Genesis 10:30

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;

because they didn’t meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.

For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me.

He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;

He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?

Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for it was the king’s custom to consult those who knew law and judgment;

Job again took up his parable, and said,

Job again took up his parable, and said,

I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,

In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’ ”

and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

“I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.

Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,

but Abraham gave gifts to the sons of Abraham’s concubines. While he still lived, he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country.

Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram.

They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.

Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).

‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse me them. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’ ”

for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.’ ”

He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.

He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.

After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

The Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul.

Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.

“Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes out of a far country for your name’s sake

The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

“Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for your great name’s sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; when they come and pray toward this house;

I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle on the harp.

Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.

For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.

before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you all around.

“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’ ”

therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk.

Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’

‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’ ”

He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”

They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.

When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,