and I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will become my God.

So Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with her.

God paid attention to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time.

Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.

But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, for I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

“You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, “and how well your livestock have fared under my care.

When the sheep mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether it was taken by day or at night.

Jacob sent messengers on ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region of Edom.

Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.”

But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart.”

God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him.

Now Joseph’s brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams!

Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes,

returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?”

Now in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. Judah acquired her as a wife and had marital relations with her.

Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up a descendant for your brother.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile.