Study Desk

And Rachel died and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

As for me, when I came to Paddan-Aram Rachel died to my sorrow in the land of Canaan on the way when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve cities and their villages.

After him Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.

Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the clan of Judah; he was a Levite and was dwelling as a foreigner there.

And the man went from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live as a foreigner wherever he could find a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to continue his journey.

And Micah said to him, "From where do you come?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah; I am going to dwell as a foreigner wherever I can find a place."

In those days there was no king in Israel; there was a man, a Levite, who dwelled as a foreigner in the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

But his concubine felt repugnance toward him, and she left him and went to her father's house, to Bethlehem in Judah; she was there some four months.

And he said to him, "We are crossing over from Bethlehem in Judah up to the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but now I am going to Yahweh's house, but no one took me in to spend the night.

And it happened in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem of Judah went to reside in the countryside of Moab—he and his wife and his two sons.

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephraimites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to the countryside of Moab and remained there.

So the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, all of the town was stirred because of them. And they said, "Is this Naomi?"

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, returning from the countryside of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest of barley.

And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May Yahweh be with you." And they said to him, "May Yahweh bless you."

And all of the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman coming into your house as Rachel and as Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you have strength in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem.

So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, "Have you come in peace?"

Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This man was from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. He had eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, yet he still walked among the men.

but David went back and forth from Saul to feed the sheep of his father in Bethlehem.