Study Desk

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him in marriage.

"Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl in marriage."

But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.

"But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go."

But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name." So He called him Israel.

Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor.

And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands by saying, "Let's not take his life."

Then Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.

Then they sat down to eat a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying labdanum resin, balsam, and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.

But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

He asked the people of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here."

Then Judah said, "Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her."

But it came about as he drew back his hand that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez.

But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put me in charge of all that he owns.

So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, "Sleep with me!" But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.