Genesis 28-31

New International Version

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed^(A) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.^{(B) 2} Go at once to Paddan Aram,^[a](C) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.^(D) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.^{(E) 3} May God Almighty^[b](F) bless^(G) you and make you fruitful^(H) and increase your numbers^(I) until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,^(J) so that you may take possession of the land^(K) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(L) the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,^(M) and he went to Paddan Aram,^(N) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,^(O) the brother of Rebekah,^(P) 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,”^{(Q) 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^(R) were to his father Isaac;^{(S) 9} so he went to Ishmael^(T) and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth^(U) and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.^(V)

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(W) and set out for Harran.^{(X) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(Y) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(Z) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(AA) 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.^{(AB) 13} There above it^[c] stood the Lord,^(AC) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(AD) I will give you and your descendants the land^(AE) on which you are lying.^{(AF) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(AG) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(AH) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[d](AI) 15} I am with you^(AJ) and will watch over you^(AK) wherever you go,^(AL) and I will bring you back to this land.^(AM) I will not leave you^(AN) until I have done what I have promised you.^(AO)”^(AP)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(AQ) 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!^(AR) This is none other than the house of God;^(AS) this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(AT) and set it up as a pillar^(AU) and poured oil on top of it.^{(AV) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[e](AW) though the city used to be called Luz.^(AX)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(AY) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(AZ) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(BA) 21} so that I return safely^(BB) to my father’s household,^(BC) then the Lord^[f] will be my God^{(BD) 22} and^[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(BE) will be God’s house,^(BF) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(BG)”

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.^{(BH) 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.^(BI) The stone^(BJ) over the mouth of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone^(BK) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.^(BL) 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?”^(BM)

“We’re from Harran,^(BN)” they replied.

⁵ He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”^(BO)

“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^(BP) with the sheep.^(BQ)”

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^(BR) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water^(BS) the sheep.”

⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,^(BT) for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel^(BU) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone^(BV) away from the mouth of the well and watered^(BW) his uncle’s sheep.^{(BX) 11} Then Jacob kissed^(BY) Rachel and began to weep aloud.^{(BZ) 12} He had told Rachel that he was a relative^(CA) of her father and a son of Rebekah.^(CB) So she ran and told her father.^(CC)

¹³ As soon as Laban^(CD) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him^(CE) 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.”^(CF)

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^(CG) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages^(CH) should be.”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,^(CI) and the name of the younger was Rachel.^{(CJ) 17} Leah had weak^[h] eyes, but Rachel^(CK) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.^{(CL) 18} Jacob was in love with Rachel^(CM) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”^(CN)

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,^(CO) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.^(CP)

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.^(CQ)”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.^{(CR) 23} But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah^(CS) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant Zilpah^(CT) to his daughter as her attendant.^(CU)

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?^(CV) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?^(CW)”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.^{(CX) 27} Finish this daughter’s bridal week;^(CY) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.^(CZ)”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.^{(DA) 29} Laban gave his servant Bilhah^(DB) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.^{(DC) 30} Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.^(DD) And he worked for Laban another seven years.^(DE)

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(DF) he enabled her to conceive,^(DG) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(DH) She named him Reuben,^[i](DI) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(DJ) 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,^(DK) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[j](DL)

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,^(DM) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^[k](DN)

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.^[l](DO) Then she stopped having children.^(DP)

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,^(DQ) she became jealous of her sister.^(DR) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

² Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,^(DS) who has kept you from having children?”^(DT)

³ Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,^(DU) my servant.^(DV) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”^(DW)

⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.^(DX) Jacob slept with her,^{(DY) 5} and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;^(DZ) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”^(EA) Because of this she named him Dan.^[m](EB)

⁷ Rachel’s servant Bilhah^(EC) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”^(ED) So she named him Naphtali.^[n](EE)

⁹ When Leah^(EF) saw that she had stopped having children,^(EG) she took her servant Zilpah^(EH) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.^{(EI) 10} Leah’s servant Zilpah^(EJ) bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”^[o] So she named him Gad.^[p](EK)

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me^(EL) happy.”^(EM) So she named him Asher.^[q](EN)

¹⁴ During wheat harvest,^(EO) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,^(EP) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵ But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough^(EQ) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”^(ER)

¹⁶ So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”^(ES) So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah,^(ET) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”^(EU) So she named him Issachar.^[r](EV)

¹⁹ Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,^(EW) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.^[s](EX)

²¹ Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.^(EY)

²² Then God remembered Rachel;^(EZ) he listened to her^(FA) and enabled her to conceive.^{(FB) 23} She became pregnant and gave birth to a son^(FC) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”^{(FD) 24} She named him Joseph,^[t](FE) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”^(FF)

Jacob’s Flocks Increase

²⁵ After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way^(FG) so I can go back to my own homeland.^{(FH) 26} Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you,^(FI) and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

²⁷ But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(FJ) please stay. I have learned by divination^(FK) that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”^{(FL) 28} He added, “Name your wages,^(FM) and I will pay them.”

