Esau Marries an Ishmaelite – Genesis 28
- Esau, angry at his father Isaac and his brother Jacob over not receiving his blessing, learns that Isaac sent Jacob away so he would not marry a Canaanite woman.
- To try to make his father happy, Esau visits his uncle Ishmael's family and marries one of his daughters, in addition to the wives he already has.
Jacob's Dream
- Jacob leaves Beersheba and journeys toward Haran. One night, he dreams of a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels traveling up and down it.
- God is standing at the top of the ladder, and he tells Jacob that the land he is standing on belonged to his ancestors, and that God will give it to him and his descendants. God also tells him that He will be with Jacob and will bless his descendants.
- Jacob gets up the next morning, sets the rock he used as a pillow for an upright memorial pillar, and pours olive oil over it, calling the place Bethel.
- Jacob vows that if God will protect him on his journey, He will be his God.
Jacob Arrives in Paddan-Aram – Genesis 29
- Jacob arrives in Paddan-Aram and sees flocks of sheep and goats in an open field near a well. Jacob asks the shepherds where they are from, and when they say they are from Haran, he asks if they know Laban, his mother Rebekah's brother.
- They tell him they do know Laban, and that his daughter Rachel is coming with her flock of sheep (she was a shepherd).
- Jacob encourages them to remove the stone from the well to water the sheep and goats, but the shepherds tell him it is tradition to wait until all animals have reached the well before the well is opened. Since the sheep belong to Jacob's uncle, Jacob opens the well and watered the flock. He then kisses Rachel, weeps aloud, and tells her he is her cousin. She runs home to her father to tell him.
- Laban runs out to meet him and brings him back to the house.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel – Genesis 29
- After Jacob has stayed with Laban for about a month, Laban tells him he shouldn't be working for him for free just because he's family, and he asks Jacob how much his wages should be.
- Jacob is in love with Rachel, the younger of Laban's daughters, so he tells Laban he will work for him for seven years if he'll allow him to marry Rachel.
- Jacob works hard for seven years, and Laban agrees that he and Rachel can marry, But after it is dark, Laban takes Leah (who is not beautiful like Rachel) in to Jacob instead. In the morning, Jacob realizes what Laban has done and asks why Laban has tricked him.
- Laban explains that it is not their custom to marry off a younger daughter before an older daughter. He then offers Rachel to Jacob if Jacob will work for him for another seven years.
- A week after his marriage to Leah, Jacob is given Rachel as a wife as well, and he stays and works for Laban for seven more years.
Jacob's Children
- God sees that Jacob does not love Leah like he loves Rachel, so He enables Leah to have many children while Rachel is barren. Within a few years, Leah bears Jacob four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.
- Rachel becomes jealous and tells Jacob to take her maid, Bilhah, as another wife so Rachel can have children through her. Bilhah bears a son, whom Rachel names Dan. Bilhah has another son with Jacob, whom Rachel names Naphtali.
- Leah realizes she isn't getting pregnant anymore, and she has her maid, Zilpah, become another wife for Jacob so Leah can have more children through her. Zilpah then has two sons: Gad and Asher,
- Rachel allows Leah to sleep with Jacob one night, and over a few years she bears Jacob two sons and a daughter: Issachar, Zebulon, and Dinah.
- God remembers Rachel's plight, and she becomes pregnant. She bears Jacob a son, whom she names Joseph.
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