Jacob, to escape his brother's ire, goeth to Syria. 41. Esau now hated Jacob on account of his father's blessing; and said, We will soon have to mourn our father's death, then will I slay my brother (Ob. ver. 10). 42. Esau's words were told to Rebekah; then she sent for Jacob, and said to him, Thy brother Esau purposeth to kill thee: 43. Therefore obey my voice, and flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran; 44. And stay with him some time, till thy brother's fury be past; 45. Then I will send for thee from thence: why should I be deprived of you both at once? 46. Now Rebekah said to Isaac, It makes me weary of my life to see Heth's daughters the inhabitants of this land; if Jacob marry such wives like Esau, it will render my life more wretched.

CHAP. XXVIII.

ISAAC therefore called Jacob, and blessed him; and charged him not to take a wife of the women of Canaan. 2. Go to Padan-aram, to Bethuel thy mother's father's house, said he, and take a daughter of Laban, thy mother's brother; 3. And God Almighty shall bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and thou shalt become a numerous people. 4. He will give the blessing of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed, who shall inherit the land where thou sojournest; which God gave to Abraham. 5. So Jacob went to Laban the Syrian. 6. When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him to Padan-aram, to take a wife, and charged him not to take any of the women of Canaan, 7. And that Jacob obeyed his father and mother herein, 8, 9. He went to the Ishmalites, and added to his other wives Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter, Nebajoth's sister. 10. Jacob departed from Beersheba, and went toward Haran: 11. And in a certain place he tarried all night, because the sun's light was gone, and he took a stone for his pil

low, and lay down to sleep; 12. And he dreamed, and beheld in his dream a ladder, whose foot was on the earth, and its top reached heaven, and the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 18. And behold the Eternal stood above it; and said, I am the Eternal, the God of thy fathers Abraham and Isaac; the land wherein thou liest will I give to thee and thy seed; 14. And they shall be as the dust, spread abroad to the west, and the east, and the north, and the south; and in thee, and thy seed, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee, and will guard thee wherever thou goest, and will bring thee again to this land; for I will not leave thee, but will perform what I have promised to thee. 16. Then Jacob awaked, and said, Surely the Eternal is in this place, though I knew it not. 17. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is the very house of God; this is the gate of heaven!

15.

13. Jacob rose early, and set up the stone he had for his pillow, for a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it; 19. And called that place Bethel (the house of God); but its name formerly was Ulam-luz.

20. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will keep me in the way that I go, and give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21. So that I return to my father's house in safety, the Eternal shall be my God: 22. And this place, where I set up the stone for a pillar, shall be devoted to God's worship as his house; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely dedicate the tenth to thee.

CHAP. XXIX.

THEN Jacob continued his journey, and came to the east country; 2. And looking, saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of it they were watered. 3. Now there was a great stone on the well's mouth, which they roll

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away, when all the flocks were gathered to it; and having watered them, they put the stone upon it again. 4. Then Jacob said to the shepherds, My brethren, whence are ye? they replied, We are of Haran. 5. Then he said to them, Know ye Laban, Nahor's son? they replied, We do. 6. He also said to them, Is he well? And they replied, He is well; and behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep. 7. Then he said, It is not yet high day, and not time to gather in the flocks, water ye them, and go feed them. 8. But they said, We must not, till all the shepherds and flocks be assembled, and the stone be rolled from the well's mouth. 9. Now, while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them. 10. Then Jacob seeing Rachel, his mother's brother's daughter, and his sheep, he went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock. 11. Then saluted Rachel, and wept aloud; 12. Telling her, that he was Laban's kinsman, Rebekah's son: then she ran and told her father. 13. And when Laban heard of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, saluted him, and brought him into his house. Then he told Laban all these things: 14. Who said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh: and he abode with him a month.

Jacob serves seven years for a wife.

15. Then Laban said to Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou, therefore, serve me for nought-tell me what shall be thy wages? 16. Laban had two daughters, the oldest called Leah, and the youngest called Rachel. 17. Leah had delicate eyes, and Rachel had a handsome form, and á fair aspect. 18. Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for thy youngest daughter. 19. Then Laban said, It is better to give her to thee, than to another; abide with me. 20. And

the seven years seemed to Jacob but a few days, because of his love for her.

21. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, as the time is fulfilled, that I may cohabit with her. 22. So Laban assembled all the inhabitants of the place, and made a feast: 23. And in the evening he gave Leah to him, 24. Attended by Zilpah his maid, whom he gave to her for a hand-maid. 25. But in the morning, seeing it was Leah, he said to Laban, Why hast thou deceived me? I served thee for Rachel. 26. Then Laban said, It is not the custom of our country to give the younger in marriage before the elder? 27. Fulfil her festival week, and thou shalt have her also, by serving other seven years. 28. Then Jacob agreed to it, and got her also for a wife; 29. With Bilhah, Laban's maid, for an hand-maid. 30. And he loved her more than Leah.

31. Now the Eternal seeing that Leah was less beloved, made her prolific; but Rachel was barren. 32. Leah produced a son, and called his name Reuben, (see a son); saying, Surely the Eternal had regarded mine affliction; now there. fore will my husband love me. 33. She produced also another son; and said, the Eternal, having heard my supplication, because I am less beloved of my husband, has given me this son also; therefore she called his name Simeon, (i. e. hearing). 34. She produced again another son; and said, Now will my husband be joined to me in affection; therefore she called his name Levi, (i. e. joined). 85. She also produced another son; and said, I will give praise and thanks to the Eternal; therefore she called his name Judah, (i. e. praise). And she had no more for a time.

CHAP. XXX.

BUT Rachel having no children, envied her sister; and said to her husband, Give me children, else I die. 2. Then Jacob was angry at her; and

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said, Am I in God's stead, who hath deprived thee of an offspring? 3. Then she said, Take my maid Belhah for a concubine-wife, that I may have children by her to dandle on my knees. 4. So she gave her to him for a wife. 5. And she produced a son to Jacob. 6. Then Rachel said, God hath judged me, (i. e. decided in my favour), and heard my request, and given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan, (i. c. judging). 7. She produced also another son. 8. Then Rachel said, By wrestling with God have I rivalled my sister, and prevailed; therefore she called his name Naphthali, (i. e. my wrestling).

9. Now Leah having no more children, gave Zilpah her maid to Jacob for a wife; 10, 11. And she had a son to Jacob: then Leah said, Atroop cometh; so she called him Gad (a troop). 12. And Zilpah had another son toJacob. 13. Then Leahsaid, The women will call me blessed, as this is an addition to my happiness; so she called him Asher, (i. e. happy).

14. Now in the days of wheat harvest, Reuben went to the field, and finding mandrakes (or citrons), he brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to her, Give me, I pray thee, some of thy son's mandrakes. 15. But she replied, Is it a small matter, that thou hast taken my hus band? and would thou take my son's mandrakes also? Then Rachel said, He shall be with thee this night, for them, 16. When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him; and said, Thou must be with me this night, fór I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes, and he agreed to it. 17. And God having heard Leah's petition, she produced to Jacob a fifth son. 18. And said, God hath given me my reward, for giving my maid to my husband for a wife; therefore she called him Issachar, (i. c. he is my reward). 19. After this she had a sixth son: 20. And said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my