Study Desk

and they stopped up the wells that Abraham's servants had dug before his death.

But the shepherds of Gerar Valley quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and claimed the water belonged to them. So the well was named "Quarrel," because they had quarreled with Isaac.

Finally, they dug one more well. There was no quarreling this time, and the well was named "Lots of Room," because the Lord had given them room and would make them very successful.

They answered, "We now know for certain that the Lord is with you, and we have decided there needs to be a peace treaty between you and us. So let's make a solemn agreement

Nations will be your servants and bow down to you. You will rule over your brothers, and they will kneel at your feet. Anyone who curses you will be cursed; anyone who blesses you will be blessed."

"How is he?" Jacob asked. "He's fine," they answered. "And here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

But they replied, "We can't do that until they all get here, and the rock has been rolled away from the well."

"Here, take my servant Bilhah," Rachel told him. "Have children by her, and I'll let them be born on my knees to show that they are mine."

and they had a son.

and they had a son.

In the future you can easily find out if I've been honest. Just look and see if my animals are either spotted or speckled, or if the lambs are black. If they aren't, they've been stolen from you.

Then he put the branches where the sheep and goats would see them while they were drinking from the water trough. The goats mated there

Some of the sheep that Jacob was keeping for Laban were already spotted. And when the others were ready to mate, he made sure that they faced in the direction of the spotted and black ones. In this way, Jacob built up a flock of sheep for himself and did not put them with the other sheep.

Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a sacrifice there on the mountain, and he invited his men to eat with him. After the meal they spent the night on the mountain.

When the messengers returned, they told Jacob, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is heading this way with four hundred men."

Jacob also told the men in charge of the second and third herds and those who followed to say the same thing when they met Esau.

And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met.

But Jacob answered, "Master, you know traveling is hard on children, and I have to look after the sheep and goats that are nursing their young. If my animals travel too much in one day, they will all die.

just as Jacob's sons were coming in from work. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became furiously angry. Nothing is more disgraceful than rape, and it should not be tolerated in Israel.

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.