Category: Genesis

[31:1] Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. He got all his wealth from what our father owned.”

[31:2] He also saw that Laban was no longer as friendly as he had been earlier.

[31:3] Then the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you.”

[31:4] So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where his flocks were.

[31:5] He said to them, “I have noticed that your father is not as friendly toward me as he used to be; but my father's God has been with me.

[31:6] You both know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.

[31:7] Yet he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not let him harm me.

[31:8] Whenever Laban said, ‘The speckled goats shall be your wages,’ all the flocks produced speckled young. When he said, ‘The striped goats shall be your wages,’ all the flocks produced striped young.

[31:9] God has taken flocks away from your father and given them to me.

[31:10] “During the breeding season I had a dream, and I saw that the male goats that were mating were striped, spotted, and speckled.

[31:11] The angel of God spoke to me in the dream and said, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Yes,’ I answered.

[31:12] ‘Look,’ he continued, ‘all the male goats that are mating are striped, spotted, and speckled. I am making this happen because I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

[31:13] I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you dedicated a stone as a memorial by pouring olive oil on it and where you made a vow to me. Now get ready and go back to the land where you were born.’”

[31:14] Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, “There is nothing left for us to inherit from our father.

[31:15] He treats us like foreigners. He sold us, and now he has spent all the money he was paid for us.

[31:16] All this wealth which God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. Do whatever God has told you.”

[31:19] Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and during his absence Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father.

[31:20] Jacob deceived Laban by not letting him know that he was leaving.

[31:21] He took everything he owned and left in a hurry. He crossed the Euphrates River and started for the hill country of Gilead.

[31:22] Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

[31:23] He took his men with him and pursued Jacob for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

[31:24] In a dream that night God came to Laban and said to him, “Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way.”

[31:25] Jacob had set up his camp on a mountain, and Laban set up his camp with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.

[31:26] Laban said to Jacob, “Why did you deceive me and carry off my daughters like women captured in war?

[31:27] Why did you deceive me and slip away without telling me? If you had told me, I would have sent you on your way with rejoicing and singing to the music of tambourines and harps.

[31:28] You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-bye. That was a foolish thing to do!

[31:29] I have the power to do you harm, but last night the God of your father warned me not to threaten you in any way.

[31:30] I know that you left because you were so anxious to get back home, but why did you steal my household gods?”

[31:31] Jacob answered, “I was afraid, because I thought that you might take your daughters away from me.

[31:32] But if you find that anyone here has your gods, he will be put to death. Here, with our men as witnesses, look for anything that belongs to you and take what is yours.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban's gods.

[31:33] Laban went and searched Jacob's tent; then he went into Leah's tent, and the tent of the two slave women, but he did not find his gods. Then he went into Rachel's tent.

[31:34] Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but did not find them.

[31:35] Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry with me, sir, but I am not able to stand up in your presence; I am having my monthly period.” Laban searched but did not find his household gods.

[31:36] Then Jacob lost his temper. “What crime have I committed?” he asked angrily. “What law have I broken that gives you the right to hunt me down?

[31:37] Now that you have searched through all my belongings, what household article have you found that belongs to you? Put it out here where your men and mine can see it, and let them decide which one of us is right.

[31:38] I have been with you now for twenty years; your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce, and I have not eaten any rams from your flocks.

[31:39] Whenever a sheep was killed by wild animals, I always bore the loss myself. I didn't take it to you to show that it was not my fault. You demanded that I make good anything that was stolen during the day or during the night.

[31:40] Many times I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was not able to sleep.

[31:41] It was like that for the whole twenty years I was with you. For fourteen years I worked to win your two daughters—and six years for your flocks. And even then, you changed my wages ten times.

[31:42] If the God of my fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac, had not been with me, you would have already sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my trouble and the work I have done, and last night he gave his judgment.”

[31:43] Laban answered Jacob, “These young women are my daughters; their children belong to me, and these flocks are mine. In fact, everything you see here belongs to me. But since I can do nothing to keep my daughters and their children,

[31:44] I am ready to make an agreement with you. Let us make a pile of stones to remind us of our agreement.”

[31:45] So Jacob got a stone and set it up as a memorial.

[31:46] He told his men to gather some rocks and pile them up. Then they ate a meal beside the pile of rocks.

[31:47] Laban named it Jegar Sahadutha, while Jacob named it Galeed.

[31:48] Laban said to Jacob, “This pile of rocks will be a reminder for both of us.” That is why that place was named Galeed.

[31:49] Laban also said, “May the Lord keep an eye on us while we are separated from each other.” So the place was also named Mizpah.

[31:50] Laban went on, “If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other women, even though I don't know about it, remember that God is watching us.

[31:51] Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone.

[31:52] Both this pile and this memorial stone are reminders. I will never go beyond this pile to attack you, and you must never go beyond it or beyond this memorial stone to attack me.

