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Genesis 27-29
New American Standard Bible
Genesis 27-29
New American Standard Bible
Jacob’s Deception
27 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and (A)his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his (B)older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 2 Then [a](C)Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and (D)hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a delicious meal for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that (E)my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 (F)Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare a delicious meal for me, so that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 So now, my son, (G)listen to [b]me [c]as I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and [d]bring me two choice [e]young goats from there, so that I may prepare them as a delicious meal for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Behold, my brother Esau is a (H)hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 (I)Perhaps my father will touch me, then I will be like a [f]deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” 13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only (J)obey my voice, and go, get the goats for me.” 14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a delicious meal such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the [g]best (K)garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 And she put the skins of the [h]young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the delicious meal and the bread which she had made [i]to her son Jacob.
18 Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. (L)Come now, sit and eat of my game, so that [j](M)you may bless me.” 20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “(N)Because the Lord your God made it [k]come to me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, so that (O)I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, and he touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were (P)hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that [l](Q)I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he (R)blessed him and said,
“See, (S)the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field (T)which the Lord has blessed;
28 Now may (U)God give you of the dew of heaven,
And of the (V)fatness of the earth,
And an abundance of grain and new wine;
29 (W)May peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
(X)Be master of your brothers,
(Y)And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
(Z)Cursed be those who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”
The Stolen Blessing
30 Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of his father Isaac, that his brother Esau came in from his hunting. 31 Then he also made a delicious meal, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “(AA)Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that [m](AB)you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “(AC)Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, (AD)your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac [n]trembled violently, and said, “(AE)Who then was he who hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate from all of it before you came, and blessed him? (AF)Yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, (AG)he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me as well, my father!” 35 And he said, “(AH)Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” 36 Then Esau said, “[o]Is he not rightly named (AI)[p]Jacob, for he has betrayed me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him (AJ)your master, and I have given to him all his relatives [q]as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me as well, my father.” So Esau raised his voice and (AK)wept.
39 Then (AL)his father Isaac answered and said to him,
“Behold, [r](AM)away from the [s]fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling,
And [t]away from the dew of heaven from above.
40 And by your sword you shall live,
And (AN)you shall serve your brother;
But it shall come about (AO)when you become restless,
That you will [u]break his yoke from your neck.”
41 So Esau (AP)held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said [v]to himself, “(AQ)The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent word and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43 Now then, my son, (AR)obey my voice, and arise, [w]flee to (AS)Haran, to my brother (AT)Laban! 44 Stay with him (AU)a few days, until your brother’s fury [x]subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger [y]against you subsides and he forgets (AV)what you did to him. Then I will send word and get you from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?”
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of [z]living because of (AW)the daughters of Heth; (AX)if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth like these from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
Jacob Is Sent Away
28 So Isaac called Jacob and (AY)blessed him and commanded him, [aa]saying to him, “(AZ)You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of (BA)Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May [ab](BB)God Almighty (BC)bless you and (BD)make you fruitful and (BE)multiply you, so that you may become a (BF)multitude of peoples. 4 May He also give you the (BG)blessing of Abraham, to you and to your [ac]descendants with you, so that you may (BH)possess the land where you (BI)live as a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then (BJ)Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, saying, “(BK)You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So Esau saw that (BL)the daughters of Canaan displeased [ad]his father Isaac; 9 and Esau went to Ishmael, and [ae]married, (BM)besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
Jacob’s Dream
10 Then Jacob departed from (BN)Beersheba and went toward (BO)Haran. 11 And he [af]happened upon a [ag](BP)particular place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and made it a support for his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And (BQ)he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, (BR)the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 Then behold, (BS)the Lord was standing [ah]above it and said, “I am the Lord, (BT)the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give (BU)to you and to (BV)your [ai]descendants. 14 Your [aj]descendants will also be like (BW)the dust of the earth, and you will [ak]spread out (BX)to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and (BY)in you and in your [al]descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, (BZ)I am with you and (CA)will keep you wherever you go, and (CB)will bring you back to this land; for (CC)I will not leave you until I have done what I have [am]promised you.” 16 Then Jacob (CD)awoke from his sleep and said, “(CE)The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “(CF)How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18 So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took (CG)the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on its top. 19 Then he named that place [an](CH)Bethel; but [ao]previously the name of the city had been (CI)Luz. 20 Jacob also (CJ)made a vow, saying, “(CK)If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I [ap]take, and give me [aq](CL)food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and (CM)I return to my father’s house in [ar]safety, (CN)then the Lord will be my God. 22 And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, (CO)will be God’s house, and (CP)of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.”
