And Abraam was old, advanced in days, and the Lord blessed Abraam in all things. And Abraam said to his servant the elder of his house, who had rule over all his possessions, Put thy hand under my thigh, and I will adjure thee by the Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Chananites, with whom I dwell, in the midst of them. But thou shalt go instead to my country, where I was born, and to my tribe, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son Isaac. (Genesis 24:1-4 Brenton)



And the servant took ten camels of his master's camels, and he took of all the goods of his master with him, and he arose and went into Mesopotamia to the city of Nachor. And he rested his camels without the city by the well of water towards evening, when damsels go forth to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraam, prosper my way before me to day, and deal mercifully with my master Abraam. Lo! I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of them that inhabit the city come forth to draw water. And it shall be, the virgin to whomsoever I shall say, Incline thy water-pot, that I may drink, and she shall say, Drink thou, and I will give thy camels drink, until they shall have done drinking—even this one thou hast prepared for thy servant Isaac, and hereby shall I know that thou hast dealt mercifully with my master Abraam.

And it came to pass before he had done speaking in his mind, that behold, Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, the wife of Nachor, and the same the brother of Abraam, came forth, having a water-pot on her shoulders. And the virgin was very beautiful in appearance, she was a virgin, a man had not known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her water-pot, and came up.

And the servant ran up to meet her, and said, Give me a little water to drink out of thy pitcher; and she said, Drink, Sir; and she hasted, and let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him to drink, till he ceased drinking. And she said, I will also draw water for thy camels, till they shall all have drunk. And she hasted, and emptied the water-pot into the trough, and ran to the well to draw again, and drew water for all the camels. And the man took great notice of her, and remained silent to know whether the Lord had made his way prosperous or not.

And it came to pass when all the camels ceased drinking, that the man took golden ear-rings, each of a drachm weight, and he put two bracelets on her hands, their weight was ten pieces of gold. And he asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me if there is room for us to lodge with thy father. And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bathuel the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor. And she said to him, We have both straw and much provender, and a place for resting.

And the man being well pleased, worshipped the Lord, and said, Blessed be the Lord the God of my master Abraam, who has not suffered his righteousness to fail, nor his truth from my master, and the Lord has brought me prosperously to the house of the brother of my lord. And the damsel ran and reported to the house of her mother according to these words. (Genesis 24:10-28 Brenton)



And Laban and Bathuel answered and said, This matter has come forth from the Lord, we shall not be able to answer thee bad or good. Behold, Rebecca is before thee, take her and go away, and let her be wife to the son of thy master, as the Lord has said.

And it came to pass when the servant of Abraam heard these words, he bowed himself to the Lord down to the earth. And the servant having brought forth jewels of silver and gold and raiment, gave them to Rebecca, and gave gifts to her brother, and to her mother. And both he and the men with him ate and drank and went to sleep.

And he arose in the morning and said, Send me away, that I may go to my master. And her brethren and her mother said, Let the virgin remain with us about ten days, and after that she shall depart. But he said to them, Hinder me not, for the Lord has prospered my journey for me; send me away, that I may depart to my master. And they said, Let us call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebecca, and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? and she said, I will go.

So they sent forth Rebecca their sister, and her goods, and the servant of Abraam, and his attendants. And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; become thou thousands of myriads, and let thy seed possess the cities of their enemies. And Rebecca rose up and her maidens, and they mounted the camels and went with the man; and the servant having taken up Rebecca, departed.

And Isaac went through the wilderness to the well of the vision, and he dwelt in the land toward the south. And Isaac went forth into the plain toward evening to meditate; and having lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming. And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac; and she alighted briskly from the camel, and said to the servant, Who is that man that walks in the plain to meet us? And the servant said, This is my master; and she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.

And Isaac went into the house of his mother, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted for Sarrha his mother. (Genesis 24:50-67 Brenton)

And Jacob started and went to the land of the east to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian, and the brother of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and Esau. And he looks, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were there three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but there was a great stone at the mouth of the well. And there were all the flocks gathered, and they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the flocks, and set the stone again in its place on the mouth of the well.

And Jacob said to them, Brethren, whence are ye? and they said, We are of Charrhan. And he said to them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nachor? and they said, We do know him. And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well.

And behold Rachel his daughter came with the sheep. And Jacob said, it is yet high day, it is not yet time that the flocks be gathered together; water ye the flocks, and depart and feed them. And they said, We shall not be able, until all the shepherds be gathered together, and they shall roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, then we will water the flocks.

While he was yet speaking to them, behold, Rachel the daughter of Laban came with her father's sheep, for she fed the sheep of her father. And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob came and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.

And Jacob kissed Rachel, and cried with a loud voice and wept. And he told Rachel that he was the near relative of her father, and the son of Rebecca; and she ran and reported to her father according to these words.

And it came to pass when Laban heard the name of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him, and brought him into his house; and he told Laban all these sayings. And Laban said to him, Thou art of my bones and of my flesh; and he was with him a full month. And Laban said to Jacob, Surely thou shalt not serve me for nothing, because thou art my brother; tell me what thy reward is to be.