[31:53] The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor will judge between us.” Then, in the name of the God whom his father Isaac worshiped, Jacob solemnly vowed to keep this promise.

[31:54] He killed an animal, which he offered as a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his men to the meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

[31:55] Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters good-bye, and left to go back home.

[32:1] As Jacob went on his way, some angels met him.

[32:2] When he saw them, he said, “This is God's camp”; so he named the place Mahanaim.

[32:3] Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the country of Edom.

[32:4] He instructed them to say: “I, Jacob, your obedient servant, report to my master Esau that I have been staying with Laban and that I have delayed my return until now.

[32:5] I own cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and slaves. I am sending you word, sir, in the hope of gaining your favor.”

[32:6] When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you. He has four hundred men with him.”

[32:7] Jacob was frightened and worried. He divided into two groups the people who were with him, and also his sheep, goats, cattle, and camels.

[32:8] He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks the first group, the other may be able to escape.”

[32:9] Then Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham and God of my father Isaac, hear me! You told me, Lord, to go back to my land and to my relatives, and you would make everything go well for me.

[32:10] I am not worth all the kindness and faithfulness that you have shown me, your servant. I crossed the Jordan with nothing but a walking stick, and now I have come back with these two groups.

[32:11] Save me, I pray, from my brother Esau. I am afraid—afraid that he is coming to attack us and destroy us all, even the women and children.

[32:12] Remember that you promised to make everything go well for me and to give me more descendants than anyone could count, as many as the grains of sand along the seashore.”

[32:16] He divided them into herds and put one of his servants in charge of each herd. He said to them, “Go ahead of me, and leave a space between each herd and the one behind it.”

[32:17] He ordered the first servant, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these animals in front of you?’

[32:18] you must answer, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. He sends them as a present to his master Esau. Jacob himself is right behind us.’”

[32:19] He gave the same order to the second, the third, and to all the others who were in charge of the herds: “This is what you must say to Esau when you meet him.

[32:20] You must say, ‘Yes, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob was thinking, “I will win him over with the gifts, and when I meet him, perhaps he will forgive me.”

[32:21] He sent the gifts on ahead of him and spent that night in camp.

[32:22] That same night Jacob got up, took his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven children, and crossed the Jabbok River.

[32:23] After he had sent them across, he also sent across all that he owned,

[32:24] but he stayed behind, alone. Then a man came and wrestled with him until just before daybreak.

[32:25] When the man saw that he was not winning the struggle, he hit Jacob on the hip, and it was thrown out of joint.

[32:26] The man said, “Let me go; daylight is coming.” “I won't, unless you bless me,” Jacob answered.

[32:27] “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he answered.

[32:28] The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have struggled with God and with men, and you have won; so your name will be Israel.”

[32:29] Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.” But he answered, “Why do you want to know my name?” Then he blessed Jacob.

[32:30] Jacob said, “I have seen God face-to-face, and I am still alive”; so he named the place Peniel.

[32:31] The sun rose as Jacob was leaving Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

[32:32] Even today the descendants of Israel do not eat the muscle which is on the hip joint, because it was on this muscle that Jacob was hit.

[33:1] Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men, so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two concubines.

[33:2] He put the concubines and their children first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

[33:3] Jacob went ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

[33:4] But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They were both crying.

[33:5] When Esau looked around and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” “These, sir, are the children whom God has been good enough to give me,” Jacob answered.

[33:6] Then the concubines came up with their children and bowed down;

[33:7] then Leah and her children came, and last of all Joseph and Rachel came and bowed down.

[33:8] Esau asked, “What about that other group I met? What did that mean?” Jacob answered, “It was to gain your favor.”

[33:9] But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have.”

[33:10] Jacob said, “No, please, if I have gained your favor, accept my gift. To see your face is for me like seeing the face of God, now that you have been so friendly to me.

[33:11] Please accept this gift which I have brought for you; God has been kind to me and given me everything I need.” Jacob kept on urging him until he accepted.

[33:12] Esau said, “Let's get ready and leave. I will go ahead of you.”

[33:13] Jacob answered, “You know that the children are weak, and I must think of the sheep and livestock with their young. If they are driven hard for even one day, the whole herd will die.

[33:14] Please go on ahead of me, and I will follow slowly, going as fast as I can with the livestock and the children until I catch up with you in Edom.”

[33:15] Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.” But Jacob answered, “There is no need for that for I only want to gain your favor.”

[33:16] So that day Esau started on his way back to Edom.

[33:17] But Jacob went to Sukkoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Sukkoth.

[33:18] On his return from Mesopotamia Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and set up his camp in a field near the city.

[33:19] He bought that part of the field from the descendants of Hamor father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver.

[33:20] He put up an altar there and named it for El, the God of Israel.

[34:1] One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the Canaanite women.

[34:2] When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her.

[34:3] But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.

[34:4] He told his father, “I want you to get Dinah for me as my wife.”

