Bible Translation: Genesis, Chapter 32

Angels of God met Jacob on his way home.

Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau. They delivered this message: “Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. I have been living with Uncle Laban, and now I own a bunch of animals and people. I have sent these messengers to inform my lore of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.”
The messengers returned and told Jacob that Esau was already on his way to meet him with an army of 400 men. This news terrified Jacob. He divided his household into two groups. “If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape.”
Then Jacob prayed for safety.
He stayed where he was for the night, then he selected gifts for Esau. 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 20 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels with their babies, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. He sent each herd with a servant to meet Esau.
“I will try to appease him with gifts. When I finally see him, perhaps he will be friendly.

Overnight, Jacob took his two wives, two servant wives (new show idea for TLC) and eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River, along with his possessions.
But Jacob stayed behind and a man came to wrestle with him until dawn. When the man saw he wouldn’t beat Jacob, he touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it. Then the man said “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
“Your name will no longer be Jacob. From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
The man wouldn’t tell Jacob his name, but he did bless him.
Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning “face of God.” “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared,” he said. Jacob limped away with his dislocated hip as the sun rose over Peniel. (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of that wrestling match.)

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Bible Translation: Genesis, Chapter 31

But Laban’s sons said “Jacob has robbed our father of everything! He has gained wealth at our father’s expense.” Jacob also began noticing a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.
Then God told Jacob to return to the land of his forefathers.
So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to the field where he was watching his flock. “Your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but God has been with me. You know how hard I’ve worked for him, but he’s changed my wages ten times, so God has given me your father’s animals. God has told me to leave this country and return to the land of my birth.”
Rachel and Leah responded, “Sounds good to us! He has reduced our inheritance and rights to those of foreign women. He wasted the profits from our sale. Everything God has given you belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”
So Jacob and his wives took all of their belongings and left. Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
Three days later, Laban was told Jacob had fled, so he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit (the Bible’s words, not mine.) He caught up with Jacob 7 days later, but the night before God warned Laban to leave Jacob alone.
Still, Laban demanded, “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? Why did you deceive me and slip away secretly? Why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast. Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren bye? You have acted very foolishly! I could destroy you, but God told me to leave you alone. I understand you must go, but why have you stolen my gods?” (Apparently Laban was not Christian and worshiped other Gods.)
“I was afraid you would take your daughters from me by force. As for your gods, if you find them, let the thief die! And if you find anything else of yours, I will give it back!” Jacob didn’t know Rachel had stolen them.
Laban searched the tents but Rachel had hidden the idols in her camel’s saddle, which she was sitting on. She said to her dad, “Forgive me if I don’t get up. I’m having my monthly period.” So Laban couldn’t find the idols.
Then Jacob became angry. “What’s my crime? What has caused you to chase after me as if I’m a criminal? Show me what you found! Let our relatives judge between us! For 20 years I have cared for your flocks. There has never been a miscarriage. I never used a ram of yours for food. If any were killed by wild animals, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal. I slaved for 20 years! Fourteen earning your daughters, and six more for your flock. You changed my wages ten times! If my God hadn’t been on my side you would have left me with nothing. But God has seen your abuse. That’s why he rebuked yo ulast night!”

Laban replied, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are mine. Everything you see is mine. Let’s make a covenant.”
Everyone gathered stones and piled them in a heap, then Jacob and Laban sat beside the “witness pile” and ate a covenant meal.
Laban said “May the Lord watch us when we are out of each other’s sight. If you mistreat my daughters or marry other wives, God will see that no one else does. I will never pass this pile to hurt you, and you must never pass to hurt me. I call on the God of our ancestors to serve as judge.”
So Jacob took an oath before God and offered a sacrifice on the mountain. After eating they slept on the mountain.
Laban woke early and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he went home.

Bible Translation: Genesis, Chapter 29

Jacob continued east and 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 well.
It was custom to wait for all of the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. (In case you were wondering.) Jacob asked the shepherds where they were from.
“Haran.”
“Do you know Laban, grandson of Nahor?”
“Yes. Here comes his daughter Rachel with their flock now.”
Jacob removed the stone and watered his cousin’s flock. Then he kissed her and wept aloud. He explained they were cousins and she went to tell Laban.
Laban ran to meet Jacob and kissed him before bringing him home. Jacob told him his story and Laban said “You really are my own flesh and blood! Gotta keep it in the family!”

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for a month, Laban said “You shouldn’t work for me for free just because we’re relatives. How much should I pay you?”
Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he said “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel as my wife.”
“Agreed! Rather you than anyone else. Jacob’s love for her was so strong, the seven years seemed but a few days to him.

Finally, the time came for them to be married.
So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a feast. But that night, in the darkness, Laban took Leah, his older daughter (who was described as lacking a spark in her eyes) to Jacob, and he slept with her.

Jacob woke in the morning and said “What have you done to me? 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 said. “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.” (Could all this not have been explained ahead of time?)
Jacob agreed. A week later he married Rachel and slept with her, too. He loved her much more than Leah. For some reason, he kept his commitment and worked seven additional years for Laban.

When God saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel couldn’t. Leah gave birth to a son that she named Reuben. She said “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
She gave birth to another son and named him Simeon. She said “The Lord heard I was unloved and gave me another son.”
She named her third son Levi and said “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”
She gave birth to one more son, named him Judah, then stopped having children. She said “Now I will praise the Lord!”