Genesis 28; Genesis 29; Genesis 30; Genesis 31; Genesis 32:1-3

Viewing Multiple Passages

Genesis 28

1 Yitzchak called Ya`akov, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Kana`an.
2 Arise, go to Paddan-Aram, to the house of Betu'el your mother's father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Lavan, your mother's brother.
3 May El Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
4 and give you the blessing of Avraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Avraham."
5 Yitzchak sent Ya`akov away. He went to Paddan-Aram to Lavan, son of Betu'el the Arammian, Rivka's brother, Ya`akov's and Esav's mother.
6 Now Esav saw that Yitzchak had blessed Ya`akov and sent him away to Paddan-Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Kana`an,"
7 and that Ya`akov obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-Aram.
8 Esav saw that the daughters of Kana`an didn't please Yitzchak, his father.
9 Esav went to Yishma'el, and took, besides the wives that he had, Machalat the daughter of Yishma'el, Avraham's son, the sister of Nevayot, to be his wife.
10 Ya`akov went out from Be'er-Sheva, and went toward Haran.
11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set up on the eretz, and the top of it reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Avraham your father, and the God of Yitzchak. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
14 Your seed will be as the dust of the eretz, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the eretz be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you."
16 Ya`akov awakened out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn't know it."
17 He was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God's house, and this is the gate of heaven."
18 Ya`akov rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it.
19 He called the name of that place Beit-El, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20 Ya`akov vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
21 so that I come again to my father's house in shalom, and the LORD will be my God,
22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God's house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you."
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.

Genesis 29

1 Then Ya`akov went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.
2 He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was great.
3 There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well's mouth in its place.
4 Ya`akov said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."
5 He said to them, "Do you know Lavan, the son of Nachor?" They said, "We know him."
6 He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep."
7 He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the cattle together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them."
8 They said, We can't, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep."
9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them.
10 It happened, when Ya`akov saw Rachel the daughter of Lavan, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Lavan, his mother's brother, that Ya`akov went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Lavan his mother's brother.
11 Ya`akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 Ya`akov told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rivka's son. She ran and told her father.
13 It happened, when Lavan heard the news of Ya`akov, his sister's son, that he ran to meet Ya`akov, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Ya`akov told Lavan all these things.
14 Lavan said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for a month.
15 Lavan said to Ya`akov, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?"
16 Lavan had two daughters. The name of the elder was Le'ah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Le'ah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
18 Ya`akov loved Rachel. He said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."
19 Lavan said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me."
20 Ya`akov served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.
21 Ya`akov said to Lavan, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."
22 Lavan gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 It happened in the evening, that he took Le'ah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.
24 Lavan gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Le'ah for a handmaid.
25 It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Le'ah. He said to Lavan, "What is this you have done to me? Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?"
26 Lavan said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first born.
27 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years."
28 Ya`akov did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.
29 Lavan gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid.
30 He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Le'ah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 The LORD saw that Le'ah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32 Le'ah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Re'uven. For she said, "Because the LORD has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."
33 She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Shim`on.
34 She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi.
35 She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, "This time will I praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Yehudah. Then she stopped bearing.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.