[34:5] Jacob learned that his daughter had been disgraced, but because his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he did nothing until they came back.

[34:6] Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob,

[34:7] just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. When they heard about it, they were shocked and furious that Shechem had done such a thing and had insulted the people of Israel by raping Jacob's daughter.

[34:8] Hamor said to him, “My son Shechem has fallen in love with your daughter; please let him marry her.

[34:9] Let us make an agreement that there will be intermarriage between our people and yours.

[34:10] Then you may stay here in our country with us; you may live anywhere you wish, trade freely, and own property.”

[34:11] Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, “Do me this favor, and I will give you whatever you want.

[34:12] Tell me what presents you want, and set the payment for the bride as high as you wish; I will give you whatever you ask, if you will only let me marry her.”

[34:13] Because Shechem had disgraced their sister Dinah, Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor in a deceitful way.

[34:14] They said to him, “We cannot let our sister marry a man who is not circumcised; that would be a disgrace for us.

[34:15] We can agree only on the condition that you become like us by circumcising all your males.

[34:16] Then we will agree to intermarriage. We will settle among you and become one people with you.

[34:17] But if you will not accept our terms and be circumcised, we will take her and leave.”

[34:18] These terms seemed fair to Hamor and his son Shechem,

[34:19] and the young man lost no time in doing what was suggested, because he was in love with Jacob's daughter. He was the most important member of his family.

[34:20] Hamor and his son Shechem went to the meeting place at the city gate and spoke to the people of the town:

[34:21] “These men are friendly; let them live in the land with us and travel freely. The land is large enough for them also. Let us marry their daughters and give them ours in marriage.

[34:22] But these men will agree to live among us and be one people with us only on the condition that we circumcise all our males, as they are circumcised.

[34:23] Won't all their livestock and everything else they own be ours? So let us agree that they can live among us.”

[34:24] All the citizens of the city agreed with what Hamor and Shechem proposed, and all the males were circumcised.

[34:25] Three days later, when the men were still sore from their circumcision, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, took their swords, went into the city without arousing suspicion, and killed all the men,

[34:26] including Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah from Shechem's house and left.

[34:27] After the slaughter Jacob's other sons looted the town to take revenge for their sister's disgrace.

[34:28] They took the flocks, the cattle, the donkeys, and everything else in the city and in the fields.

[34:29] They took everything of value, captured all the women and children, and carried off everything in the houses.

[34:30] Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have gotten me into trouble; now the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and everybody else in the land will hate me. I do not have many men; if they all band together against me and attack me, our whole family will be destroyed.”

[34:31] But they answered, “We cannot let our sister be treated like a common whore.”

[35:1] God said to Jacob, “Go to Bethel at once, and live there. Build an altar there to me, the God who appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau.”

[35:2] So Jacob said to his family and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that you have; purify yourselves and put on clean clothes.

[35:3] We are going to leave here and go to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who helped me in the time of my trouble and who has been with me everywhere I have gone.”

[35:4] So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and also the earrings that they were wearing. He buried them beneath the oak tree near Shechem.

[35:5] When Jacob and his sons started to leave, great fear fell on the people of the nearby towns, and they did not pursue them.

[35:6] Jacob came with all his people to Luz, which is now known as Bethel, in the land of Canaan.

[35:7] He built an altar there and named the place for the God of Bethel, because God had revealed himself to him there when he was running away from his brother.

[35:8] Rebecca's nurse Deborah died and was buried beneath the oak south of Bethel. So it was named “Oak of Weeping.”

[35:9] When Jacob returned from Mesopotamia, God appeared to him again and blessed him.

[35:10] God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but from now on it will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.

[35:11] And God said to him, “I am Almighty God. Have many children. Nations will be descended from you, and you will be the ancestor of kings.

[35:12] I will give you the land which I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, and I will also give it to your descendants after you.”

[35:13] Then God left him.

[35:14] There, where God had spoken to him, Jacob set up a memorial stone and consecrated it by pouring wine and olive oil on it.

[35:15] He named the place Bethel.

[35:16] Jacob and his family left Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, the time came for Rachel to have her baby, and she was having difficult labor.

[35:17] When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, “Don't be afraid, Rachel; it's another boy.”

[35:18] But she was dying, and as she breathed her last, she named her son Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.

[35:19] When Rachel died, she was buried beside the road to Ephrath, now known as Bethlehem.

[35:20] Jacob set up a memorial stone there, and it still marks Rachel's grave to this day.

[35:21] Jacob moved on and set up his camp on the other side of the tower of Eder.

[35:22] While Jacob was living in that land, Reuben had sexual intercourse with Bilhah, one of his father's concubines; Jacob heard about it and was furious. Jacob had twelve sons.

[35:23] The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

[35:24] The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

[35:25] The sons of Rachel's slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

[35:26] The sons of Leah's slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These sons were born in Mesopotamia.