Study Desk

After searching through everything I have, did you find anything of yours? If so, put it here, where your relatives and mine can see it. Then we can decide what to do.

If the fearsome God worshiped by Abraham and my father Isaac had not been on my side, you would have sent me away without a thing. But God saw my hard work, and he knew the trouble I was in, so he helped me. Then last night he told you how wrong you were.

So I am ready to make an agreement with you, and we will pile up some large rocks here to remind us of the agreement."

Laban also said, "This pile of rocks means that the Lord will watch us both while we are apart from each other." So the place was also named Mizpah.

When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's camp." So he named the place Mahanaim.

Jacob was so frightened that he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two groups.

So tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, who is coming this way. He is sending them as a gift to his master 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.

Jacob said, "I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive." So he named the place Peniel.

Later that day Jacob met Esau coming with his four hundred men. So Jacob had his children walk with their mothers.

Esau asked Jacob, "What did you mean by these herds I met along the road?" "Master," Jacob answered, "I sent them so that you would be friendly to me."

So Esau left for Edom.

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,

But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her.

Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything at the time.

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

Shechem was the most respected person in his family, and he was so in love with Dinah that he hurried off to get everything done.

Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain. So Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah's brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in town,

So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.

While Jacob and his family were traveling through Canaan, God terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.