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Genèse 29:32-30:24
Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said,“ It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said,“ Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said,“ Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said,“ This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob,“ Give me children, or I’ll die!”Jacob became angry with her and said,“ Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”Then she said,“ Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her,and she became pregnant and bore him a son.Then Rachel said,“ God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.Then Rachel said,“ I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.Then Leah said,“ What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.Then Leah said,“ How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah,“ Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”But she said to her,“ Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”“ Very well,” Rachel said,“ he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him.“ You must sleep with me,” she said.“ I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.Then Leah said,“ God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.Then Leah said,“ God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said,“ God has taken away my disgrace.”She named him Joseph, and said,“ May the Lord add to me another son.” (niv)
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Deutéronome 25:9
his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say,“ This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” (niv)
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Genèse 35:16-20
Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty.And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her,“ Don’t despair, for you have another son.”As she breathed her last— for she was dying— she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath( that is, Bethlehem).Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb. (niv)
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Psaumes 128:3-6
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel. (niv)
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Matthieu 2:6
“‘ But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (niv)
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Michée 5:2
“ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (niv)
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Psaumes 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. (niv)
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Proverbes 14:1
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. (niv)
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Psaumes 132:6
We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: (niv)
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Genèse 46:8-27
These are the names of the sons of Israel( Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah( but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel.These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah— sixteen in all.The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob— fourteen in all.The son of Dan: Hushim.The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel— seven in all.All those who went to Egypt with Jacob— those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives— numbered sixty-six persons.With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. (niv)
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Genèse 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,“ Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.” (niv)
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Nombres 26:1-65
After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest,“ Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families— all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.”So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said,“ Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the Lord commanded Moses.” These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanok, the Hanokite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan;through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Karmi, the Karmite clan.These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730.The son of Pallu was Eliab,and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the Lord.The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.The line of Korah, however, did not die out.The descendants of Simeon by their clans were: through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan;through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan.These were the clans of Simeon; those numbered were 22,200.The descendants of Gad by their clans were: through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan;through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan;through Arodi, the Arodite clan; through Areli, the Arelite clan.These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500.Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.The descendants of Judah by their clans were: through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.The descendants of Perez were: through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Hamul, the Hamulite clan.These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500.The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan;through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; through Shimron, the Shimronite clan.These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300.The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were: through Sered, the Seredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan.These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500.The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were:The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan( Makir was the father of Gilead); through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.These were the descendants of Gilead: through Iezer, the Iezerite clan; through Helek, the Helekite clan;through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan;through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; through Hepher, the Hepherite clan.( Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.)These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bekerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.These were the descendants of Shuthelah: through Eran, the Eranite clan.These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were: through Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan;through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan; through Hupham, the Huphamite clan.The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were: through Ard, the Ardite clan; through Naaman, the Naamite clan.These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600.These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan. These were the clans of Dan:All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.The descendants of Asher by their clans were: through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan;and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.( Asher had a daughter named Serah.)These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400.The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were: through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan;through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan.These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400.The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.The Lord said to Moses,“ The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names.To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed.Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe.Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.”These were the Levites who were counted by their clans: through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan.These also were Levite clans: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan.( Kohath was the forefather of Amram;the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam.Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the Lord with unauthorized fire.)All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them.These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai.For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (niv)
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Ruth 1:2
The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. (niv)
