Bible in 90 Days
20 Then Jacob (A)made a vow, saying, “(B)If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey on which I am going, and will give me [a](C)food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and (D)I return to my father’s house in peace, (E)then Yahweh will be my God. 22 Now this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, (F)will be God’s house, and (G)of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
Jacob’s Love for Rachel
29 Then Jacob [b]took up his journey and came to the land of (H)the sons of the east. 2 And he looked, and behold, (I)a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they gave water to the flocks to drink. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 And all the flocks would be gathered there, and they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and give water to the sheep to drink and return the stone back to its place on the mouth of the well.
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from (J)Haran.” 5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the (K)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 (L)Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” 7 And he said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Give water to the sheep to drink, 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 give water to the sheep to drink.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now it happened, when 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 mouth of the well and gave water to the flock of Laban his mother’s brother to drink. 11 Then Jacob (M)kissed Rachel and lifted his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was a [c](N)relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and (O)she ran and told her father.
13 So it happened that when (P)Laban heard the report of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and he (Q)embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he recounted to Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “Surely you are (R)my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him one month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my [d]relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall (S)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 (T)beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance. 18 Now Jacob (U)loved Rachel, so he said, “(V)I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 And 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 were in his sight but a few days (W)because of his love for her.
Laban Deceives Jacob
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may (X)go in to her.” 22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now it happened in the evening that he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his servant-woman Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a servant-woman. 25 Now it happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “(Y)What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you (Z)deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not [e]the practice in our place to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which (AA)you shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28 And Jacob did so and fulfilled her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his servant-woman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her servant-woman. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed (AB)he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with [f]Laban for (AC)another seven years.
31 And Yahweh saw that Leah was [g]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son and named him [h]Reuben, for she said, “Because Yahweh has [i](AD)seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “(AE)Because Yahweh has [j]heard that I am [k]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will be [l]joined to me because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named (AF)Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will [m]praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him [n](AG)Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
The Sons of Jacob
30 Then Rachel saw that (AH)she bore Jacob no children, so [o]she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “(AI)Give me children, or else I die.” 2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has (AJ)withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 And she said, “(AK)Here is my maidservant Bilhah, go in to her that she may (AL)bear on my knees, that [p](AM)through her I too may obtain children.” 4 So (AN)she gave him her servant-woman Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has [q](AO)rendered justice to me and has indeed listened to my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him [r]Dan. 7 And Rachel’s servant-woman Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, “With [s]mighty wrestlings I have [t]wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
9 Then Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, so she took her servant-woman Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s servant-woman Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “[u]How fortunate!” So she named him [v]Gad. 12 And Leah’s servant-woman Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “[w]Happy am I! For women (AP)will call me happy.” So she named him [x]Asher.
14 And in the days of the wheat harvest, Reuben went and found (AQ)mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 Then Jacob came in from the field in the evening. And Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 And Leah said, “God has given me my [y]wages because I gave my servant-woman to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. 19 Then Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 And Leah said, “God has gifted me a good gift; this time my husband [z]will honor me because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then (AR)God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and (AS)opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has (AT)taken away my reproach.” 24 And she named him Joseph, saying, “(AU)May Yahweh [aa]give me another son.”
Jacob Names His Wages
25 Now it happened when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “(AV)Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own land. 26 Give me my wives and my children (AW)for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you yourself know my service which I have [ab]rendered you.” 27 But Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, stay with me; I have interpreted an omen (AX)that Yahweh has blessed me on your account.” 28 And he continued to say, “(AY)Name me your wages, and I will give it.” 29 But he said to him, “(AZ)You yourself know how I have served you and how your livestock have [ac]fared with me. 30 For you had little before [ad]I came, but it has (BA)spread out to a multitude, and Yahweh has blessed you [ae]at every step of mine. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?” 31 So he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock: 32 let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every (BB)speckled and spotted sheep and every black [af]one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me later, when you come concerning my [ag]wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen.” 34 And Laban said, “Behold, [ah]let it be according to your word.” 35 So he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the [ai]care of his sons. 36 And he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Then Jacob [aj]took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and he peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was [ak]in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the trough, that is, in the watering channels, where the flocks came to drink; and they [al]mated when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks [am]mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs, and he [an]made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he set his own herds apart and did not set them with Laban’s flock. 41 Now it would be that, whenever the [ao]stronger of the flock [ap]were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the trough, so that they might [aq]mate by the rods; 42 but when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the [ar]stronger Jacob’s. 43 So (BC)the man (BD)spread out exceedingly and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.
