then you must say,<n id="1" /> &#8216;They belong<n id="2" /> to your servant Jacob.<n id="3" /> They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau.<n id="4" /> In fact Jacob himself is behind us.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.p>

<p class="poetry">These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.p>

<p class="bodytext">All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob&#8217;s sons.)<n id="1" />

When Jacob was told,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Your son Joseph has just<n id="2" /> come to you,&#8221; Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.

<p class="poetry">For there is no spell against<n id="1" /> Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">nor is there any divination against Israel.p> <p class="poetry">At this time<n id="2" /> it must be said<n id="3" /> of Jacobp> <p class="poetry">and of Israel, &#8216;Look at<n id="4" /> what God has done!&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There has never been any like it.p> <p class="poetry">It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">but some of them will be rescued out of it.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1508; (<i>Pei>)p> <p class="poetry">Zion spread out her hands,p> <p class="poetry">but there is no one to comfort her.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has issued a decree against Jacob;p> <p class="poetry">his neighbors<n id="1" /> have become his enemies.p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem has becomep> <p class="poetry">like filthy garbage<n id="2" /> in their midst.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But I<n id="1" /> am full of the courage that the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s Spirit gives,p> <p class="poetry">and have a strong commitment to justice.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,p> <p class="poetry">and Israel with its sin.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I have shown love to you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lord,sc> but you say, &#8220;How have you shown love to us?&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;Esau was Jacob&#8217;s brother,&#8221; the <sc>Lordsc> explains, &#8220;yet I chose Jacob

<p class="bodytext">When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said,<n id="1" /> she quickly summoned<n id="2" /> her younger son Jacob and told him, &#8220;Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she<n id="1" /> became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, &#8220;Give me children<n id="2" /> or I&#8217;ll die!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Moreover,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob.p> <p class="poetry">Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Make your praises heard.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Then say, &#8216;<sc>Lordsc>, rescue your people.p> <p class="poetry">Deliver those of Israel who remain alive.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power<n id="1" /> over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob.

They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live in it &#8211; they and their children and their grandchildren forever. David my servant will be prince over them forever.