Bible in 90 Days
20 Then he made this solemn vow:[a] “If God remains with me, watches over me throughout this journey that I’m taking, gives me food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 and returns me safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God, 22 this stone that I’ve erected in the form of a pillar will be God’s house, and I’ll give you a tenth of everything that you give to me.”
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 Jacob journeyed on and reached the territory that belonged to the people who lived in the east.[b] 2 As he was observing a well that had been dug out on the open range, all of a sudden he noticed three flocks of sheep lying there, because shepherds watered their flocks from that well. There was a very large stone that covered the opening of the well, 3 and when all the flocks had been gathered there, they would roll away the stone from the opening of the well, water their flocks, and then return the stone to its place covering the opening of the well.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Haran,” they answered.
5 “Do you happen to know Nahor’s son Laban?” he inquired.
“We do,” they replied.
6 So he asked them, “How’s he doing?”
“Very well,” they answered. “As a matter of fact, look over there! That’s his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep.”
7 “Look!” Jacob replied. “The sun[c] is still high. It’s not yet time for the flocks to be gathered. Let’s water the sheep, then let them graze.”
8 But they responded, “We can’t do that until all the sheep have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the opening of the well. Only then can we water the flock.” 9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, since she was a shepherdess.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, accompanied by Laban’s sheep, Jacob approached the well, rolled the stone from the opening of the well, and then watered his mother’s brother Laban’s flock. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to cry out loud. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was related to her father, since he was Rebekah’s son, so she ran and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him back to his house. Then Jacob told Laban about everything that had happened. 14 Laban responded, “You certainly are my flesh and blood!”[d] So Jacob[e] stayed with him for about a month.[f]
Jacob Agrees to Work in Order to Marry Rachel
15 Later, Laban asked Jacob, “Should you serve me for free, just because you’re my nephew?[g] Let’s talk about what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban happened to have two daughters. The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah looked rather plain,[h] but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: “I’ll serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 “It’s better that I give her to you than to another man,” Laban replied, “so stay with me.” 20 Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but it seemed like only a few days because of his love for her.
21 Eventually, Jacob told Laban, “Bring me my wife, now that my time of service[i] has been completed, so I can go be with her.” 22 So Laban gathered all the men who lived in that place and held a wedding festival.
Laban Deceives Jacob
23 That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob.[j] He had marital relations with her. 24 Laban also gave his servant woman Zilpah to Leah to be her maidservant. 25 The next morning, Jacob[k] realized that it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” he demanded of Laban. “Didn’t I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? Why did you deceive me?”
26 But Laban responded, “It’s not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage[l] before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the week for this daughter,[m] then we’ll give you the other one in exchange for serving me another seven years.”
28 So Jacob completed another seven years’ work, and then Laban[n] gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban also gave his woman servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant. 30 Jacob[o] also married Rachel, since he loved her. He served Laban another full seven years’ work for Rachel.
Leah’s Children
31 Later, the Lord noticed that Leah was being neglected,[p] so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben,[q] because she was saying, “The Lord had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me.”
33 Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, “Because the Lord heard that I’m neglected, he gave me this one, too.” So she named him Simeon.[r]
34 Later, she conceived again and said, “This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I’ve borne him three sons.” So he named him Levi.[s]
35 Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, “This time I’ll praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[t]
Then she stopped bearing children.
Rachel’s Children by Bilhah
30 Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, “If you don’t give me sons, I’m going to die!”
2 That made Jacob angry with Rachel, so he asked her, “Can I take God’s place, who has not allowed you to conceive?”[u]
3 Rachel[v] responded, “Here’s my handmaid Bilhah. Go have sex with her. She can bear children[w] on my knees so I can have children through her.”
4 So Rachel[x] gave Jacob[y] her woman servant Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob had sex with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, she named him Dan.[z]
7 Rachel’s servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, 8 so Rachel said, “I’ve been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won.” She named him Naphtali.[aa]
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob, 11 and Leah exclaimed, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.[ab]
12 Later, Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob. 13 She said, “How happy I am, because women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.[ac]
Jacob and the Mandrakes
14 Some time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes[ad] in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel[ae] told Leah, “Please give me your son’s mandrakes.”
15 In response, Leah asked her, “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes!”
But Rachel replied, “Very well, let’s let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went to meet him and told him, “You’re having sex with me tonight. I traded my son’s mandrakes for you!” So he slept with her that night.
