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Isaac’s Family

19 ·This is the family history [L These are the generations; 2:4] of Isaac. Abraham ·had a son named [or was the father of] Isaac. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he ·married [L took as a wife] Rebekah [ch. 24], ·who came from northwestern Mesopotamia [L the Aramean from Paddan-aram]. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac’s wife ·could not have children [was barren], so Isaac ·prayed to [entreated; interceded with] the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah ·became pregnant [conceived].

22 While she was pregnant, the ·babies [L children] struggled inside her. She asked, “·Why is this happening to me [L If thus, why this, I—; C the Hebrew is uncertain]?” Then she went to ·get an answer from [L seek; inquire of] the Lord.

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your ·body [L womb],
    and two groups of people ·will be taken from you [L are being divided within your body].
One group will be stronger than the other,
    and the older will serve the younger [Rom. 9:10–13].”

24 When the time came, ·Rebekah gave birth to twins [L there were twins in her womb]. 25 The first baby ·was born [L came out] red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau [C sounds like “hairy” in Hebrew]. 26 When ·the second baby [L his brother] ·was born [L came out], ·he [L his hand] was ·holding on to [gripping; grabbing] Esau’s heel, so that baby was named Jacob [C sounds like Hebrew for “heel”; grabbing a heel is a Hebrew idiom for tricking someone]. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a ·skilled [experienced] hunter. He ·loved to be out in the fields [L was a man of the fields]. But Jacob was a ·quiet [or mild; or blameless] man ·and stayed among the [L living in] tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because ·he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating [L game was in his (Isaac’s) mouth]. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 One day Jacob was ·boiling a pot of vegetable soup [or preparing stew]. Esau came in from hunting in the fields, ·weak from hunger [famished; starving]. 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me ·eat [gulp down] some of that red ·soup [or stuff], because I am ·weak with hunger [famished; starving].” (That is why people call him Edom [C sounds like Hebrew for “red”].)

31 But Jacob said, “·First [L As the day; C an idiom meaning, “First of all…”] ·sell [or exchange with] me your ·rights as the firstborn son [birthright; C the firstborn had special inheritance rights and became the head of the family in the next generation].”

32 Esau said, “I am ·almost dead from hunger [L going to die]. ·If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me [L What will my birthright be to me?].”

33 But Jacob said, “First [v. 31], ·promise [swear to] me that you will give it to me.” So Esau ·made a promise to Jacob [L swore to him] and ·sold [exchanged] his ·part of their father’s wealth [L birthright] to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and ·vegetable soup [stew], and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau ·showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son [L despised/showed contempt toward his birthright; Heb. 12:16–17].

Isaac Lies to Abimelech

26 Now there was a ·time of hunger [L famine] in the land, besides the ·time of hunger [L former famine] that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar [20:1] to see Abimelech king of the Philistines. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Don’t go down to Egypt, but ·live [settle; dwell] in the land where I tell you to live. ·Stay [Sojourn; Live as an alien] in this land, and I will be with you and bless you [12:3]. I will give you and your ·descendants [L seed] all these lands, and I will ·keep [fulfill] the oath I made to Abraham your father. I will ·give you many descendants [L multiply your seed], as hard to count as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through your ·descendants [L seed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed [12:1–3]. I will do this because your father Abraham ·obeyed me [L listened to my voice]. He did what I said and obeyed my ·instructions [charge], my commands, my teachings, and my ·rules [instructions; laws].”

So Isaac ·stayed [resided; settled] in Gerar [20:1]. His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her [12:10–20; 20:1–18].

Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac ·holding [fondling; playing with; C a word related to the name Isaac] his wife Rebekah tenderly. Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?”

Isaac said to him, “I ·was afraid you would kill me so you could have [L thought I might die because of] her.”

10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of our ·men [L people] might have ·had sexual relations [lain] with your wife. Then ·we would have been guilty of a great sin [L you would have brought guilt/punishment on us].”

11 So Abimelech ·warned [commanded] ·everyone [all the people], “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”

Isaac Becomes Rich

12 Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he gathered ·a great harvest [L a hundredfold]. The Lord blessed him very much, 13 and ·he [L the man] became rich. He ·gathered more wealth [grew richer and richer] until he became a very rich man. 14 He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him. 15 So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac’s father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them ·when Abraham was alive [L in the days of Abraham his father].) The Philistines filled those wells with ·dirt [dust]. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave ·our country [L my people] because you have become much more powerful than we are.”

17 So Isaac ·left that place [L went from there] and camped in the ·Valley [Wadi] of Gerar and ·lived [resided; settled] there. 18 ·Long before this time Abraham [L In the days of Abraham his father they] had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with ·dirt [dust]. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Isaac’s servants dug a well in the ·valley [wadi], ·from which a spring of water flowed [L and discovered springing/living water]. 20 But the ·herdsmen [shepherds] of Gerar ·argued [contended] with ·them [L the shepherds of Isaac] and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well ·Argue [Contention; C Hebrew: Esek] because they ·argued [contended] with him. 21 Then ·his servants [L they] dug another well. When the people also ·argued about it [contended], Isaac named that well ·Fight [Hebrew: Sitnah]. 22 He moved from there and dug another well. No one ·argued about [contended] this one, so he named it Room Enough [C Hebrew: Rehoboth]. Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be ·successful [fruitful; 1:22] in this land.”

23 From there Isaac went [L up] to Beersheba [21:14]. 24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you [C indicating that the covenant with Abraham would be continued with Isaac]. I will bless you and ·give you many descendants [multiply your seed] because of my servant Abraham.” 25 So Isaac built an altar [C a place of sacrifice] and ·worshiped [L called on the name of] the Lord there. He also ·made a camp [L pitched his tent] there, and his servants dug a well.

26 Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, ·who advised him [his advisor/friend], and Phicol, the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You ·were my enemy [hate me] and ·forced me to leave your country [L sent me away from you].”

28 They answered, “Now we ·know [L clearly see] that the Lord is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us ·make [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you 29 that since we did not ·hurt [L touch] you, you will not ·hurt [harm] us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you.”

