Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. ¹  He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph. ² 

¹  “When you assist ²  the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: ³  If it is a son, kill him, ⁴  but if it is a daughter, she may live.” ⁵ 

Now these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their records: ¹  Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (The length of Levi’s life was 137 years.)

then you must give over ¹  to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. ²  Every firstling ³  of a beast that you have ⁴  – the males will be the Lord’s. ⁵ 

You yourselves must obey ¹  my statutes and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst, ² 

But Naomi replied, “Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! ¹  I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! ² 

Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, ¹  named Genubath. Tahpenes raised ²  him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons.

The sons to whom Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, ¹  gave birth: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.

She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.

Yes, you are the one who brought me out ¹  from the womb and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.

They will not work in vain, or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹  For the Lord will bless their children and their descendants. ² 

The people cry out, ¹  “We have heard reports about them! We have become helpless with fear! ²  Anguish grips us, agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby!

For I, the Lord, tell you what will happen to ¹  the children who are born here in this land and to the men and women who are their mothers and fathers. ² 

You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon. But oh how you ¹  will groan ²  when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby. ³ 

The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee. Panic will grip them. Pain and anguish will seize them like a woman in labor.

Return it to its sheath! ¹  In the place where you were created, ²  in your native land, I will judge you.

wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians ¹  whose native land is Chaldea.

They have committed treason ¹  against the Lord, because they bore illegitimate children. Soon ²  the new moon festival will devour them and their fields.

Give them, O Lord – what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry, and breasts that cannot nurse! ¹ 

saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose ¹  and have come to worship him.”