Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

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,

so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and the LORD will be my God,

then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you.”

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

He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large.

There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well’s mouth in its place.

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

He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”

He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.”

He said, “Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”

While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.

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 him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month.

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

Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.

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

Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”

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.”

Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.