Margaret . . . the eldest of the four, was 16, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain.
Fifteen-year-old Jo was very tall, thin and brown, and reminded one of a colt; for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way. She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, grey eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny or thoughtful. Her long, thick hair was her one beauty; but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way.
Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a fly-away look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a young woman and didn't like it.
Elizabeth . . . or Beth, as everyone called her . . . was a rosy, smooth-haired, bright-eyed girl of 13, with a shy manner, a timid voice, and a peaceful expression, which was seldom disturbed. Her father called her "Little Tranquility," and the name suited her excellently; foe she seemed to live in a happy world of her own, only venturing out to meet the few she trusted and love.
Amy, though the youngest, was a most important person . . . in her own opinion at least. A regular snow-maiden, with blue eyes, and yellow hair, curling on her shoulders, pale and slender, and always carrying herself like a young lady, unmindful of her manners.
Genesis 30:8
Then Rachel said, " I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have my won."
Jeremiah 45-47 (Listen)
Message to Baruch
45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to sBaruch the son of Neriah, twhen he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, uin the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 You said, v‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. wI am weary with my groaning, xand I find no rest.’ 4 Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: yBehold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. 5 And zdo you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, aI am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you byour life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”
Judgment on Egypt
46 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet cconcerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. dConcerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in ethe fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 f“Prepare buckler and shield,
and advance for battle!
4 gHarness the horses;
mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
fpolish your spears,
put on your armor!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
and have turned backward.
Their hwarriors are beaten down
and have fled in haste;
ithey look not back—
jterror on every side!
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
din the north by the river Euphrates
kthey have stumbled and fallen.
7 “Who is this, lrising like the Nile,
like rivers mwhose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers mwhose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
9 nAdvance, O horses,
and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
men of Cush and oPut who handle the shield,
pmen of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 qThat day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
ra day of vengeance,
sto avenge himself on his foes.
tThe sword shall devour and be sated
and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of hosts holds ua sacrifice
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
ythere is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and the earth is full of your cry;
zfor warrior has stumbled against warrior;
they have both fallen together.”
13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of aNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in bMigdol;
say, c‘Stand ready and be prepared,
for dthe sword shall devour around you.’
15 Why are your mighty ones face down?
They do not stand1
because the Lord thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, fand they fell,
and they said one to another,
‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
gbecause of the sword of the oppressor.’
17 Call the name of hPharaoh, king of Egypt,
‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
18 i“As I live, declares the King,
jwhose name is the Lord of hosts,
like kTabor among the mountains
and like lCarmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 mPrepare yourselves baggage for exile,
O ninhabitants of Egypt!
For oMemphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, pwithout inhabitant.
20 “A beautiful qheifer is Egypt,
but a biting fly rfrom the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst
are like sfattened calves;
yes, they have turned and fled together;
they did not stand,
for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
tthe time of their punishment.
22 “She makes ua sound like a serpent gliding away;
for her enemies march in force
and come against her with axes
vlike those who fell trees.
23 vThey shall cut down her forest,
declares the Lord,
though it is impenetrable,
because wthey are more numerous than locusts;
they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
she shall be delivered into the hand of ra people from the north.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon xAmon of yThebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt zand her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 aI will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. bAfterward Egypt shall be inhabited cas in the days of old, declares the Lord.
27 d“But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
28 dFear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
eI will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Judgment on the Philistines
47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet fconcerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down gGaza.
2 “Thus says the Lord:
hand shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow jthe land and all that fills it,
the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
lat the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers mlook not back to their children,
so feeble are their hands,
4 because of the day that is coming to destroy
all fthe Philistines,
to cut off from nTyre and Sidon
every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
5 qBaldness has come upon Gaza;
rAshkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
show long will you gash yourselves?
6 tAh, sword of the Lord!
How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
rest and be still!
7 How can it2 be quiet
uwhen the Lord has given it a charge?
Against vAshkelon and against the seashore
whe has appointed it.”
Psalm 87
Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
A Psalm of lthe Sons of Korah. A Song.
On the holy mount stands the city he founded;the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God. Selah
Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
“This one was born there,” they say.
And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
The LORD records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”
(Psalm 87 ESV)