17 God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife.” So she named him Issachar.[af]
19 Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I’ve borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[ag]
21 After that, Leah conceived, bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
Rachel’s Son Joseph is Born
22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, 23 so she conceived, bore a son, and remarked, “God has removed my shame.” 24 Because she had been asking, “May God give me another son,” she named him Joseph.[ah]
Jacob and Laban’s Livestock
25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob told Laban, “Send me off so that I can go back to my place and country. 26 Give me my wives and children for whom I’ve served you. Then I’ll leave, since you’re aware of my service to you.”
27 Then Laban responded, “If I’ve found favor in your sight, please stay with me, because I’ve learned through divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Name your wage, and I’ll give it to you.”
29 But Jacob replied to Laban, “You know how I’ve served you and how your cattle thrived under my care. 30 What you had previously was only a few head, but the herd has now multiplied, because the Lord has blessed you through my efforts.[ai] But now, when am I going to be able to provide for my own household?”
31 “What do I have to give you?” Laban asked.
Jacob responded, “You don’t have to give me anything. Just do this for me: Let me tend your flock again and watch over it. 32 Let me walk among your flocks today and remove every speckled or spotted sheep, along with every black lamb, and let me do the same with the speckled and spotted goats. These will be my wages. 33 In the future, you’ll be able to verify my honesty because, when you come to check[aj] what I’ve earned, if you find a goat that’s not speckled or spotted or a sheep that’s not black, then it will have been stolen by me.”
34 “Very well,” Laban replied. “We’ll do it the way you’ve asked.” 35 That very day, Laban[ak] removed the male goats that were striped or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted—that is, every one that had white on them—and all the black lambs and placed them into the care[al] of his sons. 36 He sent them as far away from Jacob as a three days’ journey could take them.
Meanwhile, Jacob kept tending the rest of Laban’s flock. 37 Jacob took branches[am] from white poplar trees, freshly cut almond trees, and some other trees,[an] stripped off their bark to make white streaks, and uncovered the white part inside the branches. 38 Then he placed the branches that he had stripped bare in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He placed the branches in front of the flock, and they went into heat as they came to drink. 39 When the flocks mated in front of the branches, they would bear offspring[ao] that were striped, speckled, or spotted.
40 Jacob kept the lambs separate, facing the striped and entirely black ones that belonged to Laban’s flock. He set his own herd by itself and would not let them be with Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the more vigorous of the flock came into heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the flock to make them mate by the branches.
42 But he didn’t put the branches in front of any of the feeble members of the flock. As a result, the feeble ones belonged to Laban, but the stronger ones belonged to Jacob. 43 Therefore the man Jacob[ap] prospered so much that he had large flocks, female and male servants, as well as camels and donkeys.
Jacob Decides to Leave Laban
31 Now Jacob[aq] used to listen while Laban’s sons kept on complaining,[ar] “Jacob has taken over everything our father owns! He made himself wealthy from what belongs to our father!” 2 Jacob also noticed that the way[as] Laban had been looking at him wasn’t as nice as it had been just two days earlier.[at]
3 Then the Lord ordered Jacob, “Go back to your father’s territory and to your relatives. I’ll be with you.”
4 Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was 5 and informed them, “I’ve noticed that the way[au] your father has been looking at us hasn’t been as nice as it was just two days ago.[av] But my father’s God has been with me. 6 You know I’ve been serving your father with all my heart. 7 Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn’t allow him to harm me.
8 “When Laban said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ all the flock gave birth to streaked offspring.
9 “So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me. 10 As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating[aw] with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.
11 “Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, ‘Jacob.’
“‘Here I am,’ I replied
12 “‘Look around!’ he said. ‘Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I’ve been watching everything that Laban has done to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, the place where you consecrated that stone and made a vow to me. Now get up, leave this territory, and return to your native land.’”[ax]
Rachel and Leah Consent to Leave
14 Then Rachel and Leah asked him, “Do we have anything left of inheritance[ay] remaining in our father’s house? 15 He’s treating us like foreigners. He sold us and spent all of the money[az] that rightfully belonged to us. 16 Furthermore, all of the wealth that God has stripped away from our father belongs to us now and to our children. So do everything that God tells you to do.” 17 So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels, 18 and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram,[ba] intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
Laban Pursues Jacob
19 Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father’s personal idols.[bb] 20 Moreover, Jacob had deceived[bc] Laban the Aramean,[bd] because he had never told him that he was intending to leave. 21 Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river,[be] and headed to the hill country of Gilead. 22 Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left, 23 so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban[bf] was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob[bg] in the hill country of Gilead.
