and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram.

Jacob's Dream

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”

Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.

As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”

But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.

And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

Jacob's Children

When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!”

Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.