of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine; and let people serve thee, and tribes worship thee; be thou lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee; cursed be he that curseth thee, and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings."

Isaac had scarce ended these words, when, Jacob being now gone out; Esau came, and brought in to his father the meats which he had taken in hunting, saying: "Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me." And Isaac said to him: "Why, who art thou?" He answered: "I am thy firstborn son Esau." Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly; and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: "Who is he, then, that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed." Esau, having heard his father's words, uttered an exceeding piercing cry, and trembling, said: "Bless me also, my father." And he said: "Thy brother came deceitfully, and hath obtained thy blessing." Esau said: "Rightly his name is called Jacob (i. e. supplanter); for he hath supplanted me this second time; my first birthright he took away before, and now the second time he hath stolen away my blessing." And again he said to his father: "Hast thou not reserved to me also a blessing?" Isaac answered: "I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants. I have established him with corn and wine; what shall I do more for thee, my son?" And Esau said to him: "Hast thou

JACOB'S JOURNEY TO MESOPOTAMIA.

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only one blessing, father? I beseech thee, bless me also." And when he wept with a loud voice, Isaac, being moved, said to him: "In the fat of the earth and in the dew of heaven from above shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live by the sword, and shalt serve thy brother, and the time shall come when thou shalt shake off his yoke from thy neck." Esau, therefore, always hated Jacob for the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him; and he said in his heart: "The days will come for the mourning for my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob."

These things were told to Rebecca, and she sent and called Jacob her son, and said to him: "Behold, Esau thy brother threateneth to kill thee. Now, therefore, my son, hear my voice; arise and flee to Laban my brother to Haran; and thou shalt dwell with him a few days, until the wrath of thy brother be assuaged, and he forget the things thou hast done unto him; afterwards I will send and bring thee in hither: why should I be deprived of both my sons in one day?"

§ 15. Jacob goes from his Father's House into Mesopotamia (B.C. 1945).

His Dream.

Rebecca, wishing to spare Isaac the grief of being made acquainted with the murderous designs of Esau, went to him, and said: "I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of such as these which are the people of the land, I choose rather not to live." Isaac therefore called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: "Take

not a wife of the daughters of Canaan; but go thou and take a journey to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bathuel, thy mother's father, and take thee a wife thence of the daughters of Laban thy uncle; and God Almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessings of Abraham, and to thy seed after thee, that thou mayest possess the land of thy sojourning, which he promised to thy grandfather."

the

Jacob now departed from Bersabee, and went on his way to Haran; and when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting them under his head, slept in the same place. And he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven; the angels also of God ascending and descending by it; and the Lord, leaning upon ladder, saying to him: "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land wherein thou sleepest I will give to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth. Thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south; and in THEE and THY SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And I will be thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land; neither will I leave thee till I shall have accomplished all that I have said."

And when Jacob awoke out of his sleep, he said: "Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not." And trembling, again he said: "How terrible is this

place! this is none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven." And Jacob, arising in the morn

ing, took the stone which he had laid under his head, and pouring oil upon the top of it, he called the name

of the place Bethel. And he made a vow, saying: "If God will be with me, and will keep me in the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, and if I return prosperously to my father's house, the Lord shall be my God; and this stone which I have set up for a memorial shall be called the house of God; and of all things that the Lord shall give me I will offer tithes."

§ 16. Jacob in the House of Laban.

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the east country; and he saw a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it; for the flocks were watered out of it; and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone. And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone; and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again. And he said to the shepherds: "Brethren, whence are you?" They answered: "Of Haran." And he asked them, saying: "Know you Laban, the son of Nachor?" They said: "We know him." He said: "Is he in health?" "He is in health," said they; "and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with his flock." And Jacob said: "There is yet much of the day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the fold. Give the sheep to drink, and lead them back to feed." They answered: "We cannot till all the flocks be gathered together; for then we remove the stone from the well's mouth that we may water the flocks." As they were speaking, Rachel