God Warns Laban
24 That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean[bh] in a dream and warned him, “Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it’s one word good or bad.” 25 Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him.[bi] Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.
26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What did you do? You deceived me,[bj] carried off my daughters like you would war captives,[bk] 27 ran away from me secretly,[bl] and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing tambourines and harps. 28 As it is, you didn’t even allow me to kiss my grandchildren[bm] and daughters goodbye! You’ve acted foolishly. 29 It’s actually in my power to do some serious[bn] evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, ‘Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.’ 30 Now, you can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”
Laban Searches for His Idols
31 “I was afraid,” Jacob replied. “I thought you might take your daughters from me. 32 Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he’s a dead man.[bo] Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that’s in my possession.” But Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the idols.[bp] 33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn’t find them.[bq] Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols,[br] placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but found nothing. 35 Then Rachel told her father, “Sir, please don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It’s that time of the month.”[bs] So Laban[bt] searched for the idols,[bu] but never did find them.[bv]
Jacob Rebukes Laban
36 Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. “What have I done?” he demanded. “What’s my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently? 37 Now that you’ve searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives[bw] and we’ll let them judge between us! 38 Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I’ve been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock, 39 and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. 40 As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest. 41 I’ve lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed[bx] my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I’ve worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night.”
43 But Laban answered Jacob, “These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne? 44 Come, let’s make a covenant just between you and me. And let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
45 So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob told his relatives, “Go gather some stones.” So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones. 47 Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha,[by] but Jacob named it Galeed.[bz]
48 Then Laban said, “This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today.” That’s how the place came to be named Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[ca] because Laban[cb] said, “May the Lord watch between you and me, when we are estranged[cc] from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching[cd] us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
51 “Look!” Laban added, “Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I’ve set up between you and me. 52 This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm. 53 May Abraham’s God and Nahor’s god judge between us.”
So Jacob made an oath by his father’s Fear,[ce] 54 offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [cf]Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.[cg]
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32 [ch]As Jacob went on his way, angels from God met him. 2 As he was watching them, Jacob said, “This must be God’s camp,” so he named that place Mahanaim.[ci]
3 Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him into the land of Seir (that is, into the territory of Edom) to meet his brother Esau. 4 He instructed them, “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob told me to tell you, “I’ve journeyed to stay with Laban and I’ve remained there until now. 5 I now have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I’m sending this message to you, sir,[cj] so that you’ll show favor to me.”’”
6 Later, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We went to your brother Esau. He’s now coming to meet you—and he has 400 men with him!”
7 Feeling mounting terror and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, doing the same with the flocks, the cattle, and the camels. 8 Jacob was thinking, “If Esau comes to one group and attacks it, then the remaining group may escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed,[ck] “O God of my father Abraham, O God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you who told me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives and I’ll cause things to go well for you.’ 10 I’m unworthy of all your gracious love, your faithfulness, and everything that you’ve done for your servant. When I first crossed over this river, I had only my staff. But now I’ve become two groups. 11 Deliver me from my brother Esau’s control, because I’m terrified of him, and I’m afraid that he’s coming to attack me, the mothers, and their children. 12 Now, you promised me that ‘I’m certainly going to cause things to go well with you, and I’m going to make your offspring[cl] as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
13 Jacob spent the night there. Out of everything that he had brought with him, he chose a gift for his brother Esau— 14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 15 30 milking camels with their young, 40 cows with ten bulls, and 20 female donkeys with ten male donkeys. 16 He entrusted them into the care of his servants, one herd at a time.[cm] Then he told his servants, “Go in front of me, making sure there’s plenty of space between herds.”
17 To the first group he said, “When you meet my brother Esau, if he asks, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And to whom do these herds[cn] belong?’ 18 then you are to reply, ‘We’re from[co] your servant Jacob. The herds[cp] are a gift. He’s sending them to my master, Esau. Look! There he is, coming along behind us.’”
19 He issued similar instructions to the second and third group, as well as to all the others who drove the herds that followed: “This is how you are to speak to Esau when you find him. 20 You are to tell him, ‘Look! Your servant Jacob is coming along behind us.’”
