Genesis 31-35

Genesis


Chapters 31-35

Jacob Leaves Laban’s Household 31[1-3] But Jacob heard Laban’s sons saying about him, “Jacob has taken what belonged to our father. Everything he has he has gotten from our father.” And Jacob saw that Laban’s attitude toward him was not good. Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your father and your family, and I’ll be with you.” [4-9] So Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the field where he was watching his flock. He said to them, “I’ve seen that your father’s attitude toward me isn’t good. But the God of my father has been with me. You know how hard I’ve worked for your father, but he has cheated me and changed my pay ten times. But God has not allowed him to hurt me. If he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your pay,’ the whole flock had speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, ‘The striped animals will be your pay,’ then the whole flock had striped young. So God has taken your father’s animals and given them to me. [10-13] “One time when the goats were mating, I had a dream and saw that the males mating with the females were striped, speckled, and spotted. Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I said, ‘Yes, here I am.’ Then the angel said, ‘Look, see that only the striped, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. I’ve seen everything that has been done to you by Laban. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the stone and made your promise to Me. Now get up and leave this country and go back to the land of your birth.’” [14-16] Rachel and Leah answered, “Is there any inheritance left for us in our father’s house? He treats us like strangers. He sold us, used up all our money. Everything God has given you from our father really belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.” [17-21] So Jacob got up and put his wives and children on camels. Then he took all his tame animals and everything he had gotten in Paddan-aram with him and set out for the land of Canaan, to his father, Isaac. Now Laban was shearing his sheep, so Rachel stole her father’s false gods of the household and took them with her. So Jacob secretly left Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that they planned to go. So Jacob left with everything he had and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead. Laban Chases Jacob [22-25] Three days later, Laban was told that Jacob had left. So he gathered a group of his family and chased him down, catching up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead. But the night before, God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, “Be careful what you speak to Jacob.” So when Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s.

[26-30] So Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, leaving without telling me? You took my daughters away like prisoners of war! Why did you go without telling me? I might have sent you away with happiness and singing, with tambourines and harps. You didn’t let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye. That was a stupid thing to do! I could hurt you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Be careful what you speak to Jacob.’ I know that you’ve gone because you wanted to go home. But why have you stolen my gods?” [31-32] So Jacob answered, “I left secretly because I was afraid, thinking you might take your daughters away from me by force. And if you find those false gods of yours, you may kill the person who has taken them! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, show it to us before all these family of ours and take it with you!” But Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the household gods. [33-35] Then Laban went into Jacob’s tent to search there, then into Leah’s, and then into the tents of the two servant wives, but he didn’t find them. So finally, he went into Rachel’s tent. But Rachel had taken the household gods and hidden them under her camel’s saddle, and was sitting on them. When Laban had searched all through her tent without finding them, she said to her father, “I hope it doesn’t upset you that I can’t get up for you. I’m on my period.” So Laban kept on searching, but he could not find his household gods. [36-42] Then Jacob got angry, and questioned Laban, “What’s my crime? What have I done wrong to make you chase after me like this? You’ve gone through everything I own. Now if you’ve found anything that belongs to you, set it out here in front of our family, for all to see. Let them judge between us! For twenty years I’ve been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I’ve never eaten a ram of your flock. If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never brought it to you. You required me to take the loss myself! You made me pay you back for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night. I worked for you through the heat of the day and the cold nights, loosing my own sleep. For twenty years I’ve worked in your house! I’ve worked for fourteen years for your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock, and you changed my pay ten times! If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse of me and my hard work, and told you to leave me alone last night!” Jacob’s Treaty with Laban [43-47] Then Laban said to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what could I do to my own daughters and their children? So come, let’s make a promise, you and I, and it’ll be a witness between us.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap, eating on it. In recognition of the event, Laban called the place Jegar-sahadutha (which means “witness pile” in Aramaic), and Jacob called it Galeed (which means “witness pile” in Hebrew). [48-53] Then Laban said, “This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the promise we have made to each other today.” This is why it was called Galeed. But it was also called Mizpah (which means “watchtower”), for Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me when we are apart from each other. If you abuse my daughters or if you marry other wives besides them, God will see it even if no one else does. See, God is a witness between us. I’ve set this pile of stones between us as a witness. They stand between us as witnesses of our promise that I’ll never pass this pile of stones to hurt you, and you must never pass these stones to hurt me. I call on the God of our ancestors, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor, to serve as a judge between us.” So Jacob promised by the God of his father, Isaac.