Now Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lea, and the name of the younger, Rachel. And the eyes of Lea were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in appearance, and exceedingly fair in countenance. And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for thy younger daughter Rachel. And Laban said to him, It is better that I should give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man; dwell with me.

And Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they were before him as a few days, by reason of his loving her. And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a marriage-feast.

And it was even, and he took his daughter Lea, and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her. And Laban gave to his daughter Lea, Zelpha his handmaid, as a handmaid for her.

And it was morning, and behold it was Lea; and Jacob said to Laban, What is this that thou hast done to me? did I not serve thee for Rachel? and wherefore hast thou deceived me? And Laban answered, It is not done thus in our country, to give the younger before the elder. Fulfil then her sevens, and I will give to thee her also in return for thy labour, which thou labourest with me, yet seven other years.

And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her sevens; and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife. And Laban gave to his daughter his handmaid Balla, for a handmaid to her. And he went in to Rachel; and he loved Rachel more than Lea; and he served him seven other years. (Genesis 29:1-30 Brenton)

And it came to pass at that time that Judas went down from his brethren, and came as far as to a certain man of Odollam, whose name was Iras. And Judas saw there the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose name was Sava; and he took her, and went in to her. And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name, Er. And she conceived and bore a son again; and called his name, Aunan. And she again bore a son; and called his name, Selom: and she was in Chasbi when she bore them.

And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Thamar. And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God killed him.

And Judas said to Aunan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Aunan, knowing that the seed should not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled it upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother's wife. And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law, Sit thou a widow in the house of thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be grown; for he said, lest he also die as his brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in the house of her father.

And the days were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas died; and Judas, being comforted, went to them that sheared his sheep, himself and Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to Thamna. And it was told Thamar his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Thamna, to shear his sheep. And having taken off the garments of her widowhood from her, she put on a veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by the gates of Ænan, which is in the way to Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown; but he gave her not to him for a wife.

And when Judas saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he knew her not. And he went out of his way to her, and said to her, Let me come in to thee; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt thou give me if thou shouldest come in to me? And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from my flock; and she said, Well, if thou wilt give me an earnest, until thou send it. And he said, What is the earnest that I shall give thee? and she said, Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. And she arose and departed, and took her veil from off her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

And Judas sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from the woman; and he found her not. And he asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot who was in Ænan by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot here. And he returned to Judas, and said, I have not found her; and the men of the place say, There is no harlot here. And Judas said, Let her have them, but let us not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou hast not found her.

And it came to pass after three months, that it was told Judas, saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has grievously played the harlot, and behold she is with child by whoredom; and Judas said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt. And as they were bringing her, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man whose these things are; and she said, See whose is this ring and bracelet and staff. And Judas knew them, and said, Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he knew her not again.

And it came to pass when she was in labour, that she also had twins in her womb.

And it came to pass as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth his hand, and the midwife having taken hold of it, bound upon hid hand a scarlet thread, saying, This one shall come out first. And when he drew back his hand, then immediately came forth his brother; and she said, Why has the barrier been cut through because of thee? and she called his name, Phares. And after this came forth his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name, Zara. (Genesis 38:1-30 Brenton)

And it came to pass when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land: and a man went from Bethleem Juda to sojourn in the land of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the man's name was Elimelech, and his wife's name Noemin, and the names of his two sons Maalon and Chelaion, Ephrathites of Bethleem of Juda: and they came to the land of Moab, and remained there.

And Elimelech the husband of Noemin died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took to themselves wives, women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpha, and the name of the second Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.

And both Maalon and Chelaion died also; and the woman was left of her husband and her two sons. And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited his people to give them bread. And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her: and they went by the way to return to the land of Juda.

And Noemin said to her daughter-in-law, Go now, return each to the house of her mother: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest each of you in the house of her husband: and she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they said to her, We will return with thee to thy people.

And Noemin said, Return now, my daughters; and why do ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands? Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons; would ye wait for them till they should be grown? or would ye refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters; for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.

And Noemin said to Ruth, Behold, thy sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; turn now thou also after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following thee; for whithersoever thou goest, I will go, and wheresoever thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. And wherever thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if I leave thee, for death only shall divide between me and thee.

And Noemin seeing that she was determined to go with her, ceased to speak to her any more. And they went both of them until they came to Bethleem: and it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethleem, that all the city rang with them, and they said, Is this Noemin? And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me 'Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty: and why call ye me Noemin, whereas the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?

So Noemin and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethleem in the beginning of barley harvest. (Ruth 1:1-22 Brenton)

And Noemin had a friend an acquaintance of her husband, and the man was a mighty man of the kindred of Elimelech, and his name was Booz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Noemin, Let me go now to the field, and I will glean among the ears behind the man with whomsoever I shall find favour: and she said to her, Go, daughter. And she went; and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers; and she happened by chance to come on a portion of the land of Booz, of the kindred of Elimelech.

And, behold, Booz came from Bethleem, and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you: and they said to him, The Lord bless thee. And Booz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose is this damsel? And his servant who was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel who returned with Noemin out of the land of Moab. And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers: and she came and stood from morning till evening, and rested not even a little in the field.

