raiseup the nameof the deceasedon his inheritance,so that the nameof the deceasedwill not be cutofffrom his brothersor from the courtof his [birth] place;you are witnessestoday."
