Allthe peoplewhowere in the court,and the elders,said,"[We are] witnesses.May the LORDmakethe womanwho is cominginto your homelike Racheland Leah,bothof whombuiltthe houseof Israel;and may you achievewealthin Ephrathahand becomefamousin Bethlehem.
Leahconceivedand borea sonand namedhim Reuben,for she said,"Becausethe LORDhas seenmy affliction;surelynowmy husbandwill loveme."
AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"But as for you, BethlehemEphrathah,[Too] littleto be among the clansof Judah,From you One will goforthfor Me to be rulerin Israel.His goingsforthare from longago,From the daysof eternity."
Behold,we heardof it in Ephrathah,We foundit in the fieldof Jaar.
The nameof the man[was] Elimelech,and the nameof his wife,Naomi;and the namesof his twosons[were] Mahlonand Chilion,Ephrathitesof Bethlehemin Judah.Now they enteredthe landof Moaband remainedthere.
then his brother'swifeshall cometo him in the sightof the elders,and pullhis sandaloffhis footand spitin his face;and she shall declare,'Thusit is doneto the manwhodoes not buildup his brother'shouse.'
They blessedRebekahand saidto her, "May you, our sister,Becomethousandsof tenthousands,And may your descendantspossessThe gateof those who hatethem."
The wisewomanbuildsher house,But the foolishtearsit downwith her own hands.
Now Ephronwas sittingamongthe sonsof Heth;and Ephronthe HittiteansweredAbrahamin the hearingof the sonsof Heth;[even] of allwho wentin at the gateof his city,saying,
So it cameabout in the morningthat, behold,it was Leah!And he saidto Laban,"Whatis thisyou have doneto me? Was it not for Rachelthat I servedwith you? Whythen have you deceivedme?"
Her husbandis knownin the gates,When he sitsamongthe eldersof the land.
Now Labanhad twodaughters;the nameof the olderwas Leah,and the nameof the youngerwas Rachel.
the sonsof Leah:Reuben,Jacob'sfirstborn,then Simeonand Leviand Judahand Issacharand Zebulun;
the sonsof Rachel:Josephand Benjamin;
"But ifthe mandoes not desireto takehis brother'swife,then his brother'swifeshall goup to the gateto the eldersand say,'My husband'sbrotherrefusesto establisha namefor his brotherin Israel;he is not willingto performthe dutyof a husband'sbrotherto me.'
So she wrotelettersin Ahab'snameand sealedthem with his seal,and sentlettersto the eldersand to the nobleswhowere livingwith Nabothin his city.
Salmathe fatherof Bethlehem[and] Harephthe fatherof Beth-gader.
"I signedand sealedthe deed,and calledin witnesses,and weighedout the silveron the scales.