²⁹ Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you^(FN) and how your livestock has fared under my care.^{(FO) 30} The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been.^(FP) But now, when may I do something for my own household?^(FQ)”

³¹ “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: ³² Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat.^(FR) They will be my wages.^{(FS) 33} And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored,^(FT) will be considered stolen.^(FU)”

³⁴ “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” ³⁵ That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs,^(FV) and he placed them in the care of his sons.^{(FW) 36} Then he put a three-day journey^(FX) between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

³⁷ Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond^(FY) and plane trees^(FZ) and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.^{(GA) 38} Then he placed the peeled branches^(GB) in all the watering troughs,^(GC) so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat^(GD) and came to drink, ³⁹ they mated in front of the branches.^(GE) And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.^{(GF) 40} Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals^(GG) that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. ⁴¹ Whenever the stronger females were in heat,^(GH) Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,^{(GI) 42} but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.^{(GJ) 43} In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.^(GK)

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons^(GL) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”^{(GM) 2} And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.^(GN)

³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back^(GO) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”^(GP)

⁴ So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. ⁵ He said to them, “I see that your father’s^(GQ) attitude toward me is not what it was before,^(GR) but the God of my father has been with me.^{(GS) 6} You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,^{(GT) 7} yet your father has cheated^(GU) me by changing my wages^(GV) ten times.^(GW) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.^{(GX) 8} If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’^(GY) then all the flocks bore streaked young. ⁹ So God has taken away your father’s livestock^(GZ) and has given them to me.^(HA)

¹⁰ “In breeding season I once had a dream^(HB) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. ¹¹ The angel of God^(HC) said to me in the dream,^(HD) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’^{(HE) 12} And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,^(HF) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.^{(HG) 13} I am the God of Bethel,^(HH) where you anointed a pillar^(HI) and where you made a vow^(HJ) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.^(HK)’”

¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share^(HL) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? ¹⁵ Does he not regard us as foreigners?^(HM) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.^{(HN) 16} Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.^(HO) So do whatever God has told you.”

¹⁷ Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(HP) on camels,^{(HQ) 18} and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(HR) in Paddan Aram,^[u](HS) to go to his father Isaac^(HT) in the land of Canaan.^(HU)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(HV) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^{(HW) 20} Moreover, Jacob deceived^(HX) Laban the Aramean^(HY) by not telling him he was running away.^{(HZ) 21} So he fled^(IA) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(IB) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(IC)

Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(ID) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(IE) 23} Taking his relatives^(IF) with him^(IG), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(IH) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(II) in a dream at night and said to him,^(IJ) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(IK)

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(IL) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(IM) You’ve deceived me,^(IN) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(IO) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(IP) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(IQ) and harps?^{(IR) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(IS) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(IT) but last night the God of your father^(IU) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(IV) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(IW) But why did you steal^(IX) my gods?^(IY)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(IZ) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(JA) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(JB)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(JC) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(JD) but he found nothing.^(JE) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(JF) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(JG) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(JH) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

³⁵ Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(JI) I’m having my period.^(JJ)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(JK)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(JL) you that you hunt me down?^{(JM) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(JN) Put it here in front of your relatives^(JO) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(JP)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(JQ) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(JR) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. ³⁹ I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(JS) by day or night.^{(JT) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(JU) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(JV) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(JW) and six years for your flocks,^(JX) and you changed my wages^(JY) ten times.^{(JZ) 42} If the God of my father,^(KA) the God of Abraham^(KB) and the Fear of Isaac,^(KC) had not been with me,^(KD) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(KE) and last night he rebuked you.^(KF)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(KG) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? ⁴⁴ Come now, let’s make a covenant,^(KH) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(KI)

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(KJ) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(KK) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[v](KL)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(KM) is a witness between you and me today.”^(KN) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[w](KO) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(KP) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(KQ) between you and me.”^(KR)

⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,^(KS) and here is this pillar^(KT) I have set up between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(KU) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(KV) and pillar to my side to harm me.^{(KW) 53} May the God of Abraham^(KX) and the God of Nahor,^(KY) the God of their father, judge between us.”^(KZ)

So Jacob took an oath^(LA) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^{(LB) 54} He offered a sacrifice^(LC) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.^(LD) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

⁵⁵ Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters^(LE) and blessed^(LF) them. Then he left and returned home.^[x](LG)