Torah
Bereshit29
Genesis · Chapter 29
Then Ya'aqov went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there
were
three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone
was upon the well’s mouth.
And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
And Ya'aqov said unto them, My brethren, whence
be ye? And they said, Of Haran
are we.
And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know
him.
And he said unto them,
Is he well? And they said,
He is
well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
And he said, Lo,
it is yet high day, neither
is it
time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go
and feed
them.
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and
till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
And it came to pass, when Ya'aqov saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Ya'aqov went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
And Ya'aqov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
And Ya'aqov told Rachel that he
was her father’s brother, and that he
was Rivqah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Ya'aqov his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
And Laban said to him, Surely thou
art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
And Laban said unto Ya'aqov, Because thou
art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what
shall
thy wages
be?
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder
was Le'ah, and the name of the younger
was Rachel.
Le'ah
was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
And Ya'aqov loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
And Laban said,
It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
And Ya'aqov served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him
but a few days, for the love he had to her.
And Ya'aqov said unto Laban, Give
me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Le'ah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And Laban gave unto his daughter Le'ah Zilpah his maid
for
an handmaid.
And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it
was
Le'ah: and he said to Laban, What
is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
And Ya'aqov did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Le'ah, and served with him yet seven other years.
And when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) saw that Le'ah
was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel
was barren.
And Le'ah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) hath heard that I
was hated, he hath therefore given me this
son
also: and she called his name Simeon.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH): therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
Torah
Bereshit30
Genesis · Chapter 30
And when Rachel saw that she bare Ya'aqov no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Ya'aqov, Give me children, or else I die.
And Ya'aqov’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said,
Am
I in Elohim’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Ya'aqov went in unto her.
And Bilhah conceived, and bare Ya'aqov a son.
And Rachel said, Elohim hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Ya'aqov a second son.
And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
When Le'ah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Ya'aqov to wife.
And Zilpah Le'ah’s maid bare Ya'aqov a son.
And Le'ah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
And Zilpah Le'ah’s maid bare Ya'aqov a second son.
And Le'ah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Le'ah. Then Rachel said to Le'ah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.
And she said unto her,
Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.
And Ya'aqov came out of the field in the evening, and Le'ah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
And Elohim hearkened unto Le'ah, and she conceived, and bare Ya'aqov the fifth son.
And Le'ah said, Elohim hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
And Le'ah conceived again, and bare Ya'aqov the sixth son.
And Le'ah said, Elohim hath endued me
with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
And Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, Elohim hath taken away my reproach:
And she called his name Yoseph; and said, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) shall add to me another son.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Yoseph, that Ya'aqov said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
Give
me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes,
tarry: for I have learned by experience that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) hath blessed me for thy sake.
And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give
it.
And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
For
it was little which thou hadst before I
came,
and it is
now increased unto a multitude; and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
And he said, What shall I give thee? And Ya'aqov said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed
and
keep thy flock:
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and
of such shall be my hire.
So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that
is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted,
and every one that had
some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave
them into the hand of his sons.
And he set three days journey betwixt himself and Ya'aqov: and Ya'aqov fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
And Ya'aqov took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which
was in the rods.
And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
And Ya'aqov did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.
And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Ya'aqov laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
But when the cattle were feeble, he put
them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Ya'aqov’s.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
Torah
Bereshit31
Genesis · Chapter 31
And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Ya'aqov hath taken away all that
was our father’s; and of
that which
was
our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.
And Ya'aqov beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it
was
not toward him as before.
And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) said unto Ya'aqov, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
And Ya'aqov sent and called Rachel and Le'ah to the field unto his flock,
And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it
is
not toward me as before; but the Elohim of my father hath been with me.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but Elohim suffered him not to hurt me.
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
Thus Elohim hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given
them
to me.
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle
were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
And the mal'akh of Elohim spake unto me in a dream,
saying, Ya'aqov: And I said, Here
am I.
And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle
are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
I
am the Elohim of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar,
and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
And Rachel and Le'ah answered and said unto him,
Is there
yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
For all the riches which Elohim hath taken from our father, that
is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever Elohim hath said unto thee, do.
Then Ya'aqov rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Yitschaq his father in the land of Canaan.
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that
were her father’s.
And Ya'aqov stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face
toward the mount Gilead.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Ya'aqov was fled.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
And Elohim came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Ya'aqov either good or bad.
Then Laban overtook Ya'aqov. Now Ya'aqov had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
And Laban said to Ya'aqov, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives
taken
with the sword?
Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the Elohim of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Ya'aqov either good or bad.
And now,
though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house,
yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
And Ya'aqov answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what
is thine with me, and take
it
to thee. For Ya'aqov knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
And Laban went into Ya'aqov’s tent, and into Le'ah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found
them not. Then went he out of Le'ah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found
them
not.
And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
And Ya'aqov was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Ya'aqov answered and said to Laban, What
is my trespass? what
is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set
it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
This twenty years
have I
been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
That which was torn
of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it,
whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Except the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Avraham, and the fear of Yitschaq, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. Elohim hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked
thee yesternight.
And Laban answered and said unto Ya'aqov,
These daughters
are my daughters, and
these children
are my children, and
these cattle
are my cattle, and all that thou seest
is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
Now therefore come thou, let us make a b'rit, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
And Ya'aqov took a stone, and set it up
for a pillar.
And Ya'aqov said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Ya'aqov called it Galeed.
And Laban said, This heap
is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
And Mizpah; for he said, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YHWH) watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take
other
wives beside my daughters, no man
is with us; see, Elohim
is witness betwixt me and thee.
And Laban said to Ya'aqov, Behold this heap, and behold
this
pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
This heap
be witness, and
this pillar
be
witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
The Elohim of Avraham, and the Elohim of Nahor, the Elohim of their father, judge betwixt us. And Ya'aqov sware by the fear of his father Yitschaq.
Then Ya'aqov offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.