Study Desk

So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.

And coming to a certain place, he made it his resting-place for the night, for the sun had gone down; and he took one of the stones which were there, and putting it under his head he went to sleep in that place.

And he had a dream, and in his dream he saw steps stretching from earth to heaven, and the angels of God were going up and down on them.

And he saw the Lord by his side, saying, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: I will give to you and to your seed this land on which you are sleeping.

And Jacob, awaking from his sleep, said, Truly, the Lord is in this place and I was not conscious of it.

And early in the morning Jacob took the stone which had been under his head, and put it up as a pillar and put oil on it.

Then Jacob went on his journey till he came to the land of the children of the East.

And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.

Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock.

And Laban, hearing news of Jacob, his sister's son, came running, and took Jacob in his arms, and kissing him, made him come into his house. And Jacob gave him news of everything.

And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time.

And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her.

And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman.

And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife.

And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman.

Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.

Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.