Bible Verses about “levirate marriage”

“And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.”

“And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.”

“And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.”

“¶ If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.”

“And it shall be, [that] the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother [which is] dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.”

“¶ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she [is] with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.”

“And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins [were] in her womb.”

“And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.”

“Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and [if] he stand [to it], and say, I like not to take her;”

“Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.”

“And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.”

“And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar.”

“And it came to pass, when she travailed, that [the one] put out [his] hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.”

“And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? [this] breach [be] upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.”

“And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.”

“¶ And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name [was] Hirah.”

“And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name [was] Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.”

“And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.”

“And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.”

“And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.”

“And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.”

“Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren [did]. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.”

“¶ And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.”

“And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.”

“And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which [is] by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.”

“When Judah saw her, he thought her [to be] an harlot; because she had covered her face.”

“And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she [was] his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?”

“And he said, I will send [thee] a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give [me] a pledge, till thou send [it]?”

“And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that [is] in thine hand. And he gave [it] her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.”

“And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.”

“And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive [his] pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.”

“Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where [is] the harlot, that [was] openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this [place].”

“And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, [that] there was no harlot in this [place].”

“And Judah said, Let her take [it] to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.”

“When she [was] brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these [are, am] I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.”

“And Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.”

“Now this [was the manner] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave [it] to his neighbour: and this [was] a testimony in Israel.”

“And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he [is] the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

“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:”

“And he shall be unto thee a restorer of [thy] life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.”

“Now these [are] the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,”

“And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,”

“And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,”

“And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,”

“And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.”

“¶ Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.”

“Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy [it] also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.”

“Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy [it] for thee. So he drew off his shoe.”

“And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.”

“And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.”