Genesis 30

1 When Rachel saw that she bore Ya`akov no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Ya`akov, "Give me children, or else I will die."
2 Ya`akov's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3 She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."
4 She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Ya`akov went in to her.
5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Ya`akov a son.
6 Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
7 Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Ya`akov a second son.
8 Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naftali.
9 When Le'ah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Ya`akov as a wife.
10 Zilpah, Le'ah's handmaid, bore Ya`akov a son.
11 Le'ah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
12 Zilpah, Le'ah's handmaid, bore Ya`akov a second son.
13 Le'ah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy." She named him Asher.
14 Re'uven went in the days of wheat harvest, and found dudaim in the field, and brought them to his mother, Le'ah. Then Rachel said to Le'ah, "Please give me some of your son's dudaim."
15 She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's dudaim, also?" Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's dudaim."
16 Ya`akov came from the field in the evening, and Le'ah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's dudaim." He lay with her that night.
17 God listened to Le'ah, and she conceived, and bore Ya`akov a fifth son.
18 Le'ah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Yissakhar.
19 Le'ah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Ya`akov.
20 Le'ah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zevulun.
21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach.
24 She named him Yosef, saying, "May the LORD add another son to me."
25 It happened, when Rachel had borne Yosef, that Ya`akov said to Lavan, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service with which I have served you."
27 Lavan said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake."
28 He said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."
29 He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me.
30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. The LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?"
31 He said, "What shall I give you?" Ya`akov said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.
33 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen."
34 Lavan said, "Behold, I desire it to be according to your word."
35 That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 He set three days' journey between himself and Ya`akov, and Ya`akov fed the rest of Lavan's flocks.
37 Ya`akov took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 Ya`akov separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Lavan: and he put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into Lavan's flock.
41 It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Ya`akov laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
42 but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. So the feebler were Lavan's, and the stronger Ya`akov's.
43 The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and donkeys.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.

Genesis 31

1 He heard the words of Lavan's sons, saying, "Ya`akov has taken away all that was our father's. From that which was our father's, has he gotten all this wealth."
2 Ya`akov saw the expression on Lavan's face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 The LORD said to Ya`akov, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
4 Ya`akov sent and called Rachel and Le'ah to the field to his flock,
5 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.
8 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
9 Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 It happened at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Ya`akov,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12 He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Lavan does to you.
13 I am the God of Beit-El, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth."
14 Rachel and Le'ah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Aren't we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.
16 For all the riches which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."
17 Then Ya`akov rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,
18 and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-Aram, to go to Yitzchak his father to the land of Kana`an.
19 Now Lavan had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the terafim that were her father's.
20 Ya`akov deceived Lavan the Arammian, in that he didn't tell him that he was running away.
21 So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gil`ad.
22 Lavan was told on the third day that Ya`akov had fled.
23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gil`ad.
24 God came to Lavan, the Arammian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Ya`akov either good or bad."
25 Lavan caught up with Ya`akov. Now Ya`akov had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Lavan with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gil`ad.
26 Lavan said to Ya`akov, "What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
27 Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn't tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;
28 and didn't allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.
29 It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Ya`akov either good or bad.'
30 Now, you want to be gone, because you sore longed after your father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?"
31 Ya`akov answered Lavan, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.'
32 With whoever you find your gods, he shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." For Ya`akov didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.
33 Lavan went into Ya`akov's tent, into Le'ah's tent, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he didn't find them. He went out of Le'ah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the terafim, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Lavan felt about all the tent, but didn't find them.
35 She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." He searched, but didn't find the terafim.
36 Ya`akov was angry, and argued with Lavan. Ya`akov answered Lavan, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?
37 Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
38 These twenty years have I been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven't eaten the rams of your flocks.
39 That which was torn of animals, I didn't bring to you. I bore the loss of it. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
41 These twenty years have I been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Avraham, and the fear of Yitzchak, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."
43 Lavan answered Ya`akov, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
44 Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you."
45 Ya`akov took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 Ya`akov said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
47 Lavan called it Yegar-Sahaduta, but Ya`akov called it Gal`ed.
48 Lavan said, "This heap is witness between me and you this day." Therefore it was named Gal`ed
49 and Mitzpah, for he said, "The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you will afflict my daughters, and if you will take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you."
51 Lavan said to Ya`akov, "See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.
52 May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
53 The God of Avraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us." Then Ya`akov swore by the fear of his father, Yitzchak.
54 Ya`akov offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
55 Early in the morning, Lavan rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Lavan departed and returned to his place.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.

Genesis 32:1-3

1 Ya`akov went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2 When he saw them, Ya`akov said, "This is God's host." He called the name of that place Machanayim.
3 Ya`akov sent messengers in front of him to Esav, his brother, to the land of Se`ir, the field of Edom.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.