Jacob was thinking, “I’ll pacify him with the presents that are being sent ahead of me. Then, when I meet him,[cq] perhaps he’ll accept me.”[cr] 21 So the presents went[cs] ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp. 22 Later that night, he woke up, quickly took his two wives, his[ct] two women servants, and his eleven children, and forded the river at Jabbok. 23 He took them across the river, along with all his possessions.
Jacob Struggles with God
24 And so Jacob was left alone, and he struggled with a man until daybreak. 25 When the man realized that he hadn’t yet won the struggle, he injured the socket[cu] of Jacob’s thigh, dislocating it as he wrestled with him, 26 and said, “Let me go, because the dawn has come.”[cv]
“I won’t let you go,” Jacob[cw] replied, “unless you bless me.”
27 Then the man[cx] asked him, “What’s your name?”
“Jacob,” he responded
28 “Your name won’t be[cy] Jacob anymore,” the man[cz] replied, “but Israel, because you exerted yourself against both God and men, and you’ve emerged victorious.”
29 “Please,” Jacob inquired, “Tell me your name.”
But he asked, “Why are you asking about my name?” And he blessed Jacob[da] there.
30 Jacob would later call that place Peniel,[db] because “I saw God face to face, but my life was spared.”
31 The sun was rising above Jacob[dc] as he crossed over from Peniel, limping due to his wounded thigh. 32 Therefore, to this day the Israelis do not eat the hip tendon that connects to the thigh socket, because he had injured the socket of the thigh where the tendon connected to Jacob’s hip.
Jacob Meets Esau
33 When Jacob looked off in the distance, there was Esau coming toward him, accompanied by 400 men! So Jacob divided Leah’s children, Rachel, and the children of the two servants into separate groups.[dd] 2 Then he positioned the women servants and their children first, then Leah and her children next, and then Rachel and Joseph after them. 3 Then he went out to meet Esau,[de] passing in front of all of them, and bowed low to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him. Then he fell on his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
5 When Esau eventually looked around, he saw the women and the children. “Who are these people[df] with you?” he asked.
“The children, whom God has graciously given[dg] your servant,” he answered. 6 Then the women servants approached, accompanied by their children, and bowed low. 7 Leah also approached, and she and her children bowed low. After this, Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed low.
8 Then Esau asked, “What are all these livestock for?”
“To solicit favor from you,[dh] sir,”[di] Jacob answered.
9 But Esau replied, “I already have so much, my brother, so keep what belongs to you.”
10 “Please,” Jacob implored him, “don’t refuse. If I’m to receive favor from you, then receive this gift from me, because seeing your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have favorably accepted me. 11 So receive my blessing, which has been sent to you, since God has been gracious to me. Besides, I have enough.” Because Jacob kept pressing him, Esau accepted the gifts.
12 Then Esau suggested, “Let’s set out and travel together, but let me go in front of you.”
13 “Sir, you know[dj] that the children are frail,” Jacob suggested, “and the ewes and cows with me are still nursing their young. If they’re driven even for a day, the entire flock will die. 14 So allow yourself to[dk] go ahead of your servant while I travel more slowly, letting the herds set their own pace[dl] with the children until I arrive to see my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.”
“Why do that?” Jacob asked. “I’ve already found favor in your sight, sir.”[dm] 16 So Esau set out that very day back on his way to Seir, 17 but Jacob set out for Succoth, built a house there, and constructed some cattle shelters. He named the place Succoth.[dn]
Jacob Buys Land in Shechem
18 After Jacob had arrived safely from Paddan-aram,[do] he entered the city of Shechem, which was located in the territory of Canaan, and encamped facing that city. 19 Then he bought a parcel of land for 100 pieces of silver from the descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s father. He pitched his tent there, 20 set up an altar, and named it El-elohe-israel.[dp]
Jacob’s Daughter Dinah is Raped
34 Some time later, Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women[dq] of the land. 2 When Hamor the Hivite’s son Shechem, the regional leader, saw her, he grabbed her and raped her, humiliating her. 3 He was attached to[dr] Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, since he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.[ds] 4 Then Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get this young woman[dt] for me to be my wife.”
5 Because Jacob learned that Shechem had dishonored his daughter Dinah while his sons were still out with their cattle on the open range, he remained silent until they returned. 6 Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor arrived to talk to Jacob. 7 Just then Jacob’s sons arrived from the field. When they heard what had happened, they were distraught with grief and livid with anger toward Shechem,[du] because he had committed a disgraceful deed in Israel by forcing Jacob’s daughter to have sex, an act that never should have happened.
8 But Hamor said this: “My son is deeply attracted to your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9 Intermarry with us. Give your daughters to us and take our sons for yourselves. 10 Live with us anywhere you want.[dv] Live, trade, and grow rich in it.”
11 Shechem also addressed Dinah’s[dw] father and brothers. He told them, “If you’ll just approve me, I’ll give whatever you ask of me. 12 No matter how big or how extensive your demands are for a dowry and wedding presents from me, I’ll provide whatever you ask. Only give me the young lady to be my wife.”
Jacob’s Sons Plot Revenge
13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceptively, because Shechem had dishonored their sister Dinah. 14 They told them, “We can’t do this. We can’t give our sister to a man who isn’t circumcised, because that would be insulting to us. 15 But we’ll agree to your request, only if you will become like us by circumcising every male among you. 16 Then we’ll give our daughters to you and take your daughters for ourselves, live among you, and be as a united people. 17 But if you won’t listen to us, then we’re going to take our daughter and leave.” 18 What they said pleased Hamor and his son Shechem, 19 so the young man did not delay the matter any further, since he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
Now Shechem was the most important person in his father’s household. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem entered the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city. 21 “These men are at peace with us,” they announced. “Therefore, let them live in the land and trade in it. Look! The land is large enough for them. Let’s take their daughters as wives for ourselves and let’s give our sons to them.
22 “However,” they added, “only on this condition will the men consent to live with us and be united as a single people with us: every male among us will have to be circumcised just as they are. 23 Shouldn’t all their cattle, acquisitions, and animals belong to us? So, let’s give our consent to them, and then they’ll live with us.”
Simeon and Levi Attack Shechem
24 All of the males who heard Hamor and his son Shechem, who had gone out to the city gate, were circumcised. 25 Three days later, while they were still in pain, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, each grabbed a sword and entered the city unannounced, intending to kill all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took back Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27 Jacob’s other sons came along afterward and plundered the city where their sister had been defiled, 28 seizing all of their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever else was in the city or had been left out in the field. 29 They carried off all their wealth, their children, and their wives as captives, plundering everything that remained in the houses.
30 Then Jacob told Simeon and Levi, “You have certainly stirred up trouble for me! You’ve made me despised by[dx] the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in this territory. Because I have only a few men with me, they’re going to gather themselves together and attack me until I am totally destroyed, along with my entire household!”
31 “Should he have treated our sister like a whore?” they asked in response.
Jacob Moves to Bethel
35 Later, God told Jacob, “Get up, move to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar to the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2 Jacob announced to his household and to everyone with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that you’ve kept among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes. 3 Then let’s get up and go to Bethel, where I’ll build an altar to the God who answered me when I was in distress and who was with me on the road, wherever I went.”
4 So they handed over to Jacob all their foreign gods on which they had been depending,[dy] along with the rings that they were wearing on their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that grew near Shechem. 5 As they set out on their journey, because the people who lived in the[dz] cities around them feared God, they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
6 Eventually, Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also called Beth-el) in the territory of Canaan. 7 He built an altar there to God and named the place El Beth-el, because God had revealed himself there when he was fleeing from his brother. 8 Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried there, under the oak tree that was below Beth-el. That’s why the place was named Allon-bacuth.[ea]
God Appears Again to Jacob
9 God appeared again to Jacob after he had arrived from Paddan-aram[eb] and blessed him. 10 Then God told him,
“Your name is Jacob.
No longer are you to be called Jacob.
Instead, your name will be Israel.”
So God called his name Israel 11 and also told him,
“I am God Almighty.
You are to be fruitful
and multiply.
You will become a nation—
in fact, an assembly of nations!
Kings will come from you—
they’ll emerge from your own loins!
12 Now as for the land
that I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I’m giving it to you
and to your descendants who come after you.
I’m giving the land to you!”
13 After this, God ascended from the place where he had been speaking to him. 14 Jacob erected a pillar of stone at that very place where God had spoken to him. He poured a drink offering over it, anointed it with oil, 15 and named the place where God had spoken to him Beth-el.
Rachel Dies in Childbirth
16 Later, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way[ec] from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth. 17 While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.”
18 Just before she died,[ed] Rachel called her son’s[ee] name Ben-oni,[ef] but his father Jacob[eg] named him Benjamin.[eh] 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, also known as Bethlehem. 20 Jacob erected a pillar over her grave, and that pillar stands over Rachel’s grave to this day.
