Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!”

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman!

So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. As he blessed him, Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.”

Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran.

Then Jacob woke up and thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!”

Early in the morning Jacob took the stone he had placed near his head and set it up as a sacred stone. Then he poured oil on top of it.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear,

The Marriages of Jacob

So Jacob moved on and came to the land of the eastern people.

Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.”

“Is he well?” Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

Then Jacob said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.”

When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he went over and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly.

When Jacob explained to Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father.

When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban how he was related to him.

Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” So Jacob stayed with him for a month.

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be.”

Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”

So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because his love for her was so great.

Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. And I want to sleep with her.”

In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me? Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?”

Jacob did as Laban said. When Jacob completed Leah’s bridal week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.