30 So Isaac ·prepared food [made a banquet/feast] for them, and they all ate and drank [C customary to celebrate the signing of the treaty]. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.

32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.” 33 So Isaac named it Shibah [C sounds like Hebrew for “seven” or “promise”] and that city is called Beersheba [21:14] even now.

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon. 35 These women brought much ·sorrow [bitterness] to Isaac and Rebekah [C because Esau had married outside the people of God].

Jacob Tricks Isaac

27 When Isaac was old, his ·eyesight was poor [L eyes were dim], so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, “[L My] Son.”

Esau answered, “Here I am.”

Isaac said, “I am old and don’t know ·when I might die [L the day of my death]. So take your weapons, your ·bow and arrows [L quiver and your bow], and go hunting in the field for ·an animal for me to eat [L game for me]. When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die.” So Esau went out in the field to hunt [L for game to bring it].

Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau. She said to her son Jacob, “Listen, I heard your father saying to your brother Esau, ‘·Kill an animal [L Bring me game] and prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ So ·obey [listen to] me, my son, and do what I ·tell [command] you. Go out to our ·goats [L flock] and bring me two ·of the best young ones [choice goats]. I will prepare them just the way your father ·likes [loves] them. 10 Then you will ·take the food [L bring them] to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.”

11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth! 12 If my father ·touches me, he will know I am not Esau [L feels me…]. Then he will not bless me but will place a curse on me because ·I tried to trick him [L he will think I am mocking him].”

13 So ·Rebekah [L his mother] said to him, “·If your father puts a curse on you, I will accept the blame [L Let your curse be on me]. Just do what I said. Go get the goats for me.”

14 So Jacob went out and got ·two goats [L them] and brought them to his mother, and ·she cooked them in the special way [L his mother prepared a tasty meal just as] ·Isaac [L his father] ·enjoyed [loved]. 15 She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob. 16 She also took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob’s hands and [L the smoothness of his] neck. 17 Then she gave Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

18 Jacob went in to his father and said, “[L My] Father.”

And his father said, “Yes, my son. Who are you?”

19 Jacob said to him, “I am Esau, your ·first son [firstborn]. I have done what you told me. Now ·sit up [L get up and sit down] and eat some ·meat of the animal [game] I hunted for you. Then bless me.”

20 But Isaac asked his son, “How did you find ·and kill the animal [L it] so quickly?”

Jacob answered, “Because the Lord your God ·helped me to find it [L went before me].”

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can ·touch [feel] you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau [L or not].”

22 So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac ·touched [felt] him and said, “Your voice ·sounds like [L is] Jacob’s voice, but your hands ·are hairy like [L are] the hands of Esau.” 23 Isaac did not ·know it was [recognize] Jacob, because his hands were hairy like Esau’s hands, so Isaac blessed him. 24 Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”

Jacob answered, “Yes, I am.”

25 Then Isaac said, “Bring ·me the food [L it to me], and I will eat ·it [L my son’s game] and bless you.” So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate. Jacob gave him wine, and he drank. 26 Then Isaac [L his father] said to him, “My son, come near and kiss me.” 27 So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes, he blessed him and said,

[L See,] The smell of my son
    is like the smell of the field
    that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you ·plenty of rain [L the dew of heaven]
    and ·good soil [L the fatness/richness/fertility of the earth]
    so that you will have plenty of grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you
    and peoples bow down to you.
May you be master over your brothers,
    and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
May everyone who curses you be cursed,
    and may everyone who blesses you be blessed [12:3; Heb. 11:20].”

30 Isaac [L had just] finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting. 31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. He said [L to his father], “Father, rise and eat ·the food that your son killed for you [L your son’s game] and then bless me.”

32 Isaac his father asked him, “Who are you?”

He answered, “I am your son—your firstborn son—Esau.”

33 Then Isaac trembled ·greatly [violently] and said, “Then who was it that hunted ·the animals [game] and brought me food before you came? I ate it, and I blessed him, and ·it is too late now to take back my blessing [L he will indeed be blessed].”

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, “Bless me—me, too, my father [Heb. 12:17]!”

35 But Isaac said, “Your brother came and ·tricked [deceived; defrauded] me. He has taken your blessing.”

36 Esau said, “Jacob [C sounds like Hebrew for “heel” or “deceive”; 25:26] is the right name for him. He has ·tricked me [deceived me; L been at my heel] these two times. He took away my ·share of everything you own [birthright], and now he has taken away my blessing.” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you ·saved [reserved] a blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered [L and said to Esau], “I gave Jacob the power to be master over you, and all his brothers will be his servants. And I kept ·him strong [sustained him] with grain and new wine. ·There is nothing left to give you [L What can I do for you…?], my son.”

38 But Esau ·continued [L said to his father], “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me, too, Father!” Then Esau ·began to cry out loud [L lifted his voice and wept; Heb. 12:17].

39 Isaac his father said to him,

“You will live far away from the ·best [fatness; richness; fertility of the] land,
    far from the ·rain [L the dew of heaven; 27:28].
40 You will live by using your sword,
    and you will ·be a slave to [serve] your brother.
But when you ·struggle [or become restless],
    you will break ·free from him [L his yoke from your neck; Heb. 11:20].”

41 After that Esau ·hated [held a grudge against] Jacob because of the blessing ·from Isaac [L with which his father blessed him]. He thought ·to himself [L in his heart], “·My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him [L The days of mourning for my father are near]. Then I will kill Jacob [L my brother].”

42 Rebekah ·heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob [L was told the words of Esau her oldest son]. So she sent for Jacob [L her younger son] and ·said to [informed] him, “Listen, your brother Esau is ·comforting himself [consoling himself; or wants to execute his anger against you] by planning to kill you. 43 So, my son, ·do what I say [L listen to my voice]. My brother Laban is living in Haran. ·Go to him at once [L Get up and flee to him]! 44 ·Stay [Live; Reside] with him for a while, until your brother ·is not so angry [calms down]. 45 In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons on the same day.”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am ·tired of [weary of my life due to] ·Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites]. If Jacob marries one of ·these Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites] here in this land, ·I want to die [why would I want to live?].”

