Bethlehem in the Bible

Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel began to give birth and had difficulty and suffered severely.

And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

As for me, when I came to Paddan-Aram Rachel died {to my sorrow} in the land of Canaan on the way when [there was] still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that [is], Bethlehem)."

Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. Tekoa, Ephrathah (that is, Bethlehem), Peor, Etam, Kulom, Tatam, Sores, Kerem, Gallim, Bether and Manach; eleven cities and their villages.

And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the clan of Judah; he [was] a Levite and [was] dwelling as a foreigner there.

And the man went from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live as a foreigner wherever he could find [a place]. And he came [to] the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to continue his journey.

And Micah said to him, "From where do you come?" And he said to him, "I [am] a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah; I [am] going to dwell as a foreigner wherever I can find [a place]."

In those days there was no king in Israel; there was a man, a Levite, who dwelled as a foreigner in the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.

But his concubine felt repugnance toward him, and she left him and went to her father's house, to Bethlehem in Judah; she was there some four months.

And he said to him, "We [are] crossing over from Bethlehem in Judah up to the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim, where I [am] from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but [now] I am going to Yahweh's house, but no one {took me in to spend the night}.

And it happened in the days [when] {the judges ruled}, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem [of] Judah went {to reside} in the countryside of Moab--he and his wife and his two sons.

And the name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife [was] Naomi, and the name of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Kilion. [They were] Ephraimites from Bethlehem [in] Judah. And they went [to] the countryside of Moab and remained there.

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

Then the women of Bethlehem told Naomi, "May the LORD be blessed, who has not left you today without a related redeemer. May his name become famous throughout Israel!

And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have seen a king for Me among his sons.

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”

Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This [man was] from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. {He had} eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, [yet] he [still] walked among the men.

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.

If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:

And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

And there was again a battle with the Philistines in Gob, where Elhanan of Bethlehem, the son of Jaare-oregim, killed one of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Salma the father of Bethlehem, [and] Hareph the father of Beth-Gader.

The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Ataroth-Beth-Joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.

and Penuel [was] the father of Gedor, and Ezer [was] the father of Hushah. These [were] the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

These were the descendants of Hur, Ephrathah's firstborn, who fathered Bethlehem: Tekoa's father Ashhur had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

And David [was] then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethlehem.

And David had a craving, and he said, "Who could give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that [is] by the gate!"

Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that [was] by the gate and brought [it] and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh.

Now the mighty warriors of the troops [were] Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

The children of Bethlehem, a hundred twenty and three.

The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.

and they departed, and dwelt in the khan of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, - that they might go to enter Egypt;

And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, art little among the thousands of Judah: Out of thee shall come one, unto me, which shall be the governour in Israel: whose outgoing hath been from the beginning, and from everlasting.