Study Desk

But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and set up shelters for his animals. That's why the place is called Succoth.

The land where he camped was owned by the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. So Jacob paid them one hundred pieces of silver for the property,

He even asked his father to get her for his wife.

Shechem added, "Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want.

So they tricked them by saying: You're not circumcised! It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now.

These people really are friendly. Why not let them move freely about until they find the property they want? There's enough land here for them and for us. Then our families can marry into theirs, and theirs can marry into ours.

God told Jacob, "Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me."

Afterwards, we'll go to Bethel. I will build an altar there for God, who answered my prayers when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side.

Jacob and his family had left Bethel and were still a long way from Ephrath, when the time came for Rachel's baby to be born.

and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, "What are you looking for?"

Joseph answered, "I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?"

When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for twenty pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.

Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.

All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "I will go to my grave, mourning for my son." So Jacob kept on grieving.

Later, Judah chose Tamar as a wife for Er, his oldest son.

So Judah told Onan, "It's your duty to marry Tamar and have a child for your brother."

Some years later Judah's wife died, and he mourned for her. He then went with his friend Hirah to the town of Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared.

Right away his hand went back in, and the other child was born first. The woman then said, "What an opening you've made for yourself!" So they named the baby Perez.

she called in her servants and said, "Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help.

But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house."