Jacob Searches for a Wife

28 Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him [L and said to him], “You must not marry a ·Canaanite woman [L daughter of Canaan]. ·Go [L Get up and go] to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram; 25:20]. Laban, your mother’s brother, lives there. Marry one of his daughters. May God Almighty bless you and ·give you many children [L make you fruitful and multiply you; 1:22], and may you become a ·group [assembly; congregation; company] of many peoples. May he give you and your ·descendants [L seed] the blessing of Abraham so that you may ·own [possess] the land ·where you are now living as a stranger [L of your wandering/sojourn/alien status], the land God gave to Abraham.” So Isaac sent Jacob to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram], to Laban the brother of Rebekah. Bethuel the Aramean was the father of Laban and Rebekah, and Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Esau ·learned [L saw] that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram] to find a wife there. He also ·learned [L saw] that Isaac had commanded Jacob not to marry a ·Canaanite woman [L daughter of Canaan] and that Jacob had ·obeyed [listened to] his father and mother and had gone to ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram]. So Esau saw that ·his father Isaac did not want his sons to marry Canaanite women [C the daughters of Canaan were bad/evil in the eyes of his father Isaac]. Now Esau already had wives, but he went to Ishmael son of Abraham, and he married Mahalath, Ishmael’s daughter. Mahalath was the sister of Nebaioth.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10 Jacob left Beersheba [21:14] and set out for Haran [11:31]. 11 When he came to a place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. He found a stone and laid his head on it ·to go to sleep [L and lay down in that place]. 12 Jacob dreamed that there was a ·ladder [or stairway; or ramp] resting on the earth and reaching up into heaven, and he saw ·angels [messengers] of God ·going up and coming down [ascending and descending on] ·the ladder [L it; John 1:51]. 13 Then Jacob saw the Lord standing above the ladder [28:12], and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your ·descendants [L seed] the ·land [ground] on which you are now ·sleeping [lying; 12:1–3]. 14 Your ·descendants [L seed] will be as many as the dust of the earth [13:16]. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the ·families [clans] of the earth will ·be blessed [or bless themselves] through you and your ·descendants [seed]. 15 I am with you and will ·protect [guard] you everywhere you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] you until I have done what I have promised you.”

16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “This place frightens me! It is surely the house of God and the gate of heaven.”

18 Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone ·he had slept on [L which was under his head] and set it up ·on its end [L as a pillar; 31:13, 45; 35:14, 20; Ex. 24:4; C a practice later prohibited because similar to Canaanite religion (Ex. 23:24; 34:13; Deut. 12:3)]. Then he poured olive oil on the top of it. 19 ·At first [Formerly], the name of that city was Luz, but Jacob named it Bethel [C “house of God”].

20 Then Jacob ·made a promise [L vowed a vow]. He said, “I want God to be with me and to ·protect [guard] me on this journey. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so I will be able to return ·in peace [or safely] to my father’s house. If the Lord does these things, he will be my God. 22 This stone which I have set up ·on its end [L as a pillar] will be the house of God. And I will give God ·one-tenth [a tithe] of all he gives me.”

Jacob Arrives in Northwestern Mesopotamia

29 Then Jacob ·continued his journey [L lifted his feet] and came to the land of the people of the East [C the area of the Arameans on the northern Euphrates]. He looked and saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying nearby, because they drank water from this well. A large stone covered the mouth of the well. When all the flocks would gather there, ·the shepherds [L they] would roll the stone away from the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place.

Jacob said to the shepherds there, “My brothers, where are you from?”

They answered, “We are from Haran [11:31].”

Then Jacob asked, “Do you know Laban, ·grandson [descendant] of Nahor?”

They answered, “We know him.”

Then Jacob asked, “How is he?”

They answered, “He is well. Look, his daughter Rachel is coming now with his sheep.”

Jacob said, “But look, it is still ·the middle of the day [broad daylight]. It is not time for the sheep to be gathered for the night, so give them water and let them go back into the pasture.”

But they said, “We cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered. Then we will roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep.”

While ·Jacob [L he] was talking with ·the shepherds [L them], Rachel came with her father’s sheep, because ·it was her job to care for the sheep [L she was a shepherdess]. 10 When Jacob saw Laban’s daughter Rachel and Laban’s sheep, he went to the well and rolled the stone from its mouth and watered Laban’s sheep. Now Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s mother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and [L lifted his voice and] cried. 12 He told her that he was from her father’s family and that he was the son of Rebekah. So Rachel ran home and told her father.

13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. Laban hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his house, where Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.

14 Then Laban said, “You are my own ·flesh and blood [L bone and flesh].”

Jacob Is Tricked

Jacob stayed there a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “You are my relative, but ·it is not right for you to work for me without pay [L should you serve me for nothing?]. What ·would you like me to pay you [will your wages be]?”

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older was Leah, and the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had ·weak eyes [frail/tender eyes; C likely means unattractive], but Rachel was very beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he said to Laban, “·Let me marry your younger daughter Rachel. If you will, I will work seven years for you [L I will work for seven years for your younger daughter Rachel].”

19 Laban said, “It would be better for ·her to marry you [L me to give her to you] than someone else, so stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob worked for Laban seven years so he could marry Rachel. But they seemed like just a few days to him because he loved Rachel very much.

21 After seven years Jacob said to Laban, “Give me ·Rachel [L my woman/wife] so that I may ·marry [L go to] her. ·The time I promised to work for you is over [L My days are fulfilled].”

22 So Laban gave a ·feast [banquet] for all the people there. 23 That evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and ·they had sexual relations [L he (Jacob) went into her]. 24 (Laban gave his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter to be her ·servant [L slave girl].) 25 In the morning when Jacob saw that ·he had had sexual relations with [L it was] Leah, he said to Laban, “What have you done to me? I worked hard for you so that I could marry Rachel! Why did you ·trick [deceive; defraud] me?”

