Genesis 28:16–29:14
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep,x he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!y This is none other than the house of God;z this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his heada and set it up as a pillarb and poured oil on top of it.c 19 He called that place Bethel,e d though the city used to be called Luz.e
20 Then Jacob made a vow,f saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over meg on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wearh 21 so that I return safelyi to my father’s household,j then the Lordf will be my Godk 22 andg this stone that I have set up as a pillarl will be God’s house,m and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.n”
29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.o 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.p The stoneq over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stoner away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.s Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”t
“We’re from Harran,u” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”v
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachelw with the sheep.x”
7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stoney has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will waterz the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,a for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachelb daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stonec away from the mouth of the well and wateredd his uncle’s sheep.e 11 Then Jacob kissedf Rachel and began to weep aloud.g 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relativeh of her father and a son of Rebekah.i So she ran and told her father.j
13 As soon as Labank heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced himl and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”m
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,