These were the sons born to him in Jerusalem:p> <p class="bodytext">Shimea,<n id="1" /> Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon &#8211; the mother of these four was Bathsheba<n id="2" /> the daughter of Ammiel.<n id="3" />p>

Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir Nahash.<n id="1" /> These were the men of Recah.p>

Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as a priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Maacah, Makir&#8217;s wife, gave birth to a son, whom she named Peresh. His brother was Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.p>

his son Zabad, his son Shuthelahp> <p class="bodytext">(Ezer and Elead were killed by the men of Gath, who were natives of the land, when they went down to steal their cattle.

He had sexual relations with his wife; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim<n id="1" /> named him Beriah because tragedy had come to his family.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">In a battle in Gath<n id="1" /> there was a large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot &#8211; twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha.

He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

Abijah&#8217;s power grew; he had<n id="1" /> fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.p>

Therefore let us enact<n id="1" /> a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord,<n id="2" /> and that of those who respect<n id="3" /> the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

<p class="poetry">But she is unique!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">My dove, my perfect one!p> <p class="poetry">She is the special daughter<n id="2" /> of her mother,p> <p class="poetry">she is the favorite<n id="3" /> of the one who bore her.p> <p class="poetry">The maidens<n id="4" /> saw her and complimented her;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">the queens and concubines praised her:p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Maidens about His Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Who is this coming up from the desert,p> <p class="poetry">leaning on her beloved?p> <p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to Her Lover:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Under the apple tree I aroused you;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">there your mother conceived you,p> <p class="poetry">there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth.<n id="2" />p>

For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign.<n id="1" /> Look, this<n id="2" /> young woman<n id="3" /> is about to conceive<n id="4" /> and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him<n id="5" /> Immanuel.<n id="6" />

I then had sexual relations with the prophetess; she conceived and gave birth to a son. The <sc>Lordsc> told me, &#8220;Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,

<p class="poetry">They panic &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">cramps and pain seize hold of themp> <p class="poetry">like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.p> <p class="poetry">They look at one another in astonishment;p> <p class="poetry">their faces are flushed red.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this reason my stomach churns;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">cramps overwhelm mep> <p class="poetry">like the contractions of a woman in labor.p> <p class="poetry">I am disturbed<n id="2" /> by what I hear,p> <p class="poetry">horrified by what I see.p>

<p class="poetry">Be ashamed, O Sidon,p> <p class="poetry">for the sea<n id="1" /> says this, O fortress of the sea:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I have not gone into laborp> <p class="poetry">or given birth;p> <p class="poetry">I have not raised young menp> <p class="poetry">or brought up young women.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">We were pregnant, we strained,p> <p class="poetry">we gave birth, as it were, to wind.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;p> <p class="poetry">people to populate the world are not born.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!p> <p class="poetry">Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!p> <p class="poetry">For the children of the desolate one are more numerousp> <p class="poetry">than the children of the married woman,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>