And Booz said to Ruth, Hast thou not heard, my daughter? go not to glean in another field; and depart not thou hence, join thyself here with my damsels. Let thine eyes be on the field where my men shall reap, and thou shalt go after them: behold, I have charged the young men not to touch thee: and when you shalt thirst, then thou shalt go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men shall have drawn. And she fell upon her face, and did reverence to the ground, and said to him, How is it that I have found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take notice of me, whereas I am a stranger?

And Booz answered and said to her, It has fully been told me how thou hast dealt with thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband; and how thou didst leave thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy birth, and camest to a people whom thou knewest not before. The Lord recompense thy work; may a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou hast come to trust under his wings. And she said, Let me find grace in thy sight, my lord, because thou hast comforted me, and because thou hast spoken kindly to thy handmaid, and behold, I shall be as one of thy servants.

And Booz said to her, Now it is time to eat; come hither, and thou shalt eat of the bread, and thou shalt dip thy morsel in the vinegar: and Ruth sat by the side of the reapers: and Booz handed her meal, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left. And she rose up to glean; and Booz charged his young men, saying, Let her even glean among the sheaves, and reproach her not. And do ye by all means carry it for her, and ye shall surely let fall for her some of that which is heaped up; and let her eat, and glean, and rebuke her not.

So she gleaned in the field till evening, and beat out that she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barely. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and Ruth brought forth and gave to her the food which she had left from what she had been satisfied with. And her mother-in-law said to her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day, and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that took notice of thee.

And Ruth told her mother-in-law where she had wrought, and said, The name of the man with whom I wrought to-day is Booz. And Noemin said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed is he of the Lord, because he has not failed in his mercy with the living and with the dead: and Noemin said to her, The man is near akin to us, he is one of our relations.

And Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Yea, he said also to me, Keep close to my damsels, until the men shall have finished all my reaping. And Noemin said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is well, daughter, that thou wentest out with his damsels; thus they shall not meet thee in another field. And Ruth joined herself to the damsels of Booz to glean until they had finished the barley-harvest and the wheat-harvest. (Ruth 2:1-23 Brenton)

And she lodged with her mother-in-law: and Noemin her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Booz our kinsman, with whose damsels thou wast? behold, he winnows barley this night in the floor. But do thou wash, and anoint thyself, and put thy raiment upon thee, and go up to the threshing-floor: do not discover thyself to the man until he has done eating and drinking. And it shall come to pass when he lies down, that thou shalt mark the place where he lies down, and shalt come and lift up the covering of his feet, and shalt lie down; and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do. And Ruth said to her, All that thou shalt say, I will do.

And she went down to the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her. And Booz ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of corn; and she came secretly, and lifted up the covering of his feet.

And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? and she said, I am thine handmaid Ruth; spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near relation.

And Booz said, Blessed be thou of the Lord God, my daughter, for thou hast made thy latter kindness greater than the former, in that thou followest not after young men, whether any be poor or rich. And now fear not, my daughter, whatever thou shalt say I will do to thee; for all the tribe of my people knows that thou art a virtuous woman. And now I am truly akin to thee; nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I. Lodge here for the night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will do the part of a kinsman to thee, well--let him do it: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, I will do the kinsman's part to thee, as the Lord lives; lie down till the morning.

And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before a man could know his neighbour; and Booz said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. And he said to her, Bring the apron that is upon thee: and she held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and put them upon her, and she went into the city.

And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she said to her, My daughter! and Ruth told her all that the man had done to her. And she said to her, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law. And she said, Sit still, my daughter, until thou shalt know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until the matter be accomplished this day. (Ruth 3:1-18 Brenton)

And Booz went up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed by, of whom Booz spoke: and Booz said to him, Turn aside, sit down here, such a one: and he turned aside and sat down. And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye here; and they sat down. And Booz said to the relative, The matter regards the portion of the field which was our brother Elimelech's which was given to Noemin, now returning out of the land of Moab; and I said, I will inform thee, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if thou wilt redeem it, redeem it, but if thou wilt not redeem it, tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside thee to do the office of a kinsman, and I am after thee: and he said, I am here, I will redeem it.

And Booz said, In the day of thy buying the field of the hand of Noemin and of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased, thou must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; do thou redeem my right for thyself, for I shall not be able to redeem it.

And this was in former time the ordinance in Israel for redemption, and for a bargain, to confirm every word: A man loosed his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel. And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for thyself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.

And Booz said to the elders and to all the people, Ye are this day witnesses, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that belonged to Chelaion and Maalon, of the hand of Noemin. Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Maalon, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; so the name of the dead shall not be destroyed from among his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: ye are this day witnesses.

And all the people who were in the gate said, We are witnesses: and the elders said, The Lord make thy wife who goes into thy house, as Rachel and as Lia, who both together built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name to thee in Bethleem. And let thy house be as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore to Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this handmaid.

And Booz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. And the woman said to Noemin, Blessed is the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail thee this day, even to make thy name famous in Israel. And he shall be to thee a restorer of thy soul, and one to cherish thy old age; for thy daughter-in-law which has loved thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, has born him.

