eak, but Rachel was beautiful.
Jacob loved Rachel, and so he said, "I will serve you seven years for
Rachel your younger daughter." And Laban said, "It is better for me to
give her to you than to give her to any other man. Stay with me." So
Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few
days, because he loved her so.

Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is up, and let
me marry her." So Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a
feast. In the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him,
and Jacob received her as his wife.

When in the morning Jacob found it was Leah, he said to Laban, "What is
this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have
you deceived me?" Laban said, "It is not the custom among us to give the
younger in marriage before the older. Remain with this one during the
marriage week, then we will give you the other also for the service
which you shall give me during seven more years." Jacob did so: he
remained with Leah during the marriage week. Then Laban gave him Rachel
his daughter to be his wife, but Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. So
he had to serve Laban seven years more.

MEETING A BROTHER WHO HAD BEEN WRONGED

In time Jacob became very wealthy, and he had large flocks, slaves, and
asses. But he heard Laban's sons say, "Jacob has taken all that was our
father's, and from that which was our father's he has gotten all this
wealth." He also saw that Laban did not act toward him the same as
before. So Jacob rose and put his sons and his wives upon the camels and
drove away all his cattle. He deceived Laban, for he did not tell him
that he was fleeing away. So he fled across the river Euphrates, with
all that he had, and set out on his way toward Mount Gilead.

Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau. And he gave
them this command, "Say to my lord Esau: 'Your servant Jacob declares, I
have lived with Laban and have stayed until now. I have oxen and asses,
flocks and slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may
win your favor.'" The messengers returned to Jacob with the report, "We
came to your brother Esau, even as he was coming to meet you with four
hundred men."

Then Jacob was greatly alarmed and worried. So he divided the people
that were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels into two
parts and said, "If Esau comes to the one and attacks and destroys it,
th