Jacob Flees From Laban

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

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

So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, “I see that your father’s(F) attitude toward me is not what it was before,(G) but the God of my father has been with me.(H) You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,(I) yet your father has cheated(J) me by changing my wages(K) ten times.(L) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.(M) 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,’(N) then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock(O) and has given them to me.(P)

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream(Q) 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(R) said to me in the dream,(S) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’(T) 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,(U) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(V) 13 I am the God of Bethel,(W) where you anointed a pillar(X) and where you made a vow(Y) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.(Z)’”

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

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives(AE) on camels,(AF) 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated(AG) in Paddan Aram,[a](AH) to go to his father Isaac(AI) in the land of Canaan.(AJ)

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,(AK) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(AL) 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived(AM) Laban the Aramean(AN) by not telling him he was running away.(AO) 21 So he fled(AP) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,(AQ) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.(AR)

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day(AS) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(AT) 23 Taking his relatives(AU) with him(AV), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(AW) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(AX) in a dream at night and said to him,(AY) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(AZ)

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(BA) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(BB) You’ve deceived me,(BC) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(BD) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(BE) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(BF) and harps?(BG) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(BH) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(BI) but last night the God of your father(BJ) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(BK) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(BL) But why did you steal(BM) my gods?(BN)

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(BO) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(BP) 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.(BQ)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(BR) and into the tent of the two female servants,(BS) but he found nothing.(BT) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(BU) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(BV) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(BW) 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;(BX) I’m having my period.(BY)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(BZ)

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

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(CF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(CG) 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(CH) by day or night.(CI) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(CJ) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(CK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(CL) and six years for your flocks,(CM) and you changed my wages(CN) ten times.(CO) 42 If the God of my father,(CP) the God of Abraham(CQ) and the Fear of Isaac,(CR) had not been with me,(CS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(CT) and last night he rebuked you.(CU)

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(CV) 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,(CW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(CX)

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

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

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(DH) and here is this pillar(DI) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(DJ) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(DK) and pillar to my side to harm me.(DL) 53 May the God of Abraham(DM) and the God of Nahor,(DN) the God of their father, judge between us.”(DO)

So Jacob took an oath(DP) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(DQ) 54 He offered a sacrifice(DR) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(DS) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(DT) and blessed(DU) them. Then he left and returned home.[d](DV)

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [e]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(DW) met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(DX) So he named that place Mahanaim.[f](DY)

Jacob sent messengers(DZ) ahead of him to his brother Esau(EA) in the land of Seir,(EB) the country of Edom.(EC) He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(ED) Esau: ‘Your servant(EE) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(EF) and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(EG) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(EH) that I may find favor in your eyes.(EI)’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(EJ)

In great fear(EK) and distress(EL) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[g](EM) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[h] the group[i] that is left may escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(EN) God of my father Isaac,(EO) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(EP) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(EQ) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(ER) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(ES) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(ET) he will come and attack me,(EU) and also the mothers with their children.(EV) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(EW) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(EX)’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift(EY) for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,(EZ) 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.(FA) 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”(FB)

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant(FC) Jacob. They are a gift(FD) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant(FE) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts(FF) I am sending on ahead;(FG) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”(FH) 21 So Jacob’s gifts(FI) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons(FJ) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(FK) 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.(FL) 24 So Jacob was left alone,(FM) and a man(FN) wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip(FO) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(FP)

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”(FQ) he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name(FR) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[j](FS) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”(FT)

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”(FU)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”(FV) Then he blessed(FW) him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[k] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,(FX) and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[l](FY) and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,(FZ) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(GA) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(GB) He put the female servants and their children(GC) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(GD) in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground(GE) seven times(GF) as he approached his brother.

But Esau(GG) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.(GH) And they wept.(GI) Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.(GJ)

Then the female servants and their children(GK) approached and bowed down.(GL) Next, Leah and her children(GM) came and bowed down.(GN) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,(GO) and they too bowed down.

Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”(GP)

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”(GQ) he said.