And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it. And the neighbours gave it a name, saying, A son has been born to Noemin; and they called his name Obed; this is the father of Jessae the father of David. (Ruth 4:1-17 Brenton)

And it came to pass when the time o the year for kings going out to battle had come round, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired about the woman: and one said, Is not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?

And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house. And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David. And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went on. And David said to Urias, Go to thy house, and wash thy feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and a portion of meat from the king followed him.

And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his house. And David said to Urias, Art thou not come from a journey? why hast thou not gone down to thy house? And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how should I do this? as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing.

And David said to Urias, Remain here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following. And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe part of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.

And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also. And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king. And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished reporting all the events of the war to the king, then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt say, Thy servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.

And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did ye draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would be wounded from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall?

And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the door of the gate. And the archers shot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and thy servant Urias the Chettite is dead also.

And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him. And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband. And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:1-27 Brenton)

Sarah was Barren

And Abram and Nachor took to themselves wives, the name of the wife of Abram was Sara, and the name of the wife of Nachor, Malcha, daughter of Arrhan, and he was the father of Malcha, the father of Jescha. And Sara was barren, and did not bear children. (Genesis 11:29-30 Brenton)

Abraham and Sarah were Advanced in their Days

And the Lord said to Abram, Go forth out of thy land and out of thy kindred, and out of the house of thy father, and come into the land which I will shew thee. And I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. And I will bless those that bless thee, and curse those that curse thee, and in thee shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. And Abram went as the Lord spoke to him, and Lot departed with him, and Abram was seventy-five years old, when he went out of Charrhan. (Genesis 12:1-4 Brenton)



And Sara the wife of Abram bore him no children; and she had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Agar. And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may get children for myself through her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara. So Sara the wife of Abram having taken Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Chanaan, gave her to Abram her husband as a wife to him. And he went in to Agar, and she conceived, and saw that she was with child, and her mistress was dishonoured before her.


And Agar bore a son to Abram; and Abram called the name of his son which Agar bore to him, Ismael. And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Agar bore Ismael to Abram. (Genesis 16:1-4, 15-16 Brenton)


And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am thy God, be well-pleasing before me, and be blameless. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.

And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke to him, saying, And I, behold! my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations. And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraam, for I have made thee a father of many nations. And I will increase thee very exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

And I will establish my covenant between thee and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee. And I will give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou sojournest, even all the land of Chanaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them a God. (Genesis 17:1-8 Brenton)


And God said to Abraam, Sara thy wife -- her name shall not be called Sara, Sarrha shall be her name. And I will bless her, and give thee a son of her, and I will bless him, and he shall become nations, and kings of nations shall be of him.

And Abraam fell upon his face, and laughed; and spoke in his heart, saying, Shall there be a child to one who is a hundred years old, and shall Sarrha who is ninety years old, bear? And Abraam said to God, Let this Ismael live before thee.

And God said to Abraam, Yea, behold, Sarrha thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to him and to his seed after him.

And concerning Ismael, behold, I have heard thee, and, behold, I have blessed him, and will increase him and multiply him exceedingly; twelve nations shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarrha shall bear to thee at this time, in the next year. And he left off speaking with him, and God went up from Abraam. (Genesis 17:15-22 Brenton)


And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon. And he lifted up his eyes and beheld, and lo! three men stood before him; and having seen them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and did obeisance to the ground.

And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in thy sight, pass not by thy servant. Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do ye refresh yourselves under the tree. And I will bring bread, and ye shall eat, and after this ye shall depart on your journey, on account of which refreshment ye have turned aside to your servant. And he said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes. And Abraam ran to the kine, and took a young calf, tender and good, and gave it to his servant, and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed; and he set them before them, and they did eat, and he stood by them under the tree.

And he said to him, Where is Sarrha thy wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent. And he said, I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son; and Sarrha heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.

And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha. And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.

And the Lord said to Abraam, Why is it that Sarrha has laughed in herself, saying, Shall I then indeed bear? but I am grown old. Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to thee seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son. But Sarrha denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said to her, Nay, but thou didst laugh. (Genesis 18:1-15 Brenton)

Sarah Conceives and Bears a Son to Abraham in Old Age

And the Lord visited Sarrha, as he said, and the Lord did to Sarrha, as he spoke. And she conceived and bore to Abraam a son in old age, at the set time according as the Lord spoke to him.

And Abraam called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sarrha bore to him, Isaac. And Abraam circumcised Isaac on the eighth day, as God commanded him. And Abraam was a hundred years old when Isaac his son was born to him.

And Sarrha said, The Lord has made laughter for me, for whoever shall hear shall rejoice with me. And she said, Who shall say to Abraam that Sarrha suckles a child? for I have born a child in my old age. (Genesis 21:1-7 Brenton)

This story drives home the fact that not only Sarah, Abraham's wife, was barren, but also both she and he were advanced in their days.

The promise of children to Abraham was initially given to him when he was 75 years old. And that promise, as it related to a specific covenant being established concerning a promised land, was fulfilled through his barren wife, Sarah when he was at the age of 100, and she was 99, when Isaac was born.