Jacob Leaves While Laban Is Gone
31 Then [as]Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this [at]wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly. 3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “(BE)Return to the land of your fathers and to your kin, and (BF)I will be with you.” 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, 5 and he said to them, “(BG)I see your father’s face, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but (BH)the God of my father has been with me. 6 (BI)You also know that I have served your father with all my power. 7 Yet your father has (BJ)cheated me and (BK)changed my wages ten times; however, (BL)God did not allow him to harm me. 8 If (BM)he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has (BN)delivered your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10 Now it happened at the time when the flock were [au]mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were [av]mating were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11 Then (BO)the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are [aw]mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for (BP)I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am (BQ)the God of Bethel, where you (BR)anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, [ax]leave this land, and (BS)return to the land of your kin.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15 Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For (BT)he has sold us and has also [ay]entirely consumed [az]our purchase price. 16 Surely all the riches which God has delivered over to us from our father belong to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had accumulated, his acquired livestock which he had accumulated in Paddan-aram, in order (BU)to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his flock. Then Rachel stole the [ba](BV)household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob [bb]deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the [bc]River and set his face toward the hill country of (BW)Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 Then it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled; 23 so he took his [bd]relatives with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 (BX)And God came to Laban the Aramean in a (BY)dream of the night and said to him, “[be](BZ)Beware lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his [bf]relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done [bg]by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and [bh]deceive me and not tell me—so that I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, with (CA)tambourine and with (CB)lyre— 28 and not allow me (CC)to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have acted foolishly. 29 It is in my hand to do evil against you, but (CD)the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘[bi](CE)Beware of speaking either good or evil to Jacob.’ 30 So now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal (CF)my gods?” 31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, because I said, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 (CG)The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our [bj]relatives recognize what is yours [bk]among my belongings and take it for yourself.” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the [bl]household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot (CH)rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the [bm](CI)household idols.
36 Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37 Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Place it here before my [bn]relatives and your [bo]relatives, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was: by day the [bp]heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house; (CJ)I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you (CK)changed my wages ten times. 42 If (CL)the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the dread of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. (CM)God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He (CN)rendered the decision last night.”
The Covenant at Mizpah
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and (CO)the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these daughters of mine or to their children whom they have borne? 44 So now come, let us (CP)cut a covenant, [bq]you and I, and (CQ)let it be a witness between [br]you and me.” 45 Then Jacob took (CR)a stone and raised it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his [bs]relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 And Laban (CS)called it [bt]Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it [bu]Galeed. 48 Then Laban said, “(CT)This heap is a witness between [bv]you and me this day.” Therefore it was named Galeed, 49 and [bw](CU)Mizpah, for he said, “May Yahweh watch between [bx]you and me when we are [by]absent one from the other. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, (CV)God is witness between [bz]you and me.” 51 And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between [ca]you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me for harm. 53 (CW)The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, (CX)judge between us.” So Jacob swore by (CY)the dread of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob (CZ)offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his [cb]relatives to eat a [cc]meal; and they ate [cd]the meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [ce]And Laban arose early in the morning and (DA)kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
Jacob’s Fear of Esau
32 Now Jacob went on his way, (DB)and the angels of God met him. 2 Then Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s [cf]camp.” So he named that place [cg](DC)Mahanaim.
3 Then Jacob (DD)sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of (DE)Seir, the [ch]country of (DF)Edom. 4 He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban and have been (DG)delayed until now; 5 (DH)and I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord, (DI)that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and furthermore (DJ)he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 Then Jacob was (DK)greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two camps. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the camp which remains will escape.”