But Esau said, “I already have plenty,(GR) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,(GS) accept this gift(GT) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,(GU) now that you have received me favorably.(GV) 11 Please accept the present(GW) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me(GX) and I have all I need.”(GY) And because Jacob insisted,(GZ) Esau accepted it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord(HA) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.(HB) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds(HC) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.(HD)

15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”(HE)

16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.(HF) 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,(HG) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[m]

18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[n](HH) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem(HI) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[o] he bought from the sons of Hamor,(HJ) the father of Shechem,(HK) the plot of ground(HL) where he pitched his tent.(HM) 20 There he set up an altar(HN) and called it El Elohe Israel.[p]

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(HO) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem(HP) son of Hamor(HQ) the Hivite,(HR) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(HS) His heart was drawn to Dinah(HT) daughter of Jacob;(HU) he loved(HV) the young woman and spoke tenderly(HW) to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(HX)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(HY) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(HZ) Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(IA) and furious,(IB) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[q] Israel(IC) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(ID)

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(IE) Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(IF) 10 You can settle among us;(IG) the land is open to you.(IH) Live in it, trade[r] in it,(II) and acquire property in it.(IJ)

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(IK) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(IL) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(IM) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(IN) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(IO) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(IP) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(IQ) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(IR) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(IS) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(IT) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(IU) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(IV) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(IW) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(IX) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(IY) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(IZ) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(JA)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(JB) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(JC) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(JD) and Levi,(JE) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(JF) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(JG) killing every male.(JH) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(JI) and took Dinah(JJ) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(JK) where[s] their sister had been defiled.(JL) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(JM) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(JN) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(JO) taking as plunder(JP) everything in the houses.(JQ)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(JR) on me by making me obnoxious(JS) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(JT) We are few in number,(JU) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(JV)

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(JW) and settle there, and build an altar(JX) there to God,(JY) who appeared to you(JZ) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(KA)

So Jacob said to his household(KB) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(KC) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(KD) Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(KE) who answered me in the day of my distress(KF) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(KG) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(KH) and Jacob buried them under the oak(KI) at Shechem.(KJ) Then they set out, and the terror of God(KK) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(KL)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(KM) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(KN) There he built an altar,(KO) and he called the place El Bethel,[t](KP) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(KQ) when he was fleeing from his brother.(KR)

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(KS) died and was buried under the oak(KT) outside Bethel.(KU) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[u]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[v](KV) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(KW) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[w] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[x](KX) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[y];(KY) be fruitful and increase in number.(KZ) A nation(LA) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(LB) 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.(LC)(LD) 13 Then God went up from him(LE) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(LF) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(LG) on it; he also poured oil on it.(LH) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[z](LI)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(LJ)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(LK) Rachel(LL) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(LM) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(LN) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[aa](LO) But his father named him Benjamin.[ab](LP)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(LQ) (that is, Bethlehem(LR)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(LS) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(LT)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(LU) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(LV) Bilhah,(LW) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(LX)

Reuben the firstborn(LY) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(LZ) Issachar and Zebulun.(MA)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(MB) and Benjamin.(MC)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(MD)

Dan and Naphtali.(ME)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(MF)

Gad(MG) and Asher.(MH)

These were the sons of Jacob,(MI) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(MJ)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(MK) in Mamre,(ML) near Kiriath Arba(MM) (that is, Hebron),(MN) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(MO) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(MP) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(MQ) old and full of years.(MR) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(MS)

Esau’s Descendants(MT)(MU)

36 This is the account(MV) of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).(MW)

Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan:(MX) Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite,(MY) and Oholibamah(MZ) daughter of Anah(NA) and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite(NB) also Basemath(NC) daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.(ND)

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,(NE) and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(NF) These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan,(NG) and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.(NH) Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock.(NI) So Esau(NJ) (that is, Edom)(NK) settled in the hill country of Seir.(NL)

This is the account(NM) of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites(NN) in the hill country of Seir.

10 These are the names of Esau’s sons:

Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.(NO)

11 The sons of Eliphaz:(NP)

Teman,(NQ) Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.(NR)

12 Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine(NS) named Timna, who bore him Amalek.(NT) These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.(NU)

13 The sons of Reuel:

Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.(NV)

14 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah(NW) daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau:

Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(NX)

15 These were the chiefs(NY) among Esau’s descendants:

The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau:

Chiefs Teman,(NZ) Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,(OA) 16 Korah,[ac] Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz(OB) in Edom;(OC) they were grandsons of Adah.(OD)

17 The sons of Esau’s son Reuel:(OE)

Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.(OF)

18 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah:(OG)

Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah.(OH) These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

19 These were the sons of Esau(OI) (that is, Edom),(OJ) and these were their chiefs.(OK)

20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite,(OL) who were living in the region:

Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,(OM) 21 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.(ON)

22 The sons of Lotan:

Hori and Homam.[ad] Timna was Lotan’s sister.