And these are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraam. Abraam begot Isaac. And Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebecca, daughter of Bathuel the Syrian, out of Syrian Mesopotamia, sister of Laban the Syrian. And Isaac prayed the Lord concerning Rebecca his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord heard him, and his wife Rebecca conceived in her womb. And the babes leaped within her; and she said, If it will be so with me, why is this to me? And she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, There are two nations in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy belly, and one people shall excel the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

And the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered, and she had twins in her womb. And the first came out red, hairy all over like a skin; and she called his name Esau. And after this came forth his brother, and his hand took hold of the heel of Esau; and she called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when Rebecca bore them. And the lads grew, and Esau was a man skilled in hunting, dwelling in the country, and Jacob a simple man, dwelling in a house. And Isaac loved Esau, because his venison was his food, but Rebecca loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:19-28 Brenton)

And the children of Israel yet again committed iniquity before the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Phylistines forty years. And there was a man of Saraa, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoe, and his wife was barren, and bore not.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, thou art barren and hast not born; yet thou shalt conceive a son. And now be very cautious, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing; for behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phylistines.

And the woman went in, and spoke to her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his appearance was as of an angel of God, very dreadful; and I did not ask him whence he was, and he did not tell me his name. And he said to me, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing; for the child shall be holy to God from the womb until the day of his death.

And Manoe prayed to the Lord and said, I pray thee, O Lord my lord, concerning the man of God whom thou sentest; let him now come to us once more, and teach us what we shall do to the child about to be born.

And the Lord heard the voice of Manoe, and the angel of God came yet again to the woman; and she sat in the field, and Manoe her husband was not with her. And the woman hasted, and ran, and brought word to her husband, and said to him, Behold the man who came in the other day to me has appeared to me.

And Manoe arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Art thou the man that spoke to the woman? and the angel said, I am. And Manoe said, Now shall thy word come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and our dealings with him? And the angel of the Lord said to Manoe, Of all things concerning which I spoke to the woman, she shall beware. She shall eat of nothing that comes of the vine yielding wine, and let her not drink wine or strong liquor, and let her not eat anything unclean: all things that I have charged her she shall observe.

And Manoe said to the angel of the Lord, Let us detain thee here, and prepare before thee a kid of the goats. And the angel of the Lord said to Manoe, If thou shouldest detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wouldest offer a whole-burnt-offering, to the Lord thou shalt offer it: for Manoe knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

And Manoe said to the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy word shall come to pass, we may glorify thee? And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why dost thou thus ask after my name; whereas it is wonderful?

And Manoe took a kid of the goats and its meat-offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord; and the angel wrought a distinct work, and Manoe and his wife were looking on. And it came to pass when the flame went up above the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord went up in the flame; and Manoe and his wife were looking, and they fell upon their face to the earth. And the angel appeared no more to Manoe and to his wife: then Manoe knew that this was an angel of the Lord.

And Manoe said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to slay us, he would not have received of our hand a whole-burnt-offering and a meat-offering; and he would not have shewn us all these things, neither would he have caused us to hear all these things as at this time.

And the woman brought forth a son, and she called his name Sampson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him in the camp of Dan, and between Saraa and Esthaol. (Judges 13:1-25 Brenton)

There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim. And he had two wives; the name of the one was Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.

And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and there were Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.

And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children. And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord had closed her womb.

For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord shut up her womb so as not to give her a child. So she did year by year, in going up to the house of the Lord; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.

And Helkana her husband said to her, Anna: and she said to him, Here am I, my lord: and he said to her, What ails thee that thou weepest? and why dost thou not eat? and why does thy heart smite thee? am I not better to thee than ten children?

And Anna rose up after they had eaten in Selom, and stood before the Lord: and Heli the priest was on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord. And she was very much grieved in spirit, and prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly. And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if thou welt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

And it came to pass, while she was long praying before the Lord, that Heli the priest marked her mouth. And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: and Heli accounted her a drunken woman. And the servant of Heli said to her, How long wilt thou be drunken? take away thy wine from thee, and go out from the presence of the Lord.

And Anna answered and said, Nay, my lord, I live in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord. Count not thy handmaid for a pestilent woman, for by reason of the abundance of my importunity I have continued my prayer until now.

And Heli answered and said to her, Go in peace: the God of Israel give thee all thy petition, which thou hast asked of him. And she said, Thine handmaid has found favour in thine eyes: and the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no more sad.

And they rise early in the morning, and worship the Lord, and they go their way: and Helkana went into his house at Armathaim, and knew his wife Anna; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.

And it came to pass when the time was come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Samuel, and said, Because I asked him of the Lord God of Sabaoth. (1 Samuel 1:1-20 Brenton)

And God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh instead thereof. And God formed the rib which he took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to Adam. And Adam said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of her husband. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:21-24 Brenton)

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; nor his field, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor whatever belongs to thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:17 Brenton)

If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve thee, and in the seventh year he shall go forth free for nothing. If he should have come in alone, he shall also go forth alone; and if his wife should have gone in together with him, his wife also shall go out.

