Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up
his voice, and wept.
027:039 Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth
will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above.
027:040 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall
shake his yoke from off your neck."
027:041 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father
blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning
for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."
027:042 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah.
She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said
to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you
by planning to kill you.
027:043 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban,
my brother, in Haran.
027:044 Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;
027:045 until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what
you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there.
Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"
027:046 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of
the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters
of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land,
what good will my life do me?"
028:001 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall
not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
028:002 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.
028:003 May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you,
that you may be a company of peoples,
028:004 and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your seed
with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel,
which God gave to Abraham."
028:005 Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of
Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
028:006 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away
to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as
he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "You shall not
take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,"
028:007 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone
to Paddan Aram.
028:008 Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn't please Isaac,
his father.
028:009 Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had,
Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister
of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
028:010 Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
028:011 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night,
because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place,
and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
028:012 He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and the top
of it reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending
and descending on it.
028:013 Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, "I am Yahweh,
the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac.
The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
028:014 Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread
abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north,
and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families
of the earth be blessed.
028:015 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go,
and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you,
until I have done that which I have spoken of to you."
028:016 Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely Yahweh
is in this place, and I didn't know it."
028:017 He was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place!
This is none other than God's house, and this is the
gate of heaven."
028:018 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone
that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar,
and poured oil on the top of it.
028:019 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city
was Luz at the first.
028:020 Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will
keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat,
and clothing to put on,
028:021 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and Yahweh
will be my God,
028:022 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be
God's house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give
the tenth to you."
029:001 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of
the children of the east.
029:002 He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks
of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered
the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was large.
029:003 There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone
from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone
again on the well's mouth in its place.
029:004 Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?"
They said, "We are from Haran."
029:005 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said,
"We know him."
029:006 He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well.
See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep."
029:007 He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day,
not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep,
and go and feed them."
029:008 They said, "We can't, until all the flocks are gathered
together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth.
Then we water the sheep."
029:009 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her
father's sheep, for she kept them.
029:010 It happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban,
his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother,
that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth,
and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
029:011 Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
029:012 Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that
he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.
029:013 It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister's son,
that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him,
and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
029:014 Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh.
He lived with him for a month.
029:015 Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you
therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will
your wages be?"
029:016 Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah,
and the name of the younger was Rachel.
029:017 Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in
form and attractive.
029:018 Jacob loved Rachel. He said, "I will serve you seven years
for Rachel, your younger daughter."
029:019 Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I
should give her to another man. Stay with me."
029:020 Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him
but a few days, for the love he had for her.
029:021 Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled,
that I may go in to her."
029:022 Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
029:023 It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter,
and brought her to him. He went in to her.
029:024 Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid.
029:025 It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah.
He said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me?
Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have
you deceived me?"
029:026 Laban said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger
before the firstborn.
029:027 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other
also for the service which you will serve with me yet
seven other years."
029:028 Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel
his daughter as wife.
029:029 Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid,
to be her handmaid.
029:030 He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah,
and served with him yet seven other years.
029:031 Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb,
but Rachel was barren.
029:032 Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben.
For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction.
For now my husband will love me."
029:033 She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has
heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also."
She named him Simeon.
029:034 She conceived again, and bore a son. Said, "Now this time will my
husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons."
Therefore was his name called Levi.
029:035 She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "This time
will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah.
Then she stopped bearing.
030:001 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied
her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else
I will die."
030:002 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said,
"Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit
of the womb?"
030:003 She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she
may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."
030:004 She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went
in to her.
030:005 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
030:006 Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice,
and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
030:007 Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob
a second son.
030:008 Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister,
and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.
030:009 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah,
her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
030:010 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.
030:011 Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
030:012 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.
030:013 Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy."
She named him Asher.
030:014 Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes
in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel
said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
030:015 She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away
my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?"
Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for
your son's mandrakes."
030:016 Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went
out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me;
for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes."
He lay with her that night.
030:017 God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob
a fifth son.
030:018 Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid
to my husband." She named him Issachar.
030:019 Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
030:020 Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my
husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons."
She named him Zebulun.
030:021 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
030:022 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
030:023 She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken
away my reproach."
030:024 She named him Joseph,{Joseph means "may he add."} saying,
"May Yahweh add another son to me."
030:025 It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said
to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place,
and to my country.
030:026 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you,
and let me go; for you know my service with which I
have served you."
030:027 Laban said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes,
stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me
for your sake."
030:028 He said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."
030:029 He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your
livestock have fared with me.
030:030 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased
to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned.
Now when will I provide for my own house also?"
030:031 He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall
not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me,
I will again feed your flock and keep it.
030:032 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there
every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among
the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats.
This will be my hire.
030:033 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter,
when you come concerning my hire that is before you.
Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats,
and black among the sheep, that might be with me,
will be counted stolen."
030:034 Laban said, "Behold, I desire it to be according to your word."