26 Laban said, “In our ·country [L place] we do not allow the younger daughter to marry before the ·older daughter [L firstborn]. 27 But complete the full week of ·the marriage ceremony with Leah [L this one], and I will give you ·Rachel [L the other one] to marry also. But you must serve me another seven years.”

28 So Jacob did this, and when he had completed the week ·with Leah [L of this one], Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. 29 (Laban gave his slave girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her ·servant [L slave girl].) 30 So Jacob ·had sexual relations with [L went to] Rachel also, and Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.

Jacob’s Family Grows

31 When the Lord saw ·that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah [L Leah was unloved/hated], he ·made it possible for Leah to have children [L opened up her womb], but ·not Rachel [L Rachel was barren]. 32 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [C sounds like “seen my troubles” in Hebrew], because she said, “The Lord has seen my ·troubles [distress]. Surely now my husband will love me.”

33 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon [C sounds like “has heard” in Hebrew] and said, “The Lord has heard that I am ·not loved [or hated], so he has given me this son.”

34 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi [C sounds like “be close to” in Hebrew] and said, “Now, surely my husband will ·be close [bind/attach himself] to me, because I have given him three sons.”

35 Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named him Judah [C sounds like “praise” in Hebrew], because she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Then Leah stopped having children.

30 When Rachel saw that she was not having children for Jacob, she ·envied [was jealous of] her sister Leah. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “·Can I do what only God can do [L Am I in the place of God]? He ·is the one who has kept you from having children [L has withheld the fruit of your womb].”

Then Rachel said, “Here is my slave girl Bilhah. ·Have sexual relations with [L Go to] her so she can ·give birth to a child for me [L bear a child on my knees]. Then I can ·have my own family [L be built up] through her.”

So Rachel gave Bilhah, her slave girl, to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine], and he ·had sexual relations with [L went to] her. Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave Jacob a son. Rachel said, “God has ·judged me innocent [vindicated me]. He has listened to my prayer and has given me a son,” so she named him Dan [C sounds like “he has judged” in Hebrew].

Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave Jacob a second son. Rachel said, “I have ·struggled [or wrestled] hard with my sister, and I have won.” So she named that son Naphtali [C sounds like “my struggle/wrestling” in Hebrew].

Leah saw that she had stopped having children, so she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine]. 10 When Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, ·got pregnant [conceived] and had a son, 11 Leah said, “·I am lucky [Good fortune],” so she named him Gad [C sounds like “lucky” in Hebrew]. 12 Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, gave birth to another son, 13 and Leah said, “I am very ·happy [or blessed]! Now women will call me ·happy [or blessed],” so she named him Asher [C sounds like “happy/blessed” in Hebrew].

14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the field and found some mandrake plants [C an aphrodisiac, also thought to increase fertility] and brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 Leah answered, “·You have already [L Is it a minor matter that you have] taken away my husband, and now you are trying to take away my son’s mandrakes.”

But Rachel answered, “If you will give me your son’s mandrakes, you may ·sleep [L lie] with Jacob tonight.”

16 When Jacob came in from the field ·that night [in the evening], Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You will ·have sexual relations with [L come to] me tonight because I have ·paid for [bought; hired] you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob ·slept [L lay] with her that night.

17 Then God ·answered Leah’s prayer [L heard Leah], and she ·became pregnant [L conceived] again. She gave birth to a fifth son 18 and said, “God has given me what I ·paid for [bought; hired], because I gave my slave girl to my husband.” So Leah named her son Issachar [C sounds like “paid for” in Hebrew].

19 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a sixth son. 20 ·She [L Leah] said, “God has given me a fine ·gift [dowry]. Now surely Jacob will ·honor [exalt] me, because I have given him six sons,” so she named him Zebulun [C sounds like “honor” in Hebrew]. 21 Later Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah [ch. 34].

22 Then God remembered Rachel and ·answered her prayer [L heard her], ·making it possible for her to have children [L and opened her womb]. 23 When she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son, she said, “God has taken away my ·shame [reproach],” 24 and she named him Joseph [C sounds like “he adds” in Hebrew]. Rachel said, “I wish the Lord would ·give [L add to] me another son.”

Jacob Tricks Laban

25 ·After the birth of [At the time that Rachel gave birth to] Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now ·let me [L send me away that I might] go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children and let me go. I have earned them by working for you, and you know that I have served you well.”

27 Laban said to him, “If I have ·pleased you [L found grace in your eyes], please stay. I ·know [or have learned by divination that] the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 ·Tell me what I should pay you [Name your price], and I will give it to you.”

29 Jacob answered, “You know that I have worked hard for you, and [L how] your ·flocks [herds; or cattle] have ·grown while I cared for them [L have done with me]. 30 When I came, you had little, but now you have ·much [L increased many times]. ·Every time I did something for you [Wherever I turned; L At my feet], the Lord blessed you. But when will I be able to do something for my own ·family [household; L house]?”

31 Laban asked, “Then what should I give you?”

Jacob answered, “I don’t want you to give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I will come back and ·take care of [L feed and watch] your flocks. 32 Today let me ·go [pass] through all your flocks. I will ·take [remove] every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. That will be my ·pay [wage; hire]. 33 In the future ·you can easily see if I am honest [L my honesty/righteousness will answer for me]. When you come to look at my flocks, if I have any goat that isn’t speckled or spotted or any lamb that isn’t black, you will know I stole it.”

34 Laban answered, “Agreed! We will do what you ·ask [L say].” 35 But that day Laban ·took away [removed] all the male goats that had streaks or spots, all the speckled and spotted female goats (all those that had white on them), and all the black sheep. He told his sons to ·watch over [take charge of] them. 36 Then he took these animals to a place that was three days’ journey away from Jacob. Jacob ·took care of [pastured] all the flocks that were left.

