Study Desk

"You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

So he fled with all that he had; and he got up and crossed the Euphrates River, and set out for the hill country of Gilead.

he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

And Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead.

"Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with tambourine and with lyre;

"The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our relatives point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, "What is my offense? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?

"For these twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

"If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me."

He commanded them, saying, "This is what you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says the following: "I have resided with Laban, and stayed until now;

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies;

I am unworthy of all the favor and of all the faithfulness, which You have shown to Your servant; for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.

"Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.

So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a gift for his brother Esau:

and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Then Jacob raised his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel, and the two slave women.