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 Then Jacob [as]set out on his journey, and went to the land of (CQ)the [at]people of the east. 2 He looked, and [au]saw (CR)a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from (CS)Haran.” 5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban the (CT)son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is his daughter (CU)Rachel coming with the sheep.” 7 Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11 Then Jacob (CV)kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a (CW)relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and (CX)she ran and told her father.
13 So when (CY)Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and (CZ)embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “You certainly are (DA)my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall (DB)your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was (DC)beautiful in figure and appearance. 18 Now Jacob (DD)loved Rachel, so he said, “(DE)I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days (DF)because of his love for her.
Laban’s Treachery
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my [av]time is completed, that I may (DG)have relations with her.” 22 So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast. 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her. 24 Laban also gave his female slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a slave. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “(DH)What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you (DI)deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not [aw]the practice in our place to [ax]marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which (DJ)you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30 So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed (DK)he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with [ay]Laban for (DL)another seven years.
31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was [az]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him [ba]Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has [bb](DM)seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “(DN)Because the Lord has [bc]heard that I am [bd]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become [be]attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named (DO)Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will [bf]praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him [bg](DP)Judah. Then she stopped having children.
Footnotes
- Genesis 27:2 Lit he
- Genesis 27:8 Lit my voice
- Genesis 27:8 Lit according to what
- Genesis 27:9 Lit take
- Genesis 27:9 Lit kids of goats
- Genesis 27:12 Lit mocker
- Genesis 27:15 Lit desirable; or choice
- Genesis 27:16 Lit kids of the goats
- Genesis 27:17 Lit into the hand of
- Genesis 27:19 Lit your soul
- Genesis 27:20 Lit meet me
- Genesis 27:25 Lit my soul
- Genesis 27:31 Lit your soul
- Genesis 27:33 Lit trembled with a very great trembling
- Genesis 27:36 Or Was he then named Jacob that he has
- Genesis 27:36 Fr Heb verb meaning to seize someone by the heel, and so to betray
- Genesis 27:37 Lit for
- Genesis 27:39 Or of
- Genesis 27:39 Lit fatness
- Genesis 27:39 Or of
- Genesis 27:40 Lit tear off
- Genesis 27:41 Lit in his heart
- Genesis 27:43 Lit flee for yourself
- Genesis 27:44 Lit turns away
- Genesis 27:45 Lit turns away from you
- Genesis 27:46 Lit my life
- Genesis 28:1 Lit and said to
- Genesis 28:3 Heb El Shaddai
- Genesis 28:4 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:8 Lit in the eyes of his
- Genesis 28:9 Lit took for his wife
- Genesis 28:11 Lit lighted on
- Genesis 28:11 Lit the place
- Genesis 28:13 Or beside him
- Genesis 28:13 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:14 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:14 Lit break through
- Genesis 28:14 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:15 Lit spoken to
- Genesis 28:19 I.e., the house of God
- Genesis 28:19 Lit at the first
- Genesis 28:20 Lit go
- Genesis 28:20 Lit bread
- Genesis 28:21 Lit peace
- Genesis 29:1 Lit lifted up his feet
- Genesis 29:1 Lit sons
- Genesis 29:2 Lit behold
- Genesis 29:21 Lit days are
- Genesis 29:26 Lit done thus in
- Genesis 29:26 Lit give
- Genesis 29:30 Lit him
- Genesis 29:31 Lit hated
- Genesis 29:32 I.e., see, a son
- Genesis 29:32 Lit looked at
- Genesis 29:33 Heb shama, related to Simeon
- Genesis 29:33 Lit hated
- Genesis 29:34 Heb lavah, related to Levi
- Genesis 29:35 Heb Jadah, related to Judah
- Genesis 29:35 Heb Jehudah
Genesis 27-29
New International Version
Genesis 27-29
New International Version
27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,(A) he called for Esau his older son(B) and said to him, “My son.”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.(C) 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country(D) to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like(E) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing(F) before I die.”(G)
5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country(H) to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob,(I) “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’(J) 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:(K) 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,(L) so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.(M) 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing(N) before he dies.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man(O) while I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me?(P) I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse(Q) on myself rather than a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.(R) Just do what I say;(S) go and get them for me.”
14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.(T) 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes(U) of Esau her older son,(V) which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.(W) 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.
18 He went to his father and said, “My father.”
“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”(X)
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.(Y) I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,(Z) so that you may give me your blessing.”(AA)
20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God gave me success,(AB)” he replied.
21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,(AC) my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac,(AD) who touched(AE) him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;(AF) so he proceeded to bless him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“I am,” he replied.