37 So Jacob cut ·green [fresh] ·branches [rods] from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off some of the bark so that the ·branches [rods] had white stripes on them. 38 He put the ·branches [rods] in front of the flocks at the watering ·places [troughs]. When the animals came to drink, they ·also mated there [L were in heat], 39 so the flocks mated in front of the branches [rods]. Then the young that were born were streaked, speckled, or spotted [C since nothing in Jacob’s strategy would have produced this result, God must have done it]. 40 Jacob separated the young animals from the others, and he made them face the streaked and dark animals in Laban’s flock. Jacob kept his animals separate from Laban’s. 41 When the stronger animals in the flock were ·mating [L in heat], Jacob put the ·branches [rods] before their eyes so they would mate near the branches. 42 But when the ·weaker [feebler] animals ·mated [L were in heat], Jacob did not put the ·branches [rods] there. So the animals born from the ·weaker [feebler] animals were Laban’s, and those born from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. 43 In this way ·Jacob [L the man] became very rich. He had large flocks, many male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob Runs Away

31 One day Jacob heard Laban’s sons talking. They said, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned, and ·in this way he has become rich [L he has gotten all this wealth from our father].” Then Jacob ·noticed [saw] that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before. The Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land ·where your ancestors lived [L of your fathers and your birthplace], and I will be with you [C indicating Jacob’s covenant with God].”

So Jacob ·told [L sent for] Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his flocks. He said to them, “I have seen that your father is not as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God of my father has been with me. You both know that I have ·worked [served] ·as hard as I could [L with all my power/strength] for your father, but he ·cheated [mocked; deceived] me and changed my ·pay [wages] ten times. But God has not allowed your father to harm me. When Laban said, ‘You can have all the speckled animals as your ·pay [wages],’ all the animals gave birth to speckled young ones. But when he said, ‘You can have all the streaked animals as your ·pay [wages],’ all the flocks gave birth to streaked babies [30:37–43]. So God has taken the ·animals [livestock] away from your father and has given them to me.

10 “I had a dream during the season when the flocks were ·mating [L in heat]. I saw that the only male goats who were ·mating [mounting; L going up] were streaked, speckled, or spotted. 11 The ·angel [messenger] of God [16:7] spoke to me in that dream and said, ‘Jacob!’ I answered, ‘Yes!’ 12 The ·angel [messenger] said, ‘·Look [L Raise up your eyes and see]! Only the streaked, speckled, or spotted male goats are ·mating [mounting; L going up]. I have seen all ·the wrong things [L that which] Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God ·who appeared to you at [L of] Bethel, where you ·poured olive oil on [anointed] the ·stone you set up on end [pillar; 28:18–19] and where you made a ·promise [vow] to me. Now I want you to leave ·here [L this land] and go back to the land where you were born.’ ”

14 Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, “·Our father has nothing to give us when he dies [L Is there any lot/portion or inheritance still in our father’s house?]. 15 He has ·treated [considered] us like ·strangers [or foreigners]. He sold us to you, and ·then he spent all of the money you paid for us [L devoured the money]. 16 God took all this wealth from our father, and now it belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”

17 So Jacob [L rose up and] put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and they began their journey back to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried ·everything [all the property] with him that he had gotten while he lived in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram].

19 While Laban was gone to ·cut the wool from [shear] his sheep, Rachel stole the ·idols [L teraphim; C probably his household gods] that belonged to ·him [L her father]. 20 And Jacob ·tricked [deceived; L stole the heart of] Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was ·leaving [fleeing]. 21 ·Jacob and his family [L He and all that was his] ·left quickly [fled], crossed the ·Euphrates River [L River; C the northern Euphrates separated Mesopotamia from Syria], and traveled toward the mountains of Gilead [C the northernmost part of Palestine].

22 Three days later ·Laban learned [L it was told/reported to Laban] that Jacob had ·run away [fled], 23 so he ·gathered [L took] his ·relatives [L brothers] and began to ·chase [pursue] him. After seven days Laban ·found [caught up with] him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, “Be careful! Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad.”

The Search for the Stolen Idols

25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had ·made his camp [L pitched his tent] in the mountains, so Laban and his ·relatives [L brothers] ·set up their camp [pitched] in the mountains of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You ·cheated me [deceived me; L stole my heart] and ·took [L carried away] my daughters as if you had captured them ·in a war [L with a sword]. 27 Why did you ·run away secretly [sneak off] and ·trick [deceive; L steal from] me? Why didn’t you tell me? Then I could have sent you away with joy and singing and with the music of tambourines and ·harps [lyres]. 28 You did not even let me kiss my ·grandchildren [L sons] and my daughters good-bye. You were very foolish to do this! 29 I have the power to harm you, but last night the God of your father spoke to me and warned me not to say anything to you, good or bad. 30 I know you want to go back to ·your home [L the house of your father], but why did you steal my ·idols [L gods; 31:19]?”

31 Jacob answered [L and said to] Laban, “I left without telling you, because I was afraid you would ·take [forcibly remove] your daughters away from me. 32 If you find anyone here who has taken your ·idols [gods], that person will ·be killed [L not live]! ·Your [L Our] ·relatives [L brothers] will be my witnesses. You may look for anything that belongs to you and take anything that is yours.” (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban’s idols.)

33 So Laban ·looked [L went] in Jacob’s tent, in Leah’s tent, and in the tent where the two slave women stayed, but he did not find his idols. When he left Leah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s tent. 34 Rachel had hidden the ·idols [teraphim; 31:19] inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Although Laban looked through the whole tent, he did not find them.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Father, don’t be angry with me. I am not able to stand up before you because ·I am having my monthly period [L the way of women is on me].” So Laban ·looked through the camp [L searched], but he did not find ·his idols [L the teraphim].