23 The sons of Shobal:

Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.

24 The sons of Zibeon:(OO)

Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs[ae](OP) in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys(OQ) of his father Zibeon.

25 The children of Anah:(OR)

Dishon and Oholibamah(OS) daughter of Anah.

26 The sons of Dishon[af]:

Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.

27 The sons of Ezer:

Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.

28 The sons of Dishan:

Uz and Aran.

29 These were the Horite chiefs:

Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,(OT) 30 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs,(OU) according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.

The Rulers of Edom(OV)

31 These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king(OW) reigned:

32 Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.

33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah(OX) succeeded him as king.

34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites(OY) succeeded him as king.

35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian(OZ) in the country of Moab,(PA) succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.

36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.

37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth(PB) on the river succeeded him as king.

38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.

39 When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad[ag] succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

40 These were the chiefs(PC) descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions:

Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied.

This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.(PD)

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,(PE) the land of Canaan.(PF)

This is the account(PG) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,(PH) a young man of seventeen,(PI) was tending the flocks(PJ) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah(PK) and the sons of Zilpah,(PL) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report(PM) about them.

Now Israel(PN) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(PO) because he had been born to him in his old age;(PP) and he made an ornate[ah] robe(PQ) for him.(PR) When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(PS) and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream,(PT) and when he told it to his brothers,(PU) they hated him all the more.(PV) He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves(PW) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”(PX)

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(PY) And they hated him all the more(PZ) because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream,(QA) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(QB) were bowing down to me.”(QC)

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(QD) his father rebuked(QE) him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”(QF) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(QG) but his father kept the matter in mind.(QH)

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(QI) 13 and Israel(QJ) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(QK) Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers(QL) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(QM)

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.(QN)’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.(QO)

19 “Here comes that dreamer!(QP)” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns(QQ) and say that a ferocious animal(QR) devoured him.(QS) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”(QT)

21 When Reuben(QU) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.(QV) 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern(QW) here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.(QX)

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(QY) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(QZ) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites(RA) coming from Gilead.(RB) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(RC) and myrrh,(RD) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(RE)

26 Judah(RF) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?(RG) 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,(RH) our own flesh and blood.(RI)” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite(RJ) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(RK) and sold(RL) him for twenty shekels[ai] of silver(RM) to the Ishmaelites,(RN) who took him to Egypt.(RO)

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(RP) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”(RQ)

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(RR) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(RS) 32 They took the ornate robe(RT) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal(RU) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(RV)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(RW) put on sackcloth(RX) and mourned for his son many days.(RY) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(RZ) but he refused to be comforted.(SA) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(SB) in the grave.(SC)” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[aj](SD) sold Joseph(SE) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(SF)

Judah and Tamar

38 At that time, Judah(SG) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam(SH) named Hirah.(SI) There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(SJ) He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(SK) She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(SL)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
  3. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
  4. Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
  5. Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
  6. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
  7. Genesis 32:7 Or camps
  8. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  9. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  10. Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  11. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
  12. Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel
  13. Genesis 33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
  14. Genesis 33:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  15. Genesis 33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
  16. Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
  17. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  18. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  19. Genesis 34:27 Or because
  20. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  21. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  22. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  23. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  24. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  25. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  26. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  27. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  28. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
  29. Genesis 36:16 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (also verse 11 and 1 Chron. 1:36) does not have Korah.
  30. Genesis 36:22 Hebrew Hemam, a variant of Homam (see 1 Chron. 1:39)
  31. Genesis 36:24 Vulgate; Syriac discovered water; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  32. Genesis 36:26 Hebrew Dishan, a variant of Dishon
  33. Genesis 36:39 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 1:50); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Hadar
  34. Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
  35. Genesis 37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  36. Genesis 37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites

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