[54-55] Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and called everyone to come eat. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. Then Laban got up early the next morning, and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and went back home. 32[1-2] As Jacob began to go, the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said excitedly, “This is God’s camp!” So he named the place Mahanaim. Jacob Sends Gifts to Esau [3-5] Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in Seir in the land of Edom. He told them, “ Tell my brother Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, ‘Until now I’ve been living with Uncle Laban, and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women. I’ve sent these messengers to tell you of my coming, hoping that I’ll be treated kindly by you.’” [6-8] The messengers came back to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he’s coming to meet you with 400 men!” And Jacob was very scared when he heard this news, so he divided his household, along with the flocks, herds, and camels, into two groups, thinking, “If Esau meets one group and attacks it, maybe the other group will escape.” [9-12] Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and my father, Isaac, Yahweh, who told me, ‘Go back to your own land and to your family and I’ll treat you well.’ I’m not worthy of even a little of all the mercy and truth you’ve shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I had nothing but my walking stick, and now my household is two large camps! O God, please save me from the power of my brother, Esau. I’m afraid that he’s coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. But you promised me, ‘I’ll surely treat you well, and I’ll grow your descendants until they become as many as the sands along the seashore, more than you can count.’” [13-16] And Jacob stayed where he was for the night and took whatever came to his hand as gifts for his brother, Esau: 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels along with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. He gave them to his servants, separating each herd by itself. Then he told his servants, “Go ahead of me, but keep some distance between the herds.” [17-21] He told the men leading the first group: “When my brother, Esau, meets you, and asks, ‘Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?’ Tell him, ‘They belong to your little brother Jacob, who sends them as a gift for his older brother, Esau. Look, he’s coming behind us.’” And Jacob gave the same instructions to the second, and third, and all who followed behind the herds: “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, ‘Look, your little brother Jacob is coming behind us.’ I’ll try to calm him down by sending gifts ahead of me and when I see him face to face, maybe he’ll be kind to me.” So the gifts were sent ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp. Jacob Wrestles with God [22-26] That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. After taking them to the other side, he sent over everything he owned. When Jacob was left alone in the camp, someone came and wrestled with him until the sun began to come up. So realizing that Jacob wasn’t giving up, the angel touched Jacob’s hip and it came out of its socket. Then the angel said, “Let me go; the sun is coming up!” But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” [27-32] So the angel asked, “What’s your name?” and he said, “Jacob.” So the angle said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but you’ll be called Israel, because you’ve struggled with both God and men and haven’t given up.” Then Jacob said, “Please tell me your name?” But the angel said, “Why do you want to know my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there. So Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I’ve seen God face to face, yet my life is spared.” The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because his hip was hurt. (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the angel pulled the tendon of Jacob’s hip.) Jacob Makes Peace with Esau

33[1-4] Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. He put the servant wives and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then Jacob went on ahead, and as he came to his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times. Then Esau ran to meet him and hugged him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both cried. [5-11] Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?” “These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob said. Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him. Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him. “And what do you mean by all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked. So Jacob said, “They’re a gift, brother, that I might please you.” Esau answered, “I have more than enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” But Jacob insisted, “No, if you’re pleased with me, please take this gift from me. Because I have seen your face again and you were pleased with me, it’s like seeing the face of God! Please take this gift I’ve brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And Jacob wouldn’t take no for an answer, so Esau took it. [12-16] So Esau said, “Let’s take our trip and go. I’ll lead the way.” But Jacob said, “You can see that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die. Please, Esau, go on ahead of me. We will follow slowly, at the right pace for the animals and the children and I’ll meet you at Seir.” So Esau said, “Yes, but at least let me tell some of my men to guide and protect you.” But Jacob answered, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve accepted me kindly, Esau!” So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day.

