Israel

Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”

Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

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 clothing to put on,

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

Jacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”

When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.

When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.

Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”

Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”

Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”

Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”

Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.

When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Jacob a son.

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.

Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.

God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.

Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.