Genesis 29:23 T 31
with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back
to this land. I will not l eave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his s leep, he t hought, “Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I was not a
ware of it.” 17 He was a
fraid and said, “How awesome is
this place! This is none other than the h
ouse of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his
head and set it up as a pillar and p
oured oil on top of it. 19 He called that p
lace
Bethel, a though the city used to be called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch
over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and c lothes
to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord b will
be my God 22 and c this s tone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house,
and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
29
Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the east
ern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three f locks
of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The
stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gath
ered t here, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth
and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the
mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran,” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here c omes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gath
ered. Water the s heep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has
been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 While he was s till talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,
for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban,
and Laban’s sheep, he went over and r olled the s tone away from the m
outh of
the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began
to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a
son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried
to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and b
rought him to his home,
and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are
my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him,
“Just because you are a relative of mine, s hould you work for me for nothing?
Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the
name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak d eyes, but Rachel had a
lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll
work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay
here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed
like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I
want to make love to her.”
22 So Laban b
rought together all the people of the p
lace and gave a f east.
23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to
a 19
Bethel means house of God. b 20,21 Or Since God . . . father’s household, the Lord
household, and the Lord will be my God, 22 then d 17 Or delicate
c 21,22 Or