Genesis 27-29 - Prayer Tents

Genesis 27

Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

27One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, "My son." "Yes, Father?" Esau replied.H1961H3327H2204H5869H3543H7200H7121H6215H1419H1121H559H1121H5592"I am an old man now," Isaac said, "and I don't know when I may die.H559H2204H3045H3117H41943Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me.H5375H3627H8522H7198H3318H7704H6679H6718H67204Prepare 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."H6213H4303H834H157H935H398H5315H1288H2962H41915But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game,H7259H8085H3327H1696H6215H1121H6215H3212H7704H6679H6718H9356she said to her son Jacob, "Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau,H7259H559H3290H1121H559H8085H1H1696H6215H251H5597'Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.'H935H6718H6213H4303H398H1288H6440H3068H6440H41948Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you.H1121H8085H6963H834H66809Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I'll use them to prepare your father's favorite dish.H3212H6629H3947H8147H2896H1423H5795H6213H4303H1H15710Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies."H935H1H398H834H1288H6440H419411"But look," Jacob replied to Rebekah, "my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.H3290H559H7259H517H6215H251H8163H376H2509H37612What if my father touches me? He'll see that I'm trying to trick him, and then he'll curse me instead of blessing me."H1H4959H5869H8591H935H7045H129313But his mother replied, "Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!"H517H559H7045H1121H8085H6963H3212H394714So 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.H3212H3947H935H517H517H6213H4303H1H15715Then she took Esau's favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob.H7259H3947H2532H899H1419H1121H6215H1004H3847H3290H6996H112116She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats.H3847H5785H1423H5795H3027H2513H667717Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.H5414H4303H3899H6213H3027H1121H329018So Jacob took the food to his father. "My father?" he said. "Yes, my son," Isaac answered. "Who are you—Esau or Jacob?"H935H1H559H1H559H112119Jacob replied, "It's Esau, your firstborn son. I've done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing."H3290H559H1H6215H1060H6213H1696H6965H3427H398H6718H5315H128820Isaac asked, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The LORD your God put it in my path!" Jacob replied.H3327H559H1121H4672H4116H1121H559H3068H430H7136H644021Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau."H3327H559H3290H5066H4184H1121H2088H1121H621522So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. "The voice is Jacob's, but the hands are Esau's," Isaac said.H3290H5066H3327H1H4959H559H6963H3290H6963H3027H3027H621523But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob's hands felt hairy just like Esau's. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.H5234H3027H8163H251H6215H3027H128824"But are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "Yes, I am," Jacob replied.H559H1121H6215H55925Then 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 ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him.H559H5066H398H1121H6718H5315H1288H5066H398H935H3196H835426Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son."H1H3327H559H5066H5401H112127So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed!H5066H5401H7306H7381H899H1288H559H7200H7381H1121H7381H7704H3068H128828"From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine.H430H5414H2919H8064H4924H776H7230H1715H849229May many nations become your servants, and may they 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 all who bless you will be blessed."H5971H5647H3816H7812H1933H1376H251H517H1121H7812H779H779H1288H128830As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt.H3327H3615H1288H3290H3290H389H3318H3318H6440H3327H1H6215H251H935H671831Esau 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."H6213H4303H935H1H559H1H1H6965H398H1121H6718H5315H128832But Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" Esau replied, "It's your son, your firstborn son, Esau."H3327H1H559H559H1121H1060H621533Isaac 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!"H3327H2729H1419H3966H2731H559H645H6679H6718H935H398H935H1288H128834When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. "Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!" he begged.H6215H8085H1697H1H6817H1419H3966H4751H6818H559H1H1288H135But Isaac said, "Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing."H559H251H935H4820H3947H129336Esau exclaimed, "No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice

. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven't you saved even one blessing for me?"H559H3588H7121H8034H3290H6117H2088H6471H3947H1062H3947H1293H559H680H129337Isaac 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?"H3327H6030H559H6215H7760H1376H251H5414H5650H1715H8492H5564H6213H645H112138Esau pleaded, "But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!" Then Esau broke down and wept.H6215H559H1H259H1293H1H1288H1H6215H5375H6963H105839Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above.H3327H1H6030H559H4186H4924H776H2919H8064H592040You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck."H2719H2421H5647H251H7300H6561H5923H6677

Jacob Flees to Paddan-Aram

41From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: "I will soon be mourning my father's death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob."H6215H7852H3290H5921H1293H834H1H1288H6215H559H3820H3117H60H1H7126H2026H251H329042But Rebekah heard about Esau's plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, "Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you.H1697H6215H1419H1121H5046H7259H7971H7121H3290H6996H1121H559H251H6215H5162H202643So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran.H1121H8085H6963H6965H1272H3837H251H277144Stay there with him until your brother cools off.H3427H259H3117H834H251H2534H772545When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"H251H639H7725H7911H6213H7971H3947H4100H7921H8147H259H311746Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them."H7259H559H3327H6973H2416H6440H1323H2845H3290H3947H802H1323H2845H1323H776H4100H2416

Genesis 28

28So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, "You must not marry any of these Canaanite women.H3327H7121H3290H1288H6680H559H3947H802H1323H36672Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban's daughters.H6965H3212H6307H1004H1328H517H1H3947H802H1323H3837H517H2513May God Almighty

bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations!H410H7706H1288H6509H7235H6951H59714May God pass on to you and your descendants

the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham."H5414H1293H85H2233H3423H776H4033H430H5414H855So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother's brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.H3327H7971H3290H3212H6307H3837H1121H1328H761H251H7259H3290H6215H5176Esau knew 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."H6215H7200H3327H1288H3290H7971H6307H3947H802H1288H6680H559H3947H802H1323H36677He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram.H3290H8085H1H517H3212H63078It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women.H6215H7200H1323H3667H5869H7451H3327H19So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael's family and married one of Ishmael's daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife's name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.H3212H6215H3458H3947H802H4258H1323H3458H85H1121H269H5032H802

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran.H3290H3318H884H3212H277111At 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.H6293H4725H3885H8121H935H3947H68H4725H7760H4763H7901H4725H790112As 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.H2492H5551H5324H776H7218H5060H8064H4397H430H5927H338113At 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.H3068H5324H559H3068H430H85H1H430H3327H776H7901H5414H223314Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in 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.H2233H6083H776H6555H3220H6924H6828H5045H2233H4940H127H128815What'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 you."H8104H834H3212H7725H127H5800H834H6213H169616Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!"H3290H3364H8142H559H403H3068H3426H4725H304517But 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!"H3372H559H3372H4725H1004H430H8179H806418The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.H3290H7925H1242H3947H68H7760H4763H7760H4676H3332H8081H721819He named that place Bethel (which means "house of God"), although it was previously called Luz.H7121H8034H4725H1008H199H8034H5892H3870H722320Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing,H3290H5087H5088H559H430H8104H1870H1980H5414H3899H398H899H384721and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God.H7725H1H1004H7965H3068H43022And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me."H68H7760H4676H430H1004H5414H6237H6237

Genesis 29

Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram

29Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.H3290H5375H7272H3212H776H1121H69242He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.H7200H875H7704H7969H5739H6629H7257H875H8248H5739H1419H68H875H63103It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H7725H68H7725H875H6310H47254Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, "Where are you from, my friends?" "We are from Haran," they answered.H3290H559H251H370H559H27715"Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" he asked. "Yes, we do," they replied.H559H3045H3837H1121H5152H559H30456"Is he doing well?" Jacob asked. "Yes, he's well," they answered. "Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now."H559H7965H559H7965H7354H1323H935H66297Jacob said, "Look, it's still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don't you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?"H559H2005H1419H3117H6256H4735H622H8248H6629H3212H74628"We can't water the animals until all the flocks have arrived," they replied. "Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats."H559H3201H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H66299Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd.H5750H1696H7354H935H1H6629H746210And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle's flock.H3290H7200H7354H1323H3837H517H251H6629H3837H517H251H3290H5066H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H3837H517H25111Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.H3290H5401H7354H5375H6963H105812He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father's side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.H3290H5046H7354H1H251H7259H1121H7323H5046H113As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,H3837H8085H8088H3290H269H1121H7323H7125H2263H5401H935H1004H5608H3837H1697

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

14Laban exclaimed, "You really are my own flesh and blood!" After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,H3837H559H389H6106H1320H3427H3117H232015Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be."H3837H559H3290H251H5647H2600H5046H490916Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.H3837H8147H1323H8034H1419H3812H8034H6996H735417There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes

, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.H3812H7390H5869H7354H3303H8389H3303H475818Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife."H3290H157H7354H559H5647H7651H8141H7354H6996H132319"Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me."H3837H559H2896H5414H5414H312H376H342720So 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.H3290H5647H7651H8141H7354H5869H259H3117H16021Finally, 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."H3290H559H3837H3051H802H3117H4390H93522So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.H3837H622H582H4725H6213H496023But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.H6153H3947H3812H1323H935H93524(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)H3837H5414H1323H3812H2153H8198H819825But 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?"H1242H3812H559H3837H6213H5647H7354H741126"It's not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied.H3837H559H6213H4725H5414H6810H6440H106727"But wait until the bridal week is over, then we'll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me."H4390H2063H7620H5414H5656H5647H7651H312H814128So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.H3290H6213H4390H7620H5414H7354H1323H80229(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)H3837H5414H7354H1323H1090H8198H819830So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.H935H7354H157H7354H3812H5647H7651H312H8141

Jacob’s Many Children

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.H3068H7200H3812H8130H6605H7358H7354H613532So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben

, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me."H3812H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H7205H3588H559H3588H3068H7200H6040H3588H376H15733She 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."H2029H3205H1121H559H3068H8085H8130H5414H7121H8034H809534Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi

, for she said, "Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!"H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H376H3867H3205H7969H1121H8034H7121H387835Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah

, for she said, "Now I will praise the LORD!" And then she stopped having children.H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H3034H3068H7121H8034H3063H5975H3205