Study Desk

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

For when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by my side in the land of Canaan before we came to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

In their land were Kattah, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. In all there were twelve cities with the towns around them.

Ibzan of Bethlehem ruled Israel after him.

Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite, of the family of Judah, and he was staying there.

He left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to find a place to live. As he traveled he came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim.

Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" He answered, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to stay where I may find a place."

There was no king in Israel in those days. And there was a certain Levite staying in a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to act as his wife.

But his woman was not faithful to him. She left him and went to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah. She stayed there four months.

The Levite said to him, "We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a far away part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but am now returning home. But no one will take me into his house.

In the days when there were judges to rule, there was a time of no food in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to visit the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

The name of the man was Elimelech. His wife's name was Naomi. And the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the land of Moab and stayed there.

So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. The whole town of Bethlehem was happy because of them. The women said, "Is this Naomi?"

So Naomi returned. And her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite woman, returned with her from the land of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley gathering time.

Now Boaz was seen coming from Bethlehem. He said to the people gathering the grain, "May the Lord be with you." And they said to him, "May the Lord bring good to you."

All the people in the gate and the leaders said, "We have heard it. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you become rich in Ephrathah and be known by all in Bethlehem.

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you be filled with sorrow because of Saul, since I have turned away from him being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons."

So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. The leaders of the city came shaking with fear to meet him. They said, "Do you come in peace?"

Now David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and was old in the days of Saul. He had lived many years.