whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, 16 Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not.

And he 17

was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And 18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el: 19 but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob 20 vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; 21 then shall the LORD be my God: and this stone which I have 22 set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

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5

THEN Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of29 the people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth, and thither were all the flocks gathered: 3 and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye! 4 And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: 6 and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And 7 he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be 8 gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. And while he yet spake 9 with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daugh- 10 ter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his 11 voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's 12 brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings 13 of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou 14 art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

AND Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, 15 shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name 16 of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

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B. C. 1821-1716.

Leah was tender-eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well fa- 17 vored. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee 18 seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban 19 said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. And Jacob served 20 seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, 21 Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, 22 and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he 23 took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah 24 his maid for an handmaid. And it came to pass, that in the 25 morning, behold it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban 26 said, It must not be so done in our country to give the younger before the first-born. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee 27 this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: 28 and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban 29 gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid, And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel 30 more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

AND when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened 31 her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and 32 bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a 33 son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and 34 sid, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now 35 will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

3

AND when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children,30 Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob's anger was kindled against 2 Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she gave him Bil- 4 hah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And 5 Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God 6 hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah 7 Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with 8

my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

WHEN Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah 9 her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid 10 bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she 11 called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a 12 second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will 13 call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

AND Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found 14 mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that 15 thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came 16 out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me: for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare 17 Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, 18 because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob 19 the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good 20 dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And af 21 terwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

AND God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, 22 and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son, 23 and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called 24 his name Joseph; and said, the LORD shall add to me another

son.

AND it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Ja- 25 cob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my 26 children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said 27 unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will 28 give it. And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served 29 thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which 30 thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall provide for mine own house also? And he 31 said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me. I will again feed and keep thy flock: I will pass through all thy flock to-day, 32 removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. So 33 shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it

CHAP. XXXI.

shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not
speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the
sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. And Laban said, 34
Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. And he re- 35
moved that day the he-goats that were ring-streaked and spotted,
and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, and every
one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the
sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. And he set three 36
days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest
of Laban's flocks.

AND Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and 37
chesnut tree; and pilled white streaks in them, and made the
white appear which was in the rods. And he set the rods, which 38
he had pilled, before the flocks in the gutters in the watering-
troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive
when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before 39
the rods, and brought forth cattle ring-streaked, speckled, and
spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of 40
the flocks toward the ring-streaked, and all the brown in the flock
of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put
them not unto Laban's cattle. And it came to pass, whensoever 41
the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before
the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive
among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them 42
not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and 43
maid-servants, and men-servants, and camels, and asses.

AND he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath31
taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our
father's hath he gotten all this glory. And Jacob beheld the 2
countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as
before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land 3
of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
And Jaccb sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto 4
his flock, 'and said unto them, I see your father's countenance, 5
that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father
hath been with me. And ye know that with all my power I 6
have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, 7
and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to
hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; 8
then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-
streaked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring-streaked.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given 9
them to me. And it came to pass at the time that the cattle con- 10
ceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, be-
hold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ring-streaked,
speckled, and grisled. And the angel of God spake unto me 11
in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, 12
Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon
45
the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen
all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Beth-el, where 13

thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. And Rachel and Leah answered and said 14 unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not counted of him strangers? for he 15 hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all 16 the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is our's, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives 17 upon camels; and he carried away all his cattle, and all his 18 goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and 19 Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. And Ja- 20 cob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had; and he 21 rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

AND it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. 22 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven 23 days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. And 24 God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched 25 his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou 26 done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Where- 27 fore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? and hast not suf- 28 fered me to kiss my sous and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you 29 hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because 30 thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered and said to Laban, 31 Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. With whomsoever thou 32 findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into Jacob's 33 tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the images, 34 and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said 35 to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images. And Jacob was wroth, 36