Study Desk

May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us." Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

Early in the morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.

So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.

Jacob sent messengers on ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region of Edom.

Jacob stayed there that night. Then he sent as a gift to his brother Esau

He entrusted them to his servants, who divided them into herds. He told his servants, "Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next."

During the night Jacob quickly took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions.

When the man saw that he could not defeat Jacob, he struck the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob's hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

The sun rose over him as he crossed over Penuel, but he was limping because of his hip.

But Jacob himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept.

Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."

So that same day Esau made his way back to Seir.

But Jacob traveled to Succoth where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called Succoth.

Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.

Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Acquire this young girl as my wife."

When Jacob heard that Shechem had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent until they came in.

But Hamor made this appeal to them: "My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.