36 Then Jacob became very angry and accused Laban and said, “What ·wrong have I done [is my offense]? What ·law have I broken [L is my sin] to cause you to ·chase [hotly pursue] me? 37 You have ·looked [felt] through everything I own, but you have found nothing that belongs to you. If you have found anything, show it to everyone. Put it in front of your ·relatives [L brothers] and my ·relatives [L brothers], and let them ·decide which one of us is right [judge between us]. 38 I have ·worked for [L been with] you now for twenty years. During all that time none of the ·lambs [ewes] and kids ·died during birth [miscarried], and I have not eaten any of the ·male sheep [rams] from your flocks. 39 Any time an animal was killed by wild beasts, I did not bring it to you, but made up for the loss myself. You made me pay for any animal that was stolen during the day or night. 40 In the daytime the ·sun [heat] ·took away my strength [L consumed me], and at night I was cold and ·could not sleep [L sleep fled from my eyes]. 41 I [L was in your house and] worked like a slave for you for twenty years—the first fourteen to get your two daughters and the last six to earn your flocks. During that time you changed my ·pay [wages] ten times. 42 But the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the ·God [L Fear; C a title for God; Prov. 1:7] of Isaac, was with me. Otherwise, you would have sent me away with nothing. But he saw the ·trouble [affliction] I had and the hard work I did, and last night he ·corrected [admonished; reproved] you.”

Jacob and Laban’s Treaty

43 Laban said to Jacob, “·These girls [L The daughters] are my daughters. ·Their children belong to me [L The sons are my sons], and ·these flocks are mine [L the flocks are my flocks]. Everything you see here belongs to me, but ·I can do nothing to keep [L what can I do about…?] my daughters and their children. 44 ·Let us make [L Come, let us cut] ·an agreement [a covenant/treaty; 6:18], and let ·us set up a pile of stones to remind us of it [L it be a witness between us].”

45 So Jacob took a large rock and set it ·up on its end [L as a pillar]. 46 ·He [L Jacob] told his ·relatives [L brothers] to gather rocks, so they took the rocks and ·piled them up [made a pile/mound/heap]; then they ·ate [feasted] beside the pile [C treaties were often celebrated by a feast]. 47 Laban named that place in his language A Pile to Remind Us [Jegar-sahadutha; C he spoke Aramaic], and Jacob called the place Galeed [C the Hebrew version of the Aramaic name].

48 Laban said to Jacob, “This ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] will ·remind us of the agreement [L be a witness] between us.” That is why the place was called ·A Pile to Remind Us [Galeed]. 49 It was also called Mizpah [C sounds like “watch” in Hebrew], because Laban said, “Let the Lord watch over us while we are ·separated [absent] from each other. 50 Remember that God is our witness even if no one else is around us. He will know if you ·harm [abuse] my daughters or ·marry [take] other women. 51 Here is the ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] that I have ·put [thrown up] between us and here is the ·rock I set up on end [pillar]. 52 This ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] and this ·rock set on end [pillar] will ·remind us of our agreement [L be a witness]. I will never go past this ·pile [mound; heap] to hurt you, and you must never come to my side of them to hurt me. 53 Let the God of Abraham, who is the God of Nahor and the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], ·punish either of us if we break this agreement [L judge between us].”

So Jacob made a promise ·in the name of the God whom his father Isaac worshiped [L by the fear of his father Isaac]. 54 Then Jacob ·killed an animal and offered it as [L offered] a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his ·relatives [L brothers] to share in the meal [31:46]. After they finished eating, they spent the night on the mountain. 55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his ·grandchildren [L sons] and his daughters and blessed them, and then he left to return ·home [L to his place].

Jacob Meets Esau

32 When Jacob also went his way, the ·angels [messengers] of God met him. When he saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim [C sounds like “two camps” in Hebrew; a city in the hill country of Gilead; Josh. 13:26, 30].

Jacob’s brother Esau was living in the area called Seir in the country of Edom [14:6]. Jacob sent messengers to Esau, telling them, “Give this message to my ·master [lord] Esau: ‘This is what Jacob, your servant, says: I have ·lived [sojourned; lived as an alien] with Laban and have ·remained [or been detained] there until now. I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I send this message to ·you [my master/lord] ·and ask you to accept us [L to find grace in your eyes].’ ”

The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.”

Then Jacob was very afraid and ·worried [distressed]. He divided the people who were with him and all the flocks, herds, and camels into two camps. Jacob thought, “Esau might come and ·destroy [strike; attack] one camp, but the ·other camp can run away and [L the camp that is left] ·be saved [escape].”

Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham! God of my father Isaac! Lord, ·you told [did you not tell…?] me to return to my country and my family. You said that you would treat me well. 10 I am not worthy of the ·kindness [loyalty; covenant love] and ·continual goodness [faithfulness] you have shown ·me [L your servant]. The first time I traveled across the Jordan River, I had only my walking stick, but now I own enough to have two camps. 11 Please ·save [rescue; deliver] me from [L the hand of] my brother Esau. I am afraid he will come and ·kill [strike; attack] all of us, even the mothers with the children. 12 You said to me, ‘I will treat you well and will make your ·children [L seed] as many as the sand of the seashore [22:17]. There will be too many to count.’ ”

13 Jacob stayed there for the night and prepared ·a gift [or tribute] for Esau from what he had with him: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ·female sheep [ewes] and twenty ·male sheep [rams], 15 thirty female camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. 16 Jacob gave each separate flock of animals to one of his servants and said to them, “·Go [Pass] ahead of me and keep some space between each herd.” 17 Jacob gave them their orders. To the servant with the first group of animals he said, “My brother Esau will come to you and ask, ‘·Whose servant are you [L To whom do you belong]? Where are you going and whose ·animals are these [L are these ahead of you]?’ 18 Then you will answer, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. He sent them as a ·gift [or tribute] to you, my ·master [lord] Esau, and he also is coming behind us.’ ”

19 Jacob ordered the second servant, the third servant, and all the ·other servants [L others who followed the droves of animals] to do the same thing. He said, “Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 Say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” Jacob thought, “If I send ·these gifts [or this tribute] ahead of me, maybe ·Esau will forgive me [L I will appease/propitiate him]. Then when I see ·him [L his face], perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So Jacob ·sent [passed ahead of him] the ·gifts [or tribute] to Esau, but he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22 During the night Jacob rose and crossed the Jabbok River [C a tributary of the Jordan about 15 miles north of the Dead Sea in the Transjordan] at the crossing, taking with him his two wives, his two slave girls, and his eleven sons. 23 He sent his family and everything he had across the ·river [wadi; ravine]. 24 So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with him until ·the sun came up [daybreak]. 25 When the man saw he could not defeat Jacob, he struck Jacob’s ·hip [hip socket] and put it out of joint [L as he wrestled with him]. 26 Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go. ·The sun is coming up [Daybreak is coming].”

But Jacob said, “I will ·let you go if you will [L not let you go unless you] bless me.”

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

And he answered, “Jacob.”

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel [C sounds like “he wrestled/fought/strove with God” in Hebrew], because you have ·wrestled [fought; strove] with God and with people, and you have ·won [prevailed].”

29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

But ·the man [L he] said, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.

30 So Jacob named that place Peniel [C sounds like “face of God” in Hebrew], saying, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was ·saved [spared].” 31 Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and Jacob was limping because of his ·leg [hip]. 32 So even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle that is on the hip joint of animals [C the sciatic muscle], because Jacob was touched there.

Jacob Shows His Bravery

33 Jacob ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw Esau coming, and with him were four hundred men. So Jacob divided his children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave girls. Jacob put the slave girls with their children first, then Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph last [C least favorite to most favorite]. Jacob himself ·went out [passed] in front of them and bowed down flat on the ground seven times ·as he was walking toward [or until he came near] his brother.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and ·put his arms around [hugged] him and ·hugged him [L fell on his neck]. Then Esau kissed him, and they both cried. When ·Esau looked up [L he raised his eyes] and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given me, your servant.”

Then the two slave girls and their children came up to Esau and bowed down flat on the earth before him. Leah and her children also came up to Esau and also bowed down flat on the earth. Last of all, Joseph and Rachel came up to Esau, and they, too, bowed down flat before him.

Esau said, “·I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them [L What is all this camp that I encountered]?”

Jacob answered, “They were to ·please you, my master [L find grace/favor in the eyes of my master/lord].”

But Esau said, “I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have.”

10 Jacob said, “No! Please! If I have ·pleased you [L found grace/favor in your eyes], then ·accept the gift I give you [L take my gift/tribute from my hand]. ·I am very happy to see your face again. It [L Seeing your face] is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the ·gift [present; L blessing] I give you. God has been very ·good [gracious; favorable] to me, and I have ·more than [all that] I need.” And because ·Jacob begged [he urged him], Esau ·accepted [took] the gift.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be going. I will travel with you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My ·master [L lord], you know that the children are ·weak [soft; frail]. And I must be careful with my flocks ·and their young ones [L and herds that are nursing]. If I ·force them to go too far [push them too fast] in one day, ·all the animals [the entire flock] will die. 14 So, my ·master [lord], you ·go [pass] on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my ·master [lord], in ·Edom [L Seir; 14:6].”

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

“No, thank you,” said Jacob. “·I only want to please you, my master [L Why should I find such grace/favor in the eyes of my master/lord?].” 16 So that day Esau started back to ·Edom [L Seir; 14:6]. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and ·shelters [booths] for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth [C sounds like “shelter” in Hebrew].

18 Jacob left ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram] and arrived safely at the city of Shechem [12:6] in the land of Canaan. There he camped ·east of [L before] the city. 19 He bought a ·part [parcel; portion] of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred ·pieces of silver [L qesitah; C an uncertain monetary unit; Josh. 24:32; John 4:5, 6, 12; Acts 7:16]. 20 He ·built [erected] an altar there and named it ·after God, the God of Israel [L El-Elohe-Israel].

Dinah Is Attacked

34 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah ·and [L whom she bore to] Jacob [30:21], went out to ·visit [see; or be seen with] the ·women [L daughters] of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite [C one of the tribes that inhabited Canaan], the ·ruler [prince] of the land, saw her, he took her and ·forced her to have sexual relations with him [lay with her and humiliated/violated her]. ·Shechem fell in love with Dinah [L His soul was bound to Dinah daugher of Jacob and he loved her], and he spoke kindly to her. He told his father, Hamor, “Please get this girl for me ·so I can marry her [L as a wife].”

Jacob ·learned how [L heard that] ·Shechem [L he] had ·disgraced [defiled; made unclean] his daughter, but since his sons were out in the field with the cattle, Jacob ·said nothing [was silent] until they came home. While he waited, Hamor father of Shechem went to talk with Jacob.

When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they came in from the field. They were [L upset/shocked/pained and] very angry that Shechem had done ·such a wicked thing [sacrilege; L folly] to Israel. It was wrong for him to ·have sexual relations [L lie] with Jacob’s daughter; a thing like this should not be done.

But Hamor talked to Dinah’s brothers and said, “My son Shechem is deeply ·in love with [attached/bound to] Dinah. Please ·let him marry her [L give her to him as a wife]. ·Marry [Make marriages/Intermarry with] our people. Give your women [L daughters] to ·our men as wives [L us] and take our ·women [L daughters] for ·your men as wives [L yourselves]. 10 You can live in the same land with us. You will be free to own land and to trade here.”

11 Shechem also talked to ·Jacob [L her father] and to Dinah’s brothers and said, “·Please accept my offer [L Let me find grace/favor in your eyes]. I will give anything you ask. 12 Ask as much as you want for the ·payment for the bride [bridal payment and gift; C traditional payments to the family], and I will give it to you. Just ·let me marry Dinah [L give me the girl as a wife].”

13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father ·with lies [deceitfully; with duplicity], because Shechem had ·disgraced [defiled; made unclean] their sister Dinah. 14 The brothers said to them, “We cannot allow you [L to do this thing] to ·marry our sister [L give our sister as a wife], because you are not circumcised. That would be a ·disgrace [reproach; shame] to us. 15 But we will ·allow you to marry her [L consent] if you do this one thing: Every man in your town must be circumcised like us [17:10]. 16 Then ·your men can marry our women [L we will give our daughers to you], and ·our men can marry your women [L we will take your daughters for ourselves], and we will live in your land and become one people. 17 If you ·refuse [L do not listen/obey us] to be circumcised, we will take ·Dinah [L our daughter] and ·leave [go].”

18 What they asked seemed fair to Hamor and Shechem [L the son of Hamor]. 19 So ·Shechem quickly went to be circumcised [L the man did not delay to do this thing] because he ·loved [delighted in] Jacob’s daughter.

Now Shechem was the most ·respected [honored] man in ·his family [L his father’s house]. 20 So Hamor and Shechem [L his son] went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These people want to be friends with us. So let them live in our land and trade here. ·There is enough land [L The land is broad on both sides] for all of us. Let us ·marry their women [L take their daughters as wives for ourselves], and ·we can let them marry our women [L give them our daughters]. 22 But we must agree to one thing: All our men must be circumcised as they are. Then they will agree to live in our land, and we will be one people. 23 If we do this, their cattle and their animals will belong to us. Let us do what they say, and they will stay in our land.” 24 All the people who had come to the city gate heard this. They agreed with Hamor and Shechem [L his son], and every man was circumcised.

25 Three days later the men who were circumcised were still in pain. Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi (Dinah’s brothers), took their swords and made a ·surprise [or bold] attack on the city, killing all the men there. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem and then took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left. 27 Jacob’s sons came upon the dead bodies and ·stole everything that was in [plundered] the city, ·to pay them back for what Shechem had done to [L because they had disgraced/defiled/made unclean] their sister. 28 So the brothers took the flocks, herds, and donkeys, and everything in the city and in the fields. 29 They ·took [L captured and plundered] every valuable thing the people owned, even their wives and children and everything in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have caused me a lot of trouble. ·Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in the land will hate me [L I will be a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites]. Since there are only a few of us, if they join together to attack us, my people and I will be destroyed.”

31 But the brothers said, “·We will not allow our sister to be treated [Should they treat our sister…?] like a ·prostitute [whore].”

Jacob in Bethel

35 God said to Jacob, “·Go [L Rise up and go up] to the city of Bethel [12:8] and live there. Make an altar to the God who appeared to you there when you were ·running away [fleeing] from your brother Esau [28:1–22].”

So Jacob said to his ·family [household] and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods you have, and ·make yourselves clean [purify yourselves], and change your clothes. We will ·leave here and go [L rise up and go up] to Bethel. There I will build an altar to God, who ·has helped [L answered] me ·during my time of trouble [L in the day of my distress]. He has been with me [C an indication of a covenant relationship] everywhere I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods ·they had [in their possession; L in their hands], and the earrings ·they were wearing [L on their ears], and he hid them under the ·great tree [L oak; or terebinth; 12:6] near the town of Shechem. Then Jacob and his sons left there. But ·God caused the people in the nearby cities to be afraid [L the terror of God was on the surrounding cities], so they did not ·follow [pursue] them. And Jacob and all the people who were with him went to Luz, which is now called Bethel, in the land of Canaan. There Jacob built an altar and named the place ·Bethel, after God [El-Bethel; or “God of Bethel”], because God had appeared to him there when he was ·running [fleeing] from his brother.

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak tree at Bethel, so they named that place ·Oak of Crying [L Allon-bacuth].

Jacob’s New Name

When Jacob came back from ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram], God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. Your new name will be Israel.” So he called him Israel [32:28]. 11 God said to him, “I am ·God Almighty [L El Shaddai]. ·Have many children [L Be fruitful] and ·grow in number [L multiply; 1:22] as a nation. ·You will be the ancestor of many nations [L A company/assembly of nations will come from you] and kings [L will spring from your loins]. 12 The same land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you and your ·descendants [L seed; 12:2].” 13 Then God ·left him [L went up from him in the place where he spoke with him]. 14 Jacob set up a ·stone on edge [L pillar, a stone pillar] in that place where God had talked to him, and he poured a drink offering and olive oil on it to make it special for God. 15 And Jacob named the place Bethel [C “house of God”].

Rachel Dies Giving Birth

16 ·Jacob and his group [L They] ·left [departed from] Bethel. ·Before they came to [or While still some distance from] Ephrath [C near Bethlehem four miles south of Jerusalem; 35:19], Rachel began giving birth to her baby [L and had hard labor], 17 but she was having ·much trouble [hard labor]. When ·Rachel’s nurse [L the midwife] saw this, she said, “Don’t be afraid, Rachel. You are giving birth to another son.” 18 Rachel gave birth to the son, but she herself died. As she lay dying, she named the boy ·Son of My Suffering [Ben-oni], but Jacob called him Benjamin [C “son of my right hand/the south”].

19 Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath, ·a district of [or which is] Bethlehem, 20 and Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. It is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel [C Jacob’s new name] continued his journey and ·camped [L pitched his tent] just south of ·Migdal Eder [or the tower of Eder; C Eder means “the flock”; perhaps located near Jerusalem; Mic. 4:8].

22 While Israel was there, Reuben ·had sexual relations [L lay] with Israel’s ·slave woman [concubine] Bilhah, and Israel heard about it [49:3–4].

The Family of Israel

Jacob had twelve sons. 23 He had six sons by his wife Leah: Reuben, his ·first son [firstborn], then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 He had two sons by his wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25 He had two sons by Rachel’s slave girl Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.

26 And he had two sons by Leah’s slave girl Zilpah: Gad and Asher.

These are Jacob’s sons who were born in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram].

27 Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre near Hebron [13:18; 18:1; 23:17–18; 25:9], where Abraham and Isaac had ·lived [sojourned; lived as an alien]. 28 Isaac lived one hundred eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last breath and died [L and was gathered to his people/relatives; 25:8] when he was very old [L and full of days], and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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