Study Desk

But that day Laban hid all the male goats that had spots. And he hid all the female goats that had spots on them. He also hid all the black sheep. Laban told his sons to watch these sheep.

Jacob separated the spotted and the black animals from the other animals in the flock. He kept his animals separate from Laban's.

So Jacob told Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his flocks of sheep and goats.

So Jacob prepared for the trip. He put his children and his wives on camels.

Then they began traveling back to the land of Canaan, where his father lived. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried everything with him that he had gotten while he lived in Paddan Aram.

While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.

Jacob took his family and everything he owned and left quickly. They crossed the Euphrates River and traveled toward the hill country of Gilead.

So he gathered his men together and began to chase Jacob. After seven days Laban found Jacob near the hill country of Gilead.

The next morning Laban caught up with Jacob. Jacob had set up his camp on the mountain, so Laban and all his men set up their camp in the hill country of Gilead.

So Laban went and looked through Jacob's camp. He looked in Jacob's tent and then in Leah's tent. Then he looked in the tent where the two slave women stayed, but he did not find the gods from his house. Then he went into Rachel's tent.

And Rachel said to her father, "Father, don't be angry with me. I am not able to stand up before you. I am having my monthly time of bleeding." So Laban looked through the camp, but he did not find the gods from his house.

He told his men to find some more rocks and to make a pile of rocks. Then they ate beside the pile of rocks.

Then Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a sacrifice on the mountain. And he invited his men to come and share a meal. After they finished eating, they spent the night on the mountain.

Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye. He blessed them and went back home.

He gave each flock of animals to his servants. Then he said to them, "Separate each group of animals. Go ahead of me and keep some space between each herd."

During the night, Jacob got up and began moving his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons across the Jabbok River at the crossing.

After he sent his family across the river, he sent across everything he had.

Then the sun came up as Jacob left Peniel. He was limping because of his leg.

Jacob looked and saw Esau coming with 400 men. Jacob divided his family into four groups. Leah and her children were in one group, Rachel and Joseph were in one group, and the two maids and their children were in two groups.

Jacob himself went out before them. While he was walking toward his brother Esau, he bowed down to the ground seven times.