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 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 brother, 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 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 Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender-eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well-favoured. And Jacob 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 Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

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And Jacob said unto Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled.' 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 Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. And Jacob 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 first'born. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also 'for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven 'other years.'

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And Jacob did so, and fufilled 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.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: the sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's first-born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. The sons of Rachel; Joseph and Benjamin: and the sons of Bilhah, Dan and Naphtali: and the sons of Zilpah; Gad and Asher.

Then Jacob 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, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, 'Thus shall ye speak unto 'my lord Esau; "Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now and ‘I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and men-servants, and women-servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I 'may find grace in thy sight."

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And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, 'We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.'

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, 'If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.' And Jacob said, 'O GOD of my father Abraham, and GoD of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, "Return unto thy 'country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with

thee:" 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 bands. Deliver me, I pray

thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of 'Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, "I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the 'sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multi'tude."

And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred

ewes, and twenty rams, thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, 'Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt 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 be thy ser'vant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: ' and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded

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he 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 say ye moreover, "Behold, thy 'servant Jacob is behind us." For he said, 'I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept ' of me.'

So went the present over before him and himself lodged that night in the company. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two women-servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

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 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 those ' with thee?' And he said, 'The children which GOD

hath graciously given thy servant.' Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with 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 drove which I met?" And he said, 'These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.' And Esau said, 'I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.' And Jacob said, ' Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then ' receive my present at my hand for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of GOD, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing 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 the flocks and herds with young are with

me and if men should overdrive them one day, all the 'flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over be'fore his servant and I will lead on softly, according as 'the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able 'to endure, 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.