Complete my older daughter&#8217;s bridal week.<n id="1" /> Then we will give you the younger one<n id="2" /> too, in exchange for seven more years of work.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

Jacob became furious<n id="1" /> with Rachel and exclaimed, &#8220;Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?&#8221;<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">After Rachel had given birth<n id="1" /> to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, &#8220;Send<n id="2" /> me on my way so that I can go<n id="3" /> home to my own country.<n id="4" />

Indeed,<n id="1" /> you had little before I arrived,<n id="2" /> but now your possessions have increased many times over.<n id="3" /> The <sc>Lordsc> has blessed you wherever I worked.<n id="4" /> But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.

He left<n id="1" /> with all he owned. He quickly crossed<n id="2" /> the Euphrates River<n id="3" /> and headed for<n id="4" /> the hill country of Gilead.p>

When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed,<n id="1" /> &#8220;This is the camp of God!&#8221; So he named that place Mahanaim.<n id="2" />p>

Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

But you<n id="1" /> said, &#8216;I will certainly make you prosper<n id="2" /> and will make<n id="3" /> your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Esau<n id="1" /> then asked, &#8220;What did you intend<n id="2" /> by sending all these herds to meet me?&#8221;<n id="3" /> Jacob<n id="4" /> replied, &#8220;To find favor in your sight, my lord.&#8221;

Please take my present<n id="1" /> that was brought to you, for God has been generous<n id="2" /> to me and I have all I need.&#8221;<n id="3" /> When Jacob urged him, he took it.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So Esau said, &#8220;Let me leave some of my men with you.&#8221;<n id="1" /> &#8220;Why do that?&#8221; Jacob replied.<n id="2" /> &#8220;My lord has already been kind enough to me.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near<n id="1" /> the city.

Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it<n id="1" /> from the sons of Hamor, Shechem&#8217;s father, for a hundred pieces of money.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Shechem said to Dinah&#8217;s<n id="1" /> father and brothers, &#8220;Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me<n id="2" /> I&#8217;ll give.<n id="3" />

You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive,<n id="1" /> and I&#8217;ll give<n id="2" /> whatever you ask<n id="3" /> of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Jacob&#8217;s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem<n id="1" /> had violated their sister Dinah.

They said to them, &#8220;We cannot give<n id="1" /> our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace<n id="2" /> to us.

Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand<n id="1" /> that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.

They captured as plunder<n id="1" /> all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.p>