9 And Jacob said, “O (DL)God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Yahweh, who said to me, ‘(DM)Return to your land and to your kin, and I will [ci]prosper you,’ 10 [cj]I am unworthy (DN)of all the lovingkindness and of all the truth which You have shown to Your slave; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 (DO)Deliver me, I pray, (DP)from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me down with the (DQ)mothers and the children. 12 For You said, ‘(DR)I will surely [ck]prosper you and (DS)make your seed as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’”
13 So he spent the night there. Then he took from what [cl]he had with him a (DT)present for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 And he gave them into the hand of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on before me and put a space between flocks.” 17 And he commanded the first one in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’” 19 Then he commanded also the second and the third and all those who followed the flocks, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease his face with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will lift up my face.” 21 So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.
22 And he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two servant-women and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the (DU)Jabbok. 23 And he took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.
Jacob Wrestles with God
24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man (DV)wrestled with him until the [cm]breaking of dawn. 25 And he saw that he had not prevailed against him, so he touched the socket of his thigh; and so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is [cn]breaking.” But he said, “(DW)I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 (DX)Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but [co]Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29 Then (DY)Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place [cp]Peniel, for he said, “(DZ)I have seen God face to face, yet my [cq]life has been delivered.” 31 And the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over (EA)Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. 32 Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, (EB)Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children [cr]among Leah and Rachel and the two servant-women. 2 And he put the servant-women and their children first, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph after them. 3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and (EC)bowed down to the ground seven times, until he (ED)came near to his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and (EE)fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, “[cs]Who are these with you?” And he said, “(EF)The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servant-women came near [ct]with their children, and they bowed down. 7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8 And he said, “What do you mean by (EG)all [cu]these camps which I have met?” And he said, “(EH)To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “(EI)I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, [cv]for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11 Please take my (EJ)blessing which has been brought to you, (EK)because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have [cw]everything.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12 Then [cx]Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are [cy]a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at (EL)Seir.”
15 Then Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why do this? (EM)Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to [cz](EN)Succoth and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.
Jacob Camps in Shechem
18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of (EO)Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from (EP)Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 (EQ)Then he bought a portion of a field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred [da]qesitah. 20 Then he set up there an altar and called it [db]El-Elohe-Israel.
Simeon and Levi Deceive Shechem
34 Now (ER)Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 Then Shechem the son of Hamor (ES)the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her and took her and lay with her and violated her. 3 [dc]And he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke to the heart of the young woman. 4 So Shechem (ET)spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl as a wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a [dd](EU)disgraceful thing in Israel [de]by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him as a wife. 9 And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 Thus you shall [df]live with us, and (EV)the land shall be open before you; [dg]live and (EW)trade in it and (EX)take possession of property in it.” 11 And Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. 12 Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl as a wife.”
13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, and thus they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to (EY)one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male among you be circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will [dh]live with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”
18 Now their words seemed good in the sight of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more honored than all the household of his father. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the (EZ)gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are peaceful with us; therefore let them [di]live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is [dj]large enough for them. Let us take their daughters for us as wives and give our daughters to them. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to us to [dk]live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock and what they acquire and all their cattle be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will [dl]live with us.” 24 (FA)And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25 Now it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, (FB)Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the unsuspecting city and killed every male. 26 And they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and went away. 27 Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29 and they captured and plundered all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have (FC)brought trouble on me by (FD)making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among (FE)the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and [dm](FF)my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31 But they said, “Should he [dn]treat our sister as a harlot?”
Jacob Goes Up to Bethel
35 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (FG)Bethel and [do]live there, and make an altar there to (FH)God, who appeared to you (FI)when you fled [dp]from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his (FJ)household and to all who were with him, “Put away (FK)the foreign gods which are among you and (FL)cleanse yourselves and change your garments; 3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make (FM)an altar there to God, (FN)who answered me in the day of my distress and (FO)has been with me [dq]wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which [dr]they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the [ds]oak which was near Shechem.
5 Then they journeyed on, and there was [dt](FP)a terror from God upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to (FQ)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7 (FR)And he built an altar there and called the place [du]El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled [dv]from his brother. 8 Then (FS)Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named [dw]Allon-bacuth.
Jacob Is Renamed Israel
9 Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He (FT)blessed him. 10 (FU)And God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
Your name shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called his name Israel. 11 God also said to him,
“I am [dx](FV)God Almighty;
(FW)Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and an (FX)assembly of nations shall [dy]come from you,
And (FY)kings shall [dz]come forth from your loins.
