Study Desk

So they called Rebecca and asked, "Do you want to go with this man?" "Yes," she answered.

So they let Rebecca and her old family servant go with Abraham's servant and his men.

And they gave Rebecca their blessing in these words: "May you, sister, become the mother of millions! May your descendants conquer the cities of their enemies!"

Then Rebecca and her young women got ready and mounted the camels to go with Abraham's servant, and they all started out.

They were the ancestors of twelve tribes, and their names were given to their villages and camping places.

The descendants of Ishmael lived in the territory between Havilah and Shur, to the east of Egypt on the way to Assyria. They lived apart from the other descendants of Abraham.

She was going to have twins, and before they were born, they struggled against each other in her womb. She said, "Why should something like this happen to me?" So she went to ask the Lord for an answer.

They answered, "Now we know that the Lord is with you, and we think that there should be a solemn agreement between us. We want you to promise

Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

Early next morning each man made his promise and sealed it with a vow. Isaac said good-bye to them, and they parted as friends.

On that day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug. They said, "We have found water."

They made life miserable for Isaac and Rebecca.

They will be as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth. They will extend their territory in all directions, and through you and your descendants I will bless all the nations.

Whenever all the flocks came together there, the shepherds would roll the stone back and water them. Then they would put the stone back in place.

They answered, "We can't do that until all the flocks are here and the stone has been rolled back; then we will water the flocks."

So when the goats bred in front of the branches, they produced young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

He told his men to gather some rocks and pile them up. Then they ate a meal beside the pile of rocks.

He killed an animal, which he offered as a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his men to the meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you. He has four hundred men with him."

But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They were both crying.