2

125 all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder 1 set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, 130 behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, 135 and to the south and in thee and in 2 thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.3 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever 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 140 out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he 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 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, 145 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: but the name of the city was Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that 150 I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD

be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

1 For a ladder read a staircase.

3 For be blessed read bless themselves.

2 For in read by.

LESSON VIII

JACOB AND LABAN

Jacob comes to Haran, marries Laban's two daughters, and serves Laban as shepherd. By fraud he becomes owner of a large part of the flock. He flees from Laban's revenge. Laban follows, and they make a covenant at Mizpah.

GENESIS XXIX. 1-XXXII. 2

29 1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and the stone upon 5 the well's mouth was great. And thither were all the flocks gathered 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 its place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he 10 said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: 15 water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob 20 saw Rachel the daughter 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 voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son : 25 and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings 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 art my bone and my flesh. And 30 he abode with him the space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes 35 were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban 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 seven years for Rachel ; 40 and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, 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, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his 45 daughter, and brought her to him. And it came to pass in the morning that, 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 said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger 50 before the firstborn. Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife. And he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet 55 seven other years.

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[Jacob while at Haran had eleven sons born to him, as follows :Sons of Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun;

son of Rachel: Joseph; sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: 60 Dan, Naphtali; sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, Asher.]

30 43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses. [31 1] And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that 65 which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as beforetime. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, and said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as 70 beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bare 75 speckled and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy wages; then bare all the flock ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I. And he said, I have seen all that Laban 80 doeth unto thee. I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst

:

a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? 85 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our money.1 For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon 90 the camels; and he carried away all his cattle. Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian,2 in that he told him not that he fled. So 1 For our money read the price paid for us (R).

2 For Syrian read Aramaean.