25 Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”(AG)
Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”
27 So he went to him and kissed(AH) him(AI). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,(AJ) he blessed him and said,
“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.(AK)
28 May God give you heaven’s dew(AL)
and earth’s richness(AM)—
an abundance of grain(AN) and new wine.(AO)
29 May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.(AP)
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.(AQ)
May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed.(AR)”
30 After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”(AS)
32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”(AT)
“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.(AU)”
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?(AV) I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!(AW)”
34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry(AX) and said to his father, “Bless(AY) me—me too, my father!”
35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully(AZ) and took your blessing.”(BA)
36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob[a]?(BB) This is the second time he has taken advantage of(BC) me: He took my birthright,(BD) and now he’s taken my blessing!”(BE) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.(BF) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.(BG)
39 His father Isaac answered him,(BH)
“Your dwelling will be
away from the earth’s richness,
away from the dew(BI) of heaven above.(BJ)
40 You will live by the sword
and you will serve(BK) your brother.(BL)
But when you grow restless,
you will throw his yoke
from off your neck.(BM)”
41 Esau held a grudge(BN) against Jacob(BO) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning(BP) for my father are near; then I will kill(BQ) my brother Jacob.”(BR)
42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau(BS) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.(BT) 43 Now then, my son, do what I say:(BU) Flee at once to my brother Laban(BV) in Harran.(BW) 44 Stay with him for a while(BX) until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,(BY) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.(BZ) Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite(CA) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,(CB) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”(CC)
28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed(CD) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.(CE) 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram,[b](CF) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.(CG) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.(CH) 3 May God Almighty[c](CI) bless(CJ) you and make you fruitful(CK) and increase your numbers(CL) until you become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,(CM) so that you may take possession of the land(CN) where you now reside as a foreigner,(CO) the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,(CP) and he went to Paddan Aram,(CQ) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,(CR) the brother of Rebekah,(CS) who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”(CT) 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women(CU) were to his father Isaac;(CV) 9 so he went to Ishmael(CW) and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth(CX) and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.(CY)
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beersheba(CZ) and set out for Harran.(DA) 11 When he reached a certain place,(DB) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head(DC) and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream(DD) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.(DE) 13 There above it[d] stood the Lord,(DF) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.(DG) I will give you and your descendants the land(DH) on which you are lying.(DI) 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you(DJ) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.(DK) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[e](DL) 15 I am with you(DM) and will watch over you(DN) wherever you go,(DO) and I will bring you back to this land.(DP) I will not leave you(DQ) until I have done what I have promised you.(DR)”(DS)
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep,(DT) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!(DU) This is none other than the house of God;(DV) this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head(DW) and set it up as a pillar(DX) and poured oil on top of it.(DY) 19 He called that place Bethel,[f](DZ) though the city used to be called Luz.(EA)
20 Then Jacob made a vow,(EB) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me(EC) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear(ED) 21 so that I return safely(EE) to my father’s household,(EF) then the Lord[g] will be my God(EG) 22 and[h] this stone that I have set up as a pillar(EH) will be God’s house,(EI) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.(EJ)”
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.(EK) 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.(EL) The stone(EM) over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone(EN) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.(EO) Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”(EP)
“We’re from Harran,(EQ)” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”(ER)
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel(ES) with the sheep.(ET)”
7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone(EU) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water(EV) the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,(EW) for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel(EX) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone(EY) away from the mouth of the well and watered(EZ) his uncle’s sheep.(FA) 11 Then Jacob kissed(FB) Rachel and began to weep aloud.(FC) 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative(FD) of her father and a son of Rebekah.(FE) So she ran and told her father.(FF)
13 As soon as Laban(FG) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him(FH) and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”(FI)
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative(FJ) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages(FK) should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,(FL) and the name of the younger was Rachel.(FM) 17 Leah had weak[i] eyes, but Rachel(FN) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.(FO) 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel(FP) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”(FQ)
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,(FR) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.(FS)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.(FT)”
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.(FU) 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(FV) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah(FW) to his daughter as her attendant.(FX)
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(FY) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(FZ)”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(GA) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(GB) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(GC)”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(GD) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(GE) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(GF) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(GG) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(GH)
Jacob’s Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(GI) he enabled her to conceive,(GJ) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(GK) She named him Reuben,[j](GL) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(GM) Surely my husband will love me now.”
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(GN) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[k](GO)
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(GP) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[l](GQ)
35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[m](GR) Then she stopped having children.(GS)
Footnotes
- Genesis 27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.
- Genesis 28:2 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6 and 7
- Genesis 28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 28:13 Or There beside him
- Genesis 28:14 Or will use your name and the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)
- Genesis 28:19 Bethel means house of God.
- Genesis 28:21 Or Since God … father’s household, the Lord
- Genesis 28:22 Or household, and the Lord will be my God, 22 then
- Genesis 29:17 Or delicate
- Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
- Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
- Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
- Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
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