Moreover, if his master give him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters, the wife and the children shall be his master's; and he shall go forth alone. And if the servant should answer and say, I love my master and wife and children, I will not go away free; his master shall bring him to the judgment-seat of God, and then shall he bring him to the door, —to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever. (Exodus 21:2-6 Brenton)

And if any one sell his daughter as a domestic, she shall not depart as the maid-servants depart. If she be not pleasing to her master, after she has betrothed herself to him, he shall let her go free; but he is not at liberty to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has trifled with her.

And if he should have betrothed her to his son, he shall do to her according to the right of daughters.

And if he take another to himself, he shall not deprive her of necessaries and her apparel, and her companionship with him. And if he will not do these three things to her, she shall go out free without money. (Exodus 21:7-11 Brenton)

And if any one deceive a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her for a wife to himself. And if her father positively refuse, and will not consent to give her to him for a wife, he shall pay compensation to her father according to the amount of the dowry of virgins. Ye shall not save the lives of sorcerers. (Exodus 22:16-18 Brenton)

For ye shall not worship strange gods, for the Lord God, a jealous name, is a jealous God; lest at any time thou make a covenant with the dwellers on the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and they call thee, and thou shouldest eat of their feasts, and thou shouldest take of their daughters to thy sons, and thou shouldest give of thy daughters to their sons; and thy daughters should go a whoring after their gods, and thy sons should go a whoring after their gods. And thou shalt not make to thyself molten gods. (Exodus 34:14-17 Brenton)

And when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land, into which thou goest to possess it, and shall remove great nations from before thee, the Chettite, and Gergesite, and Amorite, and Chananite, and Pherezite, and Evite, and Jebusite, seven nations more numerous and stronger than you, and the Lord thy God shall deliver them into thy hands, then thou shalt smite them: thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt not make a covenant with them, neither shall ye pity them: neither shall ye contract marriages with them: thou shalt not give thy daughter to his son, and thou shalt not take his daughter to thy son. For he will draw away thy son from me, and he will serve other gods; and the Lord will be very angry with you, and will soon utterly destroy thee. (Deuteronomy 7:1-4 Brenton)

Laws Concerning Warfare

And if thou shouldest go forth to war against thine enemies, and shouldest see horse, and rider, and a people more numerous than thyself; thou shalt not be afraid of them, for the Lord thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And it shall come to pass whenever thou shalt draw nigh to battle, that the priest shall draw nigh and speak to the people, and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel; ye are going this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint, fear not, neither be confounded, neither turn aside from their face. For it is the Lord your God who advances with you, to fight with you against your enemies, and to save you.

And the scribes shall speak to the people, saying, What man is he that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man dedicate it.

And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and not been made merry with it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man be made merry with it.

And what man is he that has betrothed a wife, and has not taken her? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. (Deuteronomy 20:1-7 Brenton)

Marrying Female Captives

And if when thou goest out to war against thine enemies, the Lord thy God should deliver them into thine hands, and thou shouldest take their spoil, and shouldest see among the spoil a woman beautiful in countenance, and shouldest desire her, and take her to thyself for a wife, and shouldest bring her within thine house: then shalt thou shave her head, and pare her nails; and shalt take away her garments of captivity from off her, and she shall abide in thine house, and shall bewail her father and mother the days of a month; and afterwards thou shalt go in to her and dwell with her, and she shall be thy wife.

And it shall be if thou do not delight in her, thou shalt send her out free; and she shall not by any means be sold for money, thou shalt not treat her contemptuously, because thou hast humbled her. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14 Brenton)

Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:13 Brenton)

Whatever man shall commit adultery with the wife of a man, or whoever shall commit adultery with the wife of his neighbour, let them die the death, the adulterer and the adulteress. (Leviticus 20:10 Brenton)

A Test for Adultery

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whosesoever wife shall transgress against him, and slight and despise him, and supposing any one shall lie with her carnally, and the thing shall be hid from the eyes of her husband, and she should conceal it and be herself defiled, and there be no witness with her, and she should not be taken; and there should come upon him a spirit of jealousy, and he should be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled; or there should come upon him a spirit of jealousy, and he should be jealous of his wife, and she should not be defiled; then shall the man bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring his gift for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley-meal: he shall not pour oil upon it, neither shall he put frankincense upon it; for it is a sacrifice of jealousy, a sacrifice of memorial, recalling sin to remembrance.

And the priest shall bring her, and cause her to stand before the Lord. And the priest shall take pure running water in an earthen vessel, and he shall take of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle of witness, and the priest having taken it shall cast it into the water.

And the priest shall cause the woman to stand before the Lord, and shall uncover the head of the woman, and shall put into her hands the sacrifice of memorial, the sacrifice of jealousy; and in the hand of the priest shall be the water of this conviction that brings the curse.

And the priest shall adjure her, and shall say to the woman, If no one has lain with thee, and if thou hast not transgressed so as to be polluted, being under the power of thy husband, be free from this water of the conviction that causes the curse. But if being a married woman thou hast transgressed, or been polluted, and any one has lain with thee, beside thy husband: then the priest shall adjure the woman by the oaths of this curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, The Lord bring thee into a curse and under an oath in the midst of thy people, in that the Lord should cause thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell; and this water bringing the curse shall enter into thy womb to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the woman shall say, So be it, So be it.