12 (FZ)And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your seed after you.”
13 Then (GA)God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up (GB)a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, [ea](GC)Bethel.
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel; and there was still some distance to go to (GD)Ephrath, and Rachel gave birth, and she [eb]suffered severely in her labor. 17 Now it happened that when she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now (GE)you have another son.” 18 Now it happened as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him [ec]Ben-oni; but his father called him [ed]Benjamin. 19 So (GF)Rachel died and was buried on the way to (GG)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the (GH)pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the [ee](GI)tower of [ef]Eder.
The Sons of Jacob
22 Now it happened while Israel was dwelling in that land, that (GJ)Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.
And there were twelve sons of Jacob—
23 (GK)the sons of Leah:
Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn,
then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;
24 (GL)the sons of Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin;
25 and (GM)the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant-woman:
Dan and Naphtali;
26 and (GN)the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant-woman:
Gad and Asher.
These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at (GO)Mamre of (GP)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.
28 Now the days of Isaac were (GQ)180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last and died and was (GR)gathered to his people, an (GS)old man and full of days; and (GT)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
The Generations of Esau
36 Now these are the generations of (GU)Esau (that is, Edom).
2 Esau (GV)took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and (GW)Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the (GX)granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3 also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore (GY)Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 (GZ)Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all [eg]his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his acquired goods, which he had accumulated in the land of Canaan, and he went to a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 (HA)For their possessions had become too great for them to [eh]live together, and the (HB)land where they (HC)sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in the hill country of (HD)Seir; Esau is (HE)Edom.
9 These then are the generations of Esau the father of [ei]the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau’s wife Adah, Reuel the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, [ej]Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz. 12 Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, and she bore (HF)Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the [ek]granddaughter of Zibeon: [el]she bore to Esau, Jeush and Jalam and Korah.
15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, are chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs [em]descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs [en]descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 18 These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs [eo]descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
20 These are the sons of Seir (HG)the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, 21 and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan. These are the chiefs [ep]descended from the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and [eq]Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: [er]Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, [es]Shepho and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah—he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness when he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of [et](HH)Dishon: [eu]Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and [ev]Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs [ew]descended from the Horites, according to their various chiefs in the land of Seir.
31 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any (HI)king of the sons of Israel reigned. 32 (HJ)And Bela the son of Beor became king in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 Then Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. 34 Then Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. 35 Then Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who struck down Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 36 Then Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. 37 Then Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the [ex]River became king in his place. 38 Then Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. 39 Then Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and [ey]Hadar became king in his place; and the name of his city was [ez]Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.
40 Now these are the names of the chiefs [fa]descended from Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief [fb]Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of [fc]the Edomites), according to their places of habitation in the land of their possession.
The Generations of Jacob
37 Now Jacob lived in (HK)the land [fd]where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when (HL)seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with (HM)the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back an (HN)evil report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was (HO)the son of his old age; and he made him a [fe](HP)varicolored tunic. 4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and so they (HQ)hated him and could not speak to him in peace.
Joseph’s Dreams
5 Then Joseph [ff](HR)had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; so they hated him even more. 6 And he said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have [fg]had: 7 Indeed, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf rose up and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and (HS)bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 Then his brothers said to him, “(HT)Are you really going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he [fh]had still another dream and recounted it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have [fi]had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 And he recounted it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have [fj]had? Shall I and your mother and (HU)your brothers really come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” 11 (HV)And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father (HW)kept the saying in mind.
