Month: June 2025

“All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.” But that very day Laban went out and removed the. male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. Heh placed them in the care of his own sons, who took them a three-days journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock

Then Jacob took some fresh branches form the poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. And when the mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time, he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s.

Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. But he didn’t do this to the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. As a result, Jacob became very wealthy with large flocks of sheep and gods, female and male servants, and many camels and donkeys. (vv. 34-43, NLT)

(During the next few years, Jacob’s children included: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, Joseph, and Benjamin.)

Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country. Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”

“Please listen to me, ” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

Jacob replied, “You know how I’ve worked hard for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown from under my care. You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord blessed you through everything I’ve done. But ow what about me? When can I start providing for my family.”

“What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything, just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks. Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all of the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give me these as my wages. In the future, when, you check on your animals you have give me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. You will find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any of the sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.” (vv. 25-33, NLT)

When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a sone. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She. named him Judah for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And she stopped having children.” (vv. 31-35, NLT)

Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood, and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

But when Jacob woke up in the morning- it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

“It’s not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. Bu twait until the bridal week is over, then we’ll give you Rachel, too-provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave her him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. (vv. 21-30, NLT)

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. There was not sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven year if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than anyone else. Stay and work with me.” So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. (vv. 14b-20, NLT)

Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous at the dust of the earth! They will spread out all directions-to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised to you.”

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” (vv. 10-17, NLT)

So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. Instead , go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather, Bethuel, and marry one of your Uncle Laban’s daughters. May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings He promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are not living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”

So Issac sent Jacob away and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel and Aramean.

Esau know that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ismael’s daughters, in addtion to the wives he already had. His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Neboaith and the daughter of Ismael, Abraham’s son. (vv. 1-9, NLT)

So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Issac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!”

“From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, my God always give you abundant harvests of gran and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants and bow down to you! May you be the master over your brothers and may your. mother’s sons bow down to you! All who curse you will be cursed and al who bless you will be blessed.”

As son as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father , Esau returned from his hunt. Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.”

But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?

Esau replied, “It’s your son, you firstborn son, Esau.”

Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!”

When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.

But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”

Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he too my rights as firstborn, and how he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”

Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine-what is left for me to give you, my son?”

Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.

Finally, his father , Isaac, aid to him, “You will live away from the riches of the earth, and away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yolk from his neck.” (vv. 27-40, NLT)

So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal , just the way Isaac liked it. Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. She covered his arms and the the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.

So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.

“Yes, my son, Isaac answered. “Who are you-Esau or Jacob?”

Jacob replied, It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. NO sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”

Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God put it in m path.!” Jacob replied.

Then Isaac sai to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau..” So Jacob went closer to his father and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands re Esau’s,” Isaac said. But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.

Then Isaac said, “Now my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.: So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac at it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.” (vv.14-26, NLT)

One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”

“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.

“I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. Take your bow and quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”

But Rebekah over heard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left ot hunt for the wild game, she said, to her son, Jacob, “Listen, I overheard your father say to Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so that he can eat and bless you before he dies.”

“But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I am trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”

But his mother replied, “Then let the the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go and get the goats for me!” (vv. 1-13, NLT)