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall blot them out with the water of the conviction that brings the curse. And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of the conviction that brings the curse; and the water of the conviction that brings the curse shall enter into her. And the priest shall take from the hand of the woman the sacrifice of jealousy, and shall present the sacrifice before the Lord, and shall bring it to the altar. And the priest shall take a handful of the sacrifice as a memorial of it, and shall offer it up upon the altar; and afterwards he shall cause the woman to drink the water.

And it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have altogether escaped the notice of her husband, then the water of the conviction that brings the curse shall enter into her; and she shall swell in her belly, and her thigh shall rot, and the woman shall be for a curse in the midst of her people.

But if the woman have not been polluted, and be clean, then shall she be guiltless and shall conceive seed. This is the law of jealousy, wherein a married woman should happen to transgress, and be defiled; or in the case of a man on whomsoever the spirit of jealousy should come, and he should be jealous of his wife, and he should place his wife before the Lord, and the priest shall execute towards her all this law. Then the man shall be clear from sin, and that woman shall bear her sin. (Numbers 5:11-31 Brenton)

Tokens of Virginity

And if any one should take a wife, and dwell with her, and hate her, and attach to her reproachful words, and bring against her an evil name, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her I found not her tokens of virginity: then the father and the mother of the damsel shall take and bring out the damsel's tokens of virginity to the elders of the city to the gate.

And the father of the damsel shall say to the elders, I gave this my daughter to this man for a wife; and now he has hated her, and attaches reproachful words to her, saying, I have not found tokens of virginity with thy daughter; and these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall unfold the garment before the elders of the city.

And the elders of that city shall take that man, and shall chastise him, and shall fine him a hundred shekels, and shall give them to the father of the damsel, because he has brought forth an evil name against a virgin of Israel; and she shall be his wife: he shall never be able to put her away.

But if this report be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel; then shall they bring out the damsel to the doors of her father's house, and shall stone her with stones, and she shall die; because she has wrought folly among the children of Israel, to defile the house of her father by whoring: so thou shalt remove the evil one from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:13-21 Brenton)

And if a man be found lying with a woman married to a man, ye shall kill them both, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou remove the wicked one out of Israel. (Deuteronomy 22:22 Brenton)

And if there be a young damsel espoused to a man, and a man should have found her in the city and have lain with her; ye shall bring them both out to the gate of their city, and they shall be stoned with stones, and they shall die; the damsel, because she cried not in the city; and the man, because he humbled his neighbour's spouse: so shalt thou remove the evil one from yourselves.

But if a man find in the field a damsel that is betrothed, and he should force her and lie with her, ye shall slay the man that lay with her only. And the damsel has not committed a sin worthy of death; as if a man should rise up against his neighbour, and slay him, so is this thing; because he found her in the field; the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to help her. (Deuteronomy 22:23-27 Brenton)

And if any one should find a young virgin who has not been betrothed, and should force her and lie with her, and be found, the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the damsel fifty silver didrachms, and she shall be his wife, because he has humbled her; he shall never be able to put her away. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29 Brenton)

And if any one should take a wife, and should dwell with her, then it shall come to pass if she should not have found favour before him, because he has found some unbecoming thing in her, that he shall write for her a bill of divorcement, and give it into her hands, and he shall send her away out of his house.

And if she should go away and be married to another man; And if she should go away and be married to another man; and the last husband should hate her, and write for her a bill of divorcement; and should give it into her hands, and send her away out of his house, and the last husband should die, who took her to himself for a wife; And if any one should have recently taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall any thing be laid upon him; he shall be free in his house; for one year he shall cheer his wife whom he has taken. (Deuteronomy 24:3-7 Brenton)

Consecration of the Firstborn

And thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, as I have charged thee, at the season in the month of new corn; for in the month of new corn thou camest out from Egypt. The males are mine, everything that opens the womb; every first-born of oxen, and every first-born of sheep. And the first-born of an ass thou shalt redeem with a sheep, and if thou wilt not redeem it thou shalt pay a price: every first-born of thy sons shalt thou redeem: thou shalt not appear before me empty. (Exodus 34:18-20 Brenton)

Redemption of the Firstborn

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Count every first-born male of the children of Israel from a month old and upwards, and take the number by name. And thou shalt take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the children of Israel. And Moses counted, as the Lord commanded him, every first-born among the children of Israel. (Numbers 3:40-42 Brenton)

Purification After Childbirth

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Whatsoever woman shall have conceived and born a male child shall be unclean seven days, she shall be unclean according to the days of separation for her monthly courses. And on the eighth day she shall circumcise the flesh of his foreskin. And for thirty-three days she shall continue in her unclean blood; she shall touch nothing holy, and shall not enter the sanctuary, until the days of her purification be fulfilled.

But if she should have born a female child, then she shall be unclean twice seven days, according to the time of her monthly courses; and for sixty-six days shall she remain in her unclean blood.