[17-20] Jacob then traveled on to Succoth, where he built himself a house and made shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”). Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob went safely to the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town. Then Jacob bought from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of land where he camped for 100 pieces of silver, and built an altar there and named it El-Elohe-Israel. Jacob’s Sons take Revenge against Shechem 34[1-4] One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he took her and raped her, forcing her to have sex with him. But then he fell in love with her, and spoke kindly to the young woman. He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young woman. I want to marry her.” [5-7] Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah, but his sons were out in the fields herding the animals, so he said nothing until they came back. Then Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to speak with Jacob. Jacob’s sons came in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were very upset and angry that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s daughter, by having sex with her, something that should never be done. [8-10] Then Hamor spoke with Jacob and his sons, saying, “My son, Shechem, is truly in love with your daughter. Please let him marry her and let’s make other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we’ll give you our daughters for your sons. And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Live here and trade with us, and buy property for yourselves in the land.” [11-17] Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers, saying, “Let me please you, and marry your daughter. I’ll give you whatever you ask. No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I’ll pay it, if you just give me the young woman as my wife.” But since Shechem had shamed their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons lied to Shechem and his father, Hamor, saying to them, “We couldn’t do this, because it would be a disgrace to us for our sister to marry a man who hasn’t cut off his foreskin! But if every man among you will have his foreskin cut off like we are, then we’ll give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. But if you don’t agree to cut your foreskins off, we’ll take her and go.” [18-23] Hamor and his son Shechem liked what they said, so Shechem wasted no time in doing what they asked, because he loved Jacob’s daughter, being more honorable than the rest of his family. So he went with his father, Hamor, to talk to the leaders at the city gate, saying, “These men are friendly towards us. Let them live here among us and trade with us. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. But they’ll only stay here and becoming one people with us if all of our men have their foreskins cut off, just as they are. If we do this, all their animals and everything they own will be ours. Let’s do what they ask and they’ll live here with us.” [24-26] So they all agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the city had their foreskins cut off. But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and went boldly into the city, slaughtering every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. [27-29] Later, the rest of Jacob’s sons went in and took all the valuables in the city because their sister had been shamed there. They took all the sheep, oxen, and donkeys, everything inside the city and outside in the fields. They took all the valuables out of their houses, and took all their little children and wives as captives. [30-31] Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You’ve caused me nothing but trouble! You’ve made me horrible to all the people of this land, both the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are few, so they’ll gather together and kill me and my family. My whole family will be destroyed!” But they said to him, “Should we let him treat our sister like a whore?” Jacob’s goes back to Bethel 35[1-3] Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and go to Bethel and live there. Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, wash yourselves, and put on clean clothes. Let’s get ready and go to Bethel, where I’ll build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in trouble, and has been with me wherever I’ve gone.” So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the pistachio tree near Shechem. As they set out, the terror of God came over all the cities around them, and no one came after Jacob’s family. [6-8] Then Jacob and his family got to Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau. Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the pistachio tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “tree of weeping”). [9-13] God appeared to Jacob again at Bethel, when he came from Padan-Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you won’t be called Jacob any more. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. Then God said, “I am God Almighty. Create more of your own kind and make many more people. You’ll become a great nation, and later, many nations. Kings will come from your line of descendants! And I’ll give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I’ll give it to you and your descendants after you.” After speaking with Jacob, God went up from there. [14-15] Jacob set up a stone to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed it with olive oil. And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. The Death of Rachel [16-20] Then they left Bethel, and when there was only a little farther to go to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor to have her baby and she was in hard labor. When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, you’ll have this son, too!” And so as Rachel was dying, she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”), but his father called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it’s the stone of Rachel’s grave to this day. [21-22] Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond the tower of Eder. While he was living there, Reuben had sex with Bilhah, his father’s servant wife, and Jacob heard about it. [23-26] These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram. [27-29] So Jacob went back to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. Isaac lived for 180 years and died, joining his ancestors, being very old. His sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him together.