Jacob Settles Near Migdal Eder
21 Jacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder. 22 But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent[ei] and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons. 23 Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. 26 Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram.[ej]
The Death of Isaac
27 So Jacob reached his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived. 28 Isaac had lived a total of 180 years 29 when he died and joined his ancestors at a ripe old age. Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Esau’s Genealogies
36 This is a record of Esau’s genealogy, that is, of Edom. 2 Esau had married Canaanite women, including Elon the Hittite’s daughter Adah, Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah (who was Zibeon the Hivite’s daughter), and 3 Ishamael’s daughter Basemath (who was Nebaioth’s sister). 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, and 5 Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were Esau’s sons, who were born to him in the territory of Canaan.
6 Later, Esau took his wives, his children, everyone in his household, his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions that he had acquired in the territory of Canaan and moved far away from his brother Jacob, 7 because their holdings were too vast to allow them to stay together, since the land where they had settled was not able to support all of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in Mount Seir.[ek] (Esau was also known as Edom.)
9 This is a record of the family history of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites of Mount Seir. 10 The names of Esau’s sons were Eliphaz (the son of Esau’s wife Adah) and Reuel (the son of Esau’s wife Basemath).
11 Eliphaz’s sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timnah was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz. She bore Amalek to Eliphaz.
13 Reuel’s sons were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, who was the daughter of Zibeon. She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah for Esau.
Leaders of Esau’s Descendants
15 These were the tribal leaders of Esau’s descendants; that is, the children of Eliphaz, who was Esau’s firstborn: tribal leaders[el] Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These were the tribal leaders who descended[em] from Eliphaz in the territory of Edom. These were Adah’s sons.
17 These were the descendants of Esau’s son Reuel: tribal leaders Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the tribal leaders who descended from Reuel in the territory of Edom. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18 These were the descendants of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: tribal leaders Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These tribal leaders descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, Anah’s daughter. 19 These were the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom) and their tribal leaders.
Leaders of Seir’s Descendants
20 These were the descendants of Seir the Horite, who lived in the territory: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the territory of Edom.
22 Lotan’s children were Hori and Hemam. Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23 Shobal’s children were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 Zibeon’s children were Aiah and Anah. Anah discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while grazing his father Zibeon’s donkeys.
25 Anah’s children were Dishon and Anah’s daughter Oholibamah.
26 Dishon’s children were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
27 Ezer’s children were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 Dishan’s children were Uz and Aran.
29 These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites: tribal leaders Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites, according to their tribal leaders in the territory of Seir.
31 This is a list of the kings who ruled the territory of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelis. 32 Beor’s son Bela ruled over Edom. His city’s name was Dinhabah.
33 After Bela died, Zerah’s son Jobab from Bozrah ruled in his place.
34 After Jobab died, Husham from the territory of the Temanites ruled in his place.
35 After Husham died, Bedad’s son Hadad, who killed Midian in the field of Moab, ruled in his place. His city’s name was Avith.
36 After Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah ruled in his place.
37 After Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the river ruled in his place.
38 After Shaul died, Achbor’s son Baal-hanan ruled in his place.
39 After Achbor’s son Baal-hanan died, Hadar ruled in his place. His city’s name was Pau. And his wife’s name was Mehetabel, who was the daughter of Matred, and granddaughter of Me-zahab.
40 These were the names of the chiefs who descended from Esau according to their clans, territories, and names: tribal leaders Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs who descended from Edom, according to their territories in their own land.[en] This was the dynasty of Esau, who was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Joseph’s Life before His Captivity
37 Jacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory of Canaan. 2 This is a record of Jacob’s descendants.
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was helping his brothers tend their flocks. He was a young man at that time, as were the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. But Joseph would come back and tell his father that his brothers were doing bad things. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered[eo] tunic for him. 4 When Joseph’s[ep] brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him.
Joseph’s Dreams
5 Right about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more! 6 “Let me tell you about this dream that I had!” he said. 7 “We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”
8 At this, his brothers replied, “Do you really think you’re going to rule us or lord it over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them.
9 But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. “I had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!”
10 When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, “What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?” 11 As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.
Joseph is Sent to Visit His Brothers
12 Some time later, his brothers left to tend their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel instructed Joseph, “Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I’m going to send you to them.”
“Here I am!” he responded.