12 Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in (HX)Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “[fk]I will go.” 14 Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of (HY)Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “[fl]What are you seeking?” 16 And he said, “I am seeking my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 Then the man said, “They have journeyed from here; for I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to (HZ)Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
18 And they saw him from a distance, and before he came close to them, they (IA)plotted against him to put him to death. 19 Then they said to one another, “[fm]Here comes this dreamer! 20 So now, come and let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits; and (IB)we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But (IC)Reuben heard this and delivered him out of their hands and said, “Let us not strike down his life.” 22 Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not put forth your hands against him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands to return him to his father. 23 Now it happened, when Joseph [fn]reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his [fo]tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and cast him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat [fp]a meal. Then they lifted up their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of (ID)Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing [fq](IE)aromatic gum and [fr](IF)balm and [fs]myrrh, going to bring them down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What gain is it that we kill our brother and (IG)cover up his blood? 27 (IH)Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then some (II)Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit and (IJ)sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for [ft]twenty shekels of silver. Thus (IK)they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he (IL)tore his garments. 30 Then he returned to his brothers and said, “(IM)The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31 So (IN)they took Joseph’s tunic and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please recognize it—whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. (IO)A wild beast has devoured him; (IP)Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob (IQ)tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will (IR)go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the [fu]Midianites (IS)sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
Judah and Tamar
38 Now it happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain (IT)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (IU)Shua; and he took her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he named him (IV)Er. 4 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him (IW)Onan. 5 And she bore still another son, and she named him (IX)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [fv]that she bore him.
6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But (IY)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so Yahweh put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “(IZ)Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a seed for your brother.” 9 And Onan knew that the (JA)seed would not be his; and it happened that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground in order not to give seed to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of Yahweh; so He (JB)put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “(JC)Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [fw]thought, “I am afraid lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 And [fx]after a considerable time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Then Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheepshearers at (JD)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Then it was told to Tamar, “[fy]Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (JE)Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s garments from herself and (JF)covered herself with a [fz]veil and wrapped herself. And she sat at the entrance of [ga]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (JG)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 Then Judah saw her, and he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road and said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a [gb]young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “(JH)Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went. And she removed her [gc]veil from herself and put on her widow’s garments.
20 Then Judah sent the [gd]young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her [ge]keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it happened about three months later that it was told to Judah saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and (JI)let her be burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “(JJ)Please recognize this and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them and said, “(JK)She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as (JL)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [gf]know her again.
27 Now it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were (JM)twins in her womb. 28 And it happened, while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 And then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. So she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named [gg](JN)Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [gh](JO)Zerah.
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
39 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian official of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [gi]from the (JP)Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. 2 (JQ)And Yahweh was with Joseph, so he became a [gj]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master (JR)saw that Yahweh was with him and how Yahweh (JS)caused all that he did to succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph (JT)found favor in his sight and [gk]attended on him; and he appointed him overseer over his house, and (JU)all that he owned he gave in his hand. 5 Now it happened that from the time he appointed him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, Yahweh (JV)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus (JW)the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left everything he owned in Joseph’s hand; and with him there he did not [gl]concern himself with anything except the [gm]food which he [gn]ate.
Now Joseph was (JX)beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
7 And it happened after these events (JY)that his master’s wife [go]set her eyes on Joseph and said, “(JZ)Lie with me.” 8 But (KA)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master [gp]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has given all that he owns into my hand. 9 [gq](KB)There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and (KC)sin against God?” 10 So it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.
11 Now it happened [gr]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 Then she seized him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside. 13 Now it happened, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her household and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a [gs]Hebrew to us to laugh at us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I [gt]screamed. 15 Now it happened that when he heard that I raised my voice and [gu]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 And she placed his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (KD)spoke to him [gv]with these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to laugh at me; 18 and as I raised my voice and [gw]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Is Put into Jail
19 Now it happened that when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “[gx]This is what your slave did to me,” (KE)his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and (KF)put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. 21 But (KG)Yahweh was with Joseph and [gy]extended lovingkindness to him and (KH)gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 So the chief jailer (KI)gave into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was [gz]the one who did it. 23 (KJ)The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s hand because (KK)Yahweh was with him; and whatever he did, (KL)Yahweh made to succeed.
Joseph Interprets the Officials’ Dreams
40 Now it happened that after these things, (KM)the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was (KN)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the (KO)captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 And the captain of the bodyguard appointed Joseph as overseer over them, and he [ha]attended to them; and they were in confinement for [hb]some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 Now Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, and behold, they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, saying, “(KP)Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 Then they said to him, “(KQ)We have [hc]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “(KR)Do not interpretations belong to God? Recount it to me, please.”
9 So the chief cupbearer recounted his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, [hd]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [he]hand.”
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