030:035 That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted,
and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted,
every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among
the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
030:036 He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob,
and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
030:037 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree,
peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear
which was in the rods.
030:038 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the
gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink.
They conceived when they came to drink.
030:039 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought
forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
030:040 Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks
toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban:
and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them
into Laban's flock.
030:041 It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived,
that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock
in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
030:042 but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in.
So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
030:043 The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks,
female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
031:001 He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away
all that was our father's. From that which was our father's,
has he gotten all this wealth."
031:002 Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and, behold, it was
not toward him as before.
031:003 Yahweh said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers,
and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
031:004 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
031:005 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face,
that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father
has been with me.
031:006 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
031:007 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times,
but God didn't allow him to hurt me.
031:008 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all
the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked
will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
031:009 Thus God has taken away your father's livestock, and given
them to me.
031:010 It happened during mating season that I lifted up my eyes,
and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped
on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
031:011 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said,
'Here I am.'
031:012 He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats
which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled,
for I have seen all that Laban does to you.
031:013 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you
vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land,
and return to the land of your birth.'"
031:014 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion
or inheritance for us in our father's house?
031:015 Aren't we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us,
and has also quite devoured our money.
031:016 For all the riches which God has taken away from our father,
that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has
said to you, do."
031:017 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,
031:018 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions
which he had gathered, including the livestock which
he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father,
to the land of Canaan.
031:019 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole
the teraphim{teraphim were household idols that may have been
associated with inheritance rights to the household property.}
that were her father's.
031:020 Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn't tell him
that he was running away.
031:021 So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River,
and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
031:022 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
031:023 He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him
seven days' journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
031:024 God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night,
and said to him, "Take heed to yourself that you don't speak
to Jacob either good or bad."
031:025 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent
in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped
in the mountain of Gilead.
031:026 Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have deceived me,
and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
031:027 Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn't tell me,
that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs,
with tambourine and with harp;
031:028 and didn't allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
Now have you done foolishly.
031:029 It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your
father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed to yourself
that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad.'
031:030 Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your
father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?"
031:031 Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said,
'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.'
031:032 Anyone you find your gods with shall not live.
Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it."
For Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.
031:033 Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into
the tent of the two female servants; but he didn't find them.
He went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
031:034 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel's
saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt about all the tent,
but didn't find them.
031:035 She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I
can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me."
He searched, but didn't find the teraphim.
031:036 Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered
Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have
hotly pursued after me?
031:037 Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found
of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives
and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
031:038 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your
female goats have not cast their young, and I haven't eaten
the rams of your flocks.
031:039 That which was torn of animals, I didn't bring to you.
I bore the loss of it. Of my hand you required it,
whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
031:040 This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me,
and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
031:041 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen
years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock,
and you have changed my wages ten times.
031:042 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear
of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me
away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands,
and rebuked you last night."
031:043 Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters,
the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks,
and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to
these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
031:044 Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be
for a witness between me and you."
031:045 Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
031:046 Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones,
and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
031:047 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,{"Jegar Sahadutha"
means "Witness Heap" in Aramaic.} but Jacob called
it Galeed.{"Galeed" means "Witness Heap" in Hebrew.}
031:048 Laban said, "This heap is witness between me and you this day."
Therefore it was named Galeed
031:049 and Mizpah, for he said, "Yahweh watch between me and you,
when we are absent one from another.
031:050 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides
my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness
between me and you."
031:051 Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap, and see the pillar,
which I have set between me and you.
031:052 May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness,
that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you
will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
031:053 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father,
judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of
his father, Isaac.
031:054 Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his
relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night
in the mountain.
031:055 Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and
his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned
to his place.
032:001 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
032:002 When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's army."
He called the name of that place Mahanaim.
032:003 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother,
to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
032:004 He commanded them, saying, "This is what you shall tell
my lord, Esau: 'This is what your servant, Jacob, says.
I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.
032:005 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants.
I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.'"
032:006 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your
brother Esau. Not only that, but he comes to meet you,
and four hundred men with him."
032:007 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed.
He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks,
and the herds, and the camels, into two companies;
032:008 and he said, "If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it,
then the company which is left will escape."
032:009 Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country,
and to your relatives, and I will do you good,'
032:010 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses,
and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant;
for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I
have become two companies.
032:011 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau:
for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers
with the children.
032:012 You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed
as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there
are so many.'"
032:013 He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had
with him, a present for Esau, his brother:
032:014 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred
ewes and twenty rams,
032:015 thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls,
twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
032:016 He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd
by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me,
and put a space between herd and herd."
032:017 He commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau, my brother, meets you,
and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? Where are you going?
Whose are these before you?'
032:018 Then you shall say, 'They are your servant, Jacob's. It is a
present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.'"
032:019 He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed
the herds, saying, "This is how you shall speak to Esau,
when you find him.
032:020 You shall say, 'Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob,