ISAAC
The Story of a Man Who Was Quiet and Gentle in His Nature, Who Lived in Peace with God and Man.
ISAAC AND REBEKAH.
How Abraham Sought a Fair Maiden of Nahor to be His Son's Wife.
And Abraham was old, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
And Abraham said to his servant, who ruled over all that he had, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
And the servant said unto him, "Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?"
And Abraham said to him, "Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my nativity, and that spoke unto me, and that swore unto me, saying, 'Unto thy family will I give this land'; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt [{50}] take a wife for my son from thence. And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son thither again."
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly things of his master's in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray thee, good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink'; and she shall say, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also': let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.'"
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the maiden was very fair to look upon, and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher."
And she said, "Drink, my lord": and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking."
And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. And the man looked steadfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, "Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?"
And she said unto him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor." She said moreover unto him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
And the man bowed his head, and worshiped the Lord. And he said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken his mercy and his truth toward my master: as for me, the Lord hath led me in the way to the house of my master's brethren."
And the maiden ran, and told her mother's house according to these words. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain. And it came to pass, when he saw the [{52}] ring, and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah, his sister, saying, "Thus spoke the man unto me"; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.
And he said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the men's feet that were with him.
And there was set food before him to eat: but he said, "I will not eat, until I have told mine errand."
And he said, "Speak on."
And he said, "I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses. And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, 'Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.' And I said unto my master, 'Peradventure the woman will not follow me.' And he said unto me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.'
REBEKAH
By Goodall.
"And I came this day unto the fountain, and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden which cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say, "Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink"; and she shall say to me, "Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels": let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed for my master's son.' And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew: and I said unto her, 'Let me drink, I pray thee.' And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also': so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter art thou?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him': and I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The [{56}] thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken."
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto the Lord. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away unto my master."
And her brother and her mother said, "Let the maiden abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go."
And he said unto them, "Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master."
And they said, "We will call the maiden, and inquire of her."
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, "Wilt thou go with this man?"
And she said, "I will go." And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy family possess the gate of those who hate them."
A CAMEL RIDER
From a photograph belonging to Miss Clara L. Bodman and used by her kind permission.
And Rebekah arose, and her maidservants, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. And she said unto the servant, "What man is this who walketh in the field to meet us?"
And the servant said, "It is my master": and she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. And Isaac brought her to his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM.
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. And Abraham died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah, his wife. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son.
JACOB
The Story of the Man Who Struggled Much Between Right and Wrong and Who Suffered Many Things.
THE STRIFE BETWEEN THE BROTHERS.
Esau Sells His Birthright. Jacob Deceives His Father and Receives the Blessing Intended for Esau.
(Isaac, the son of Abraham, and Rebekah, his wife, had twin sons, named Jacob and Esau. Esau was a bold, rough, reckless boy, fond of hunting and adventure. Jacob was more quiet, but also more cunning. The recklessness of Esau and the cunning of Jacob many times cost them dear in later life.)
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint: and Esau said to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint."
And Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright."
And Esau said, "Behold, I am at the point of death: and what profit shall the birthright be to me?"
And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day"; and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and [{61}] he ate and drank, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright.
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son": and he said to him, "Here am I."
And he said, "Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die."
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying, 'Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.' Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death."
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing."
And his mother said unto him, "Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them."
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, "My father": and he said, "Here am I; who art thou, my son?"
And Jacob said unto his father, "I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me."
And Isaac said unto his son, "How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?"
And he said, "Because the Lord thy God sent me good speed."
And Isaac said unto Jacob, "Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not."
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."
And he knew him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
And he said, "Art thou my very son Esau?"
JACOB'S DREAM
By Murillo
And he said, "I am."
And he said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee."
And he brought it near to him, and he ate: and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son." And he came near, and kissed him.
And he smelled the smell of his garment, and blessed him, and said,--
"See, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
And God give thee of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of corn and wine:
Let peoples serve thee,
And nations bow down to thee:
Be lord over thy brethren,
And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee:
Cursed be everyone that curseth thee,
And blessed be everyone that blesseth thee."
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father; and he said unto his father, "Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me."
And Isaac his father said unto him, "Who art thou?"
And he said, "I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau." And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, "Who then is he that hath taken venison and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before thou earnest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed."
When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, "Bless me, even me also, O my father."
And he said, "Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing."
And he said, "Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing."
And he said, "Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?"
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what then shall I do for thee, my son?"
And Esau said unto his father, "Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father."
And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him:--
"Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling,
And of the dew of heaven from above;
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; [{67}] And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose,
That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck."
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob."
And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, "Behold, thy brother Esau comforts himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"
JACOB GOES FORTH FROM HOME.
He Dreams a Dream of of Ladder Reaching to Heaven.
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy family with thee; that thou mayest [{68}] inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham."
And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan"; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram.
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he came upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy family; and thy family shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy family shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for [{69}] I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not."
And he was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."
JACOB AND RACHEL.
How Jacob Served Seven Years for the Woman He Loved.
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and the stone upon the well's mouth was great. And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and [{70}] put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place. And Jacob said unto them, "My brethren, whence are 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 it well with him?"
And they said, "It 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 they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep."
While he yet spoke with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's nephew, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob 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 Jacob, "Because thou art my nephew, 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 Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. And Jacob loved Rachel; and he 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 Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
JACOB SETS OUT FOR HIS NATIVE LAND.
He Is Pursued by Laban, but a Covenant of Peace Is Made Between Them.
(Jacob also took Leah to be his wife. After many years of service, in which time many sons and daughters were born to him, Jacob, who increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses, wished to depart from the household of his father-in-law to his native land. So he went away secretly, with his wives and all his possessions. )
Now Laban was angry, and pursued Jacob, and Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, "What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives of the [{72}] sword? Wherefore didst thou flee 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? now hast thou done foolishly. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying, 'Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.'"
And Jacob was wroth with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, "What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me? This twenty years have I been with thee. The sheep of the flock which were torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of them; of my hand didst thou require them, 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 fled from mine eyes. These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight."
HEBRON
Hebron, famous in Old Testament story, is to-day one of the four sacred cities of the Moslems. It is in a little valley surrounded by hills, which are still covered with vineyards.
And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks 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 borne? And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee."
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, "Gather stones"; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they ate there by the heap. And Laban called it "Jegar-sahadutha": but Jacob called it Galeed.
And Laban said, "This heap is witness between me and thee this day." Therefore was the name of it called Galeed: and "Mizpah" (that is, watchtower), for he said,
"The Lord watch between me and thee,
When we are absent one from another."
"If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee."
And Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set between me and thee. This heap be witness, and the 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 God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us."
And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain. And early in the morning [{76}] Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's host": and he called the name of that place Mahanaim (that is, Two Hosts).
JACOB FEARS THE WRATH OF ESAU.
He Wrestles with the Angel. The Brothers Meet and are Reconciled.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, "Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau; 'Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now: and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and menservants and maidservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.'"
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him."
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies; and he said, "If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall escape."
THE VALLEY OF THE JABBOK
From a photograph taken by Prof. H. G. Mitchell and used by his kind permission.
Over this stream Jacob sent his family and his flock while he remained to wrestle with the angel through the night.
And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst unto me, 'Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good': I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two companies. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. And thou saidst, 'I will surely do thee good, and make thy family as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"
And he lodged there that night; and took of that which he had with him a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself; and said unto his servants, "Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove."
And he commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, 'Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?' then thou shalt say, 'They are thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, he also is behind us.'"
And he commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, "On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him; and ye shall say, 'Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.'"
For he said, "I will appease him with the present that [{80}] goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me."
So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the company.
And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his eleven children, and passed over the ford of Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him. And he said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh."
And he said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."
And he said unto him, "What is thy name?"
And he said, "Jacob."
And he said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
And Jacob asked him and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name."
And he said, "Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?"
And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Penuel: for, said he, "I have seen God face, to face, and my life is preserved."
NABLOUS, THE ANCIENT SHECHEM, IN THE VALLEY BETWEEN MOUNTS EBAL AND GERIZIM
Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.
The first camping place of Abraham. Jacob built an altar here, and dug a well, and here Joseph was buried. Joshua set up a great stone "as a witness" here at the end of his life. It was here at "Jacob's well," about a mile and a half from the town, that Jesus met the woman of Samaria.
And the sun rose upon him as he passed over Penuel, and he limped upon his thigh.
And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, "Who are these with thee?"
And he said, "The children which God hath graciously given thy servant."
Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, "What meanest thou by all this company which I met?"
And he said, "To find grace in the sight of my lord." And Esau said, "I have enough; my brother, let that which thou hast be thine."
And Jacob said, "Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I [{84}] pray thee, my gift that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough."
And he urged him, and he took it.
And he said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee."
And he said unto him, "My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir."
And Esau said, "Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me."
And he said, "What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord."
So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. And he bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. And he erected there an altar, and called it "God, the God of Israel."
BETHEL
Photograph taken by Mrs. Frank L. Goodspeed, of Springfield, Mass., and used by her kind permission.
One of Abraham's camping grounds and the place of Jacob's dream.
JACOB ERECTS AN ALTAR AT BETH-EL.
He Is Given a New Name. The Death of Rachel.
And God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."
And they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed: and a great terror was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz (the same is Beth-el), he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place, "The God of Beth-el": because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. And Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried below Beth-el under the oak: and the name of it was called "The Oak of Weeping."
And God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any [{88}] more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name:" and he called his name Israel.
And God said unto him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come from thee; and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy family after thee will I give the land."
And God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone: and he poured out a drink offering thereon, and poured oil thereon. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, "Beth-el."
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
(In this place Jacob lived for many years; but the sorrow that came to him, and the wonderful things that befell him in his old age, and how he journeyed to Egypt, and died there, are told in the next story, the story of Joseph, his son.)
MOSES
From the frieze of the Prophets, by Sargent, in the Boston Public Library.