And when the days of her purification shall have been fulfilled for a son or a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of a year old without blemish for a whole-burnt-offering, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove for a sin-offering to the door of the tabernacle of witness, to the priest. And he shall present it before the Lord, and the priest shall make atonement for her, and shall purge her from the fountain of her blood; this is the law of her who bears a male or a female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then shall she take two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, one for a whole-burnt-offering, and one for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be purified. (Leviticus 12:1-8 Brenton)

Inheritance Rights of the Firstborn

And if a man have two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and both the loved and the hated should have born him children, and the son of the hated should be first-born; then it shall be that whensoever he shall divide by inheritance his goods to his sons, he shall not be able to give the right of the first-born to the son of the loved one, having overlooked the son of the hated, which is the first-born.

But he shall acknowledge the first-born of the hated one to give to him double of all things which shall be found by him, because he is the first of his children, and to him belongs the birthright. (Deuteronomy 21:15-17 Brenton)

And if brethren should live together, and one of them should die, and should not have seed, the wife of the deceased shall not marry out of the family to a man not related: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and shall take her to himself for a wife, and shall dwell with her. And it shall come to pass that the child which she shall bear, shall be named by the name of the deceased, and his name shall not be blotted out of Israel.

And if the man should not be willing to take his brother's wife, then shall the woman go up to the gate to the elders, and she shall say, My husband's brother will not raise up the name of his brother in Israel, my husband's brother has refused. And the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him; and if he stand and say, I will not take her: then his brother's wife shall come forward before the elders, and shall loose one shoe from off his foot, and shall spit in his face, and shall answer and say, Thus shall they do to the man who will not build his brother's house in Israel. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that has had his shoe loosed. (Deuteronomy 25:5-10 Brenton)

And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sina, in the tabernacle of witness, on the first day of the second month, in the second year of their departure from the land of Egypt, saying, Take the sum of all the congregation of Israel according to their kindreds, according to the houses of their fathers' families, according to their number by their names, according to their heads: every male from twenty years old and upwards, every one that goes forth in the forces of Israel, take account of them with their strength; thou and Aaron take account of them. (Numbers 1:1-3 Brenton)

And it came to pass after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest, saying, Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, according to the houses of their lineage, every one that goes forth to battle in Israel.

The numbering of the census was through the sons.

This is the numbering of the children of Israel, six hundred and one thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, To these the land shall be divided, so that they may inherit according to the number of the names. To the greater number thou shalt give the greater inheritance, and to the less number thou shalt give the less inheritance: to each one, as they have been numbered, shall their inheritance be given. The land shall be divided to the names by lot, they shall inherit according to the tribes of their families. Thou shalt divide their inheritance by lot between the many and the few. (Numbers 26:1-2,51-56 Brenton)

And the daughters of Salpaad the son of Opher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, of the tribe of Manasse, of the sons of Joseph, came near; and these were their names, Maala, and Nua, and Egla, and Melcha, and Thersa; and they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and before all the congregation at the door of the tabernacle of witness, saying, Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the midst of the congregation that rebelled against the Lord in the gathering of Core; for he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.

Let not the name of our father be blotted out of the midst of his people, because he has no son: give us an inheritance in the midst of our father's brethren. And Moses brought their case before the Lord.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, The daughters of Salpaad have spoken rightly: thou shalt surely give them a possession of inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and thou shalt assign their father's inheritance to them.

And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, ye shall assign his inheritance to his daughter. And if he have no daughter, ye shall give his inheritance to his brother. And if he have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his father's brother. And if there be no brethren of his father, ye shall give the inheritance to his nearest relation of his tribe, to inherit his possessions; and this shall be to the children of Israel an ordinance of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses. (Numbers 27:1-11 Brenton)

Marriage of Female Heirs

And the heads of the tribe of the sons of Galaad the son of Machir the son of Manasse, of the tribe of the sons of Joseph, drew near, and spoke before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the heads of the houses of the families of the children of Israel: and they said, The Lord commanded our lord to render the land of inheritance by lot to the children of Israel; and the Lord appointed our lord to give the inheritance of Salpaad our brother to his daughters.

And they will become wives in one of the tribes of the children of Israel; so their inheritance shall be taken away from the possession of our fathers, and shall be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which the women shall marry, and shall be taken away from the portion of our inheritance. And if there shall be a release of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which the women marry, and their inheritance, shall be taken away from the inheritance of our family's tribe.

And Moses charged the children of Israel by the commandment of the Lord, saying, Thus says the tribe of the children of Joseph. This is the thing which the Lord has appointed the daughters of Salpaad, saying, Let them marry where they please, only let them marry men of their father's tribe. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel go about from tribe to tribe, for the children of Israel shall steadfastly continue each in the inheritance of his family's tribe.

And whatever daughter is heiress to a property of the tribes of the children Israel, such women shall be married each to one of her father's tribe, that the sons of Israel may each inherit the property of his father's tribe. And the inheritance shall not go about from one tribe to another, but the children of Israel shall steadfastly continue each in his own inheritance.

As the Lord commanded Moses, so did they to the daughters of Salpaad. So Thersa, and Egla, and Melcha, and Nua, and Malaa, the daughters of Salpaad, married their cousins; they were married to men of the tribe of Manasse of the sons of Joseph; and their inheritance was attached to the tribe of their father's family.

These are the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, at the west of Moab, at Jordan by Jericho. (Numbers 36:1-13 Brenton)