14 “Go and see how things are with your brothers,” Israel[eq] ordered him. “And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me.” Then he sent Joseph[er] from the valley of Hebron.
When Joseph reached Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in a field. So the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 “I’m searching for my brothers,” he responded. “Tell me, where are they tending the flock?”[es]
17 “They’ve already left,” the man answered. “I heard them saying that they were headed to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
Joseph’s Brothers Plot to Kill Him
18 Now as soon as they saw him approaching from a distance, before he arrived they plotted together to kill him. 19 “Look!” they said. “Here comes the Dream Master! 20 Come on! Let’s kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we’ll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph[et] from their plot. “Let’s not do any killing,”[eu] 22 Reuben told them. “And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let’s toss him into this cistern that’s way out here in the wilderness. But don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben[ev] intended to free Joseph[ew] and return him to his father.)
Joseph is Sold into Slavery
23 As it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered[ex] tunic that he was wearing. 24 They grabbed him and tossed him into the cistern, but the cistern was empty. (There was no water in it.) 25 After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in Egypt.
26 Then Judah suggested to his brothers, “Where’s the profit in just killing our brother and shedding his blood? 27 Come on! Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites! That way, we won’t have laid our hands on him. After all, he’s our brother, our own flesh.”
So Judah’s[ey] brothers listened to him. 28 As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to Egypt.
29 Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn’t there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and shouted, “He’s[ez] not there! Now what? Where am I to go?”
31 So they took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32 Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered[fa] tunic to dry,[fb] and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”
33 Examining it, he cried out, “It’s my son’s tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to pieces.”
34 So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son. 35 All his sons and daughters showed[fc] up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, “Leave me alone! I’ll go down to the next world,[fd] still mourning for my son.” So Joseph’s father wept for him.
Joseph is Enslaved to Potiphar
36 Meanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph[fe] to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.
Judah’s Life among the Adullamites
38 Right about then, Judah left his brothers and went to live with an Adullamite man named Hirah. 2 There Judah met[ff] the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married[fg] her, had sexual relations with her, 3 and she conceived, bore a son, and named him Er. 4 Later, she conceived again, bore another son, and named him Onan. 5 Then she bore yet another son and named him Shelah. Judah was living in Kezib when she bore him.
6 Judah found a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar. 7 But the Lord considered Er, Judah’s oldest son, to be wicked—so he put him to death. 8 So Judah instructed Onan, “You are to have sexual relations with your dead brother’s wife, performing the duty of a brother-in-law with her, and have offspring for your brother.”
9 But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his own heir, so whenever he had sexual relations with his brother’s wife, he would spill his semen on the ground to avoid fathering offspring for his brother. 10 The Lord considered what Onan was doing to be evil, so he put him to death, too.
11 After this, Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” But he was really thinking, “…otherwise, Shelah[fh] might die like his brothers.” So Tamar left and lived in her father’s house. 12 Some years later, Shua’s daughter (that is, Judah’s wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.
Tamar Avenges Judah’s Treachery
13 “Look!” somebody reported to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her mourning apparel, covered herself with a shawl, and concealed her outward appearance. Then she went out and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she knew that even though Shelah had grown up, she wasn’t being given to him as his wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, since she had concealed her face. 16 So on the way, he turned aside, approached her, and said, “Come on! Let’s have some sex!” But he didn’t realize that he was talking to his own daughter-in-law.
“What will you give me,” she asked, “in order to have sex with me?”
17 “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock,” he responded.
But she pressed him, asking, “What security will you put up until you’ve sent it?”
18 Then he asked, “What pledge do you want me to give you?”
“Your signet ring, cord, and the staff in your hand,” she suggested. So he gave them to her, had sex with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 Then she got up and left. Later, she took off her shawl and put on her mourning clothes.
20 Later on, Judah sent his Adullamite friend to take her a young goat, intending to retrieve what he had put up as security from the woman, but he could not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived in that area, “Where’s that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?”
But they replied, “There’s been no temple prostitute here.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I haven’t found her. Also, the men who are from there said, ‘There’s been no prostitute here.’”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her have those things.[fi] Otherwise, we’ll become contemptible. I sent this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
Tamar’s Pregnancy Rebukes Judah
24 Three months later, it was reported to Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution![fj] And look! She’s pregnant because of it!”
“Bring her out,” Judah responded. “Let’s burn her to death!”
