Deuteronomy 27:12

When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”

It shall happen, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land that you go to possess, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal.

Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

The man called his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags.

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.”

Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice, cried out, and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.

and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

Abraham gave up his spirit, and died at a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”

Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.

She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”

He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.

As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.

But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”

Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.

He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’

The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):

I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.

You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in; the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.

Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war:

for Yahweh your God walks in the middle of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you. Therefore your camp shall be holy, that he may not see an unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.

Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of Yahweh your God.

About Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them;

Yahweh said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.

These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.”

Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command.

David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

Then David said, “This is the house of Yahweh God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

but now I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

Yahweh appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a house of sacrifice.

For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.

Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.

For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,

But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.

Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.

Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

Rise up, you women who are at ease! Hear my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my speech!

You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!”

They ask their mothers, “Where is grain and wine?” when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul is poured out into their mothers’ bosom.

“You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’

Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.

They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set toward Jerusalem.

He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?