There were seven brothers. The first one married, ¹  and when he died he had no children.

The second married her and died without any children, and likewise the third.

None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too.

Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman ¹  and died without children.

The Spirit himself bears witness to ¹  our spirit that we are God’s children.

Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, ¹  our ancestor Isaac –

My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! ¹ 

But you, ¹  brothers and sisters, ²  are children of the promise like Isaac.

Children, ¹  obey your parents in the Lord ²  for this is right.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.

Fathers, ¹  do not provoke ²  your children, so they will not become disheartened.

As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children,

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. ¹ 

When Esau ¹  looked up ²  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ³  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ⁴  your servant.”

Fathers must not be put to death for what their children ¹  do, nor children for what their fathers do; each must be put to death for his own sin.

There was no one to lead her among all the children she bore; there was no one to take her by the hand among all the children she raised.

So let their children die of starvation. Let them be cut down by the sword. ¹  Let their wives lose their husbands and children. Let the older men die of disease ²  and the younger men die by the sword in battle.

The Lord says, “A sound is heard in Ramah, ¹  a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone.” ² 

He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” ¹ 

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man ¹  must marry ²  the widow and father children ³  for his brother.’ ⁴