25 While they were bringing her out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Furthermore,” she added, “tell me to whom this signet ring, cord, and staff belongs.”
26 When Judah recognized them, he admitted, “She is more upright than I, because I never did give her my son Shelah.” And he never had sex with her again.
27 Later, when it was time for Tamar[fk] to give birth, she was carrying twins in her womb! 28 While she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, so the midwife grabbed it and tied something scarlet around his hand, observing, “This one came out first.”
29 As it was, he withdrew his hand, and then his brother was born. Amazed, the midwife[fl] cried out loud, “What’s this? A breach birth?” So that boy[fm] was named Perez.[fn] 30 Afterwards, his brother came out, and around his hand was the scarlet. So they named him Zerah.[fo]
Joseph is Delivered to Potiphar
39 Meanwhile, Joseph had been delivered to Egypt and turned over to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials and the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. An Egyptian, he bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
2 But the Lord was with Joseph. He became a very prosperous man while in the house of his Egyptian master, 3 who could see that the Lord was with Joseph,[fp] because the Lord made everything prosper that Joseph[fq] did. 4 That’s how Joseph pleased Potiphar[fr] as he served him. Eventually, Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer of his entire household. Moreover, he entrusted everything that he owned into his care.[fs] 5 From the time he appointed Joseph to be overseer over his entire household and everything that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing rested on Joseph,[ft] whether in Potiphar’s household or in Potiphar’s fields. 6 Everything that he owned, he entrusted into Joseph’s care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate.
Potiphar’s Wife Accuses Joseph
Now Joseph was well built and good looking. 7 That’s why, sometime later, Joseph’s master’s wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: “Come on! Let’s have a little sex!”[fu]
8 But he refused, telling his master’s wife, “Look! My master doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care. 9 No one has more authority in this house than I do. He has withheld nothing from me, except you, and that’s because you’re his wife. So how can I commit such a horrible evil? How can I sin against God?”
10 She kept on talking to him like this day after day, but he wouldn’t listen to her. Not only would he refuse to have sex with her, he refused even to stay around her. 11 One day, though,[fv] he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants[fw] were inside, 12 so she grabbed Joseph[fx] by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!”
Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand. 13 When she realized that he had left his outer garment right there in her hand, she ran outside 14 and yelled for her household servants. “Look!” she cried out. “My husband[fy] brought in a Hebrew man to humiliate us. He came in here to have sex with me, but I screamed out loud! 15 When he heard me starting to scream, he left his outer garment with me and fled outside.” 16 She kept his outer garment by her side until Joseph’s master came home, 17 and then this is what she told him: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought to us came in here to rape[fz] me. 18 But when I started to scream, he left his outer garment with me and ran outside.”
Joseph is Locked in Prison
19 When Joseph’s master heard his wife’s claim to the effect that “This is how your servant treated me,” he flew into a rage, 20 arrested Joseph, and locked him up in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph remained there in prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph. He extended gracious love to him, causing the prison warden to be pleased with Joseph.[ga] 22 So the prison warden entrusted into Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were confined in prison. Whatever they did, Joseph was in charge of the work detail.[gb] 23 The prison warden did not have to worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him. That’s why Joseph prospered in everything he did.
Pharaoh’s Two Servants
40 Some time later, both the senior security advisor[gc] to the king of Egypt and his head chef[gd] offended their master, Egypt’s king. 2 Pharaoh was so angry with his two officers—his senior security advisor and his head chef— 3 that he locked them up in the prison dungeon operated by the captain of the guard, the very place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 The captain of the guard entrusted them to Joseph’s custody, who took care of them, since they were to remain there in custody for a number of days.
5 Then the two of them each had a dream. They both had their dreams the same night, and there were separate interpretations for each dream—the senior security advisor and the head chef to the king of Egypt, who had confined them in prison. 6 When Joseph came to see them in the morning, he noticed how downcast they looked! They were both very sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in prison in his master’s house, “Why are you so sad today?”
8 “We had a dream,” they replied, “but there’s no one to interpret it.”
“Interpretations belong to God,” Joseph told them, “so please tell me your stories.”
The Security Advisor’s Dream
9 So the senior security advisor related his dream to Joseph. “In my dream,” he said, “all of a sudden there was a vine in front of me! 10 On the vine were three branches that budded. Blossoms shot out, and clusters grew up that produced ripe grapes. 11 Then, with Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, then handed the cup directly to Pharaoh.”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.