promised Jacob that He would be with him wherever he went,
and that he and his children should have the land in which he was at
that time.

[Illustration: Upon this ladder angels went up and down.]

When Jacob awoke he made a pillar of the stone upon which his head had
rested, poured oil upon it, and called the name of the place Bethel.
Then he made a vow that if God would go with him and provide for him he
would serve Him and give to Him a tenth part of all he possessed.

Although Jacob knew a good deal about God, up to this time he had no
personal knowledge of Him, but during, this, his first night from home,
he had, in a vision, seen God and heard His voice in the most gracