Study Desk

Laban said to him, "You shouldn't have to work without pay, just because you are a relative of mine. What do you want me to give you?"

Jacob worked seven years for Laban, but the time seemed like only a few days, because he loved Rachel so much.

Leah gave birth to a son and named him Reuben, because she said, "The Lord has taken away my sorrow. Now my husband will love me more than he does Rachel."

She had a second son and named him Simeon, because she said, "The Lord has heard that my husband doesn't love me."

She had one more son and named him Judah, because she said, "I'll praise the Lord !"

Rachel named him Dan, because she said, "God has answered my prayers. He has judged me and given me a son."

But Laban told him, "If you really are my friend, stay on, and I'll pay whatever you ask. I'm sure the Lord has blessed me because of you."

Jacob answered, "I left secretly because I was afraid you would take your daughters from me by force.

I sweated every day, and I couldn't sleep at night because of the cold.

The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip,

Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of what had happened to their sister.

Jacob's other sons came and took everything they wanted. All this was done because of the horrible thing that had happened to their sister.

Jacob built an altar there and called it "God of Bethel," because that was the place where God had appeared to him when he was running from Esau.

He did this because the land was too crowded and could not support him and his brother with their flocks and herds.

Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born after Jacob was very old. Jacob had given Joseph a fancy coat

His brothers asked, "Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?" Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.

When Judah came along, he did not recognize her because of the veil. He thought she was a prostitute

"Those are mine!" Judah admitted. "She's a better person than I am, because I broke my promise to let her marry my son Shelah." After this, Judah never slept with her again.

Because of Joseph, the Lord began to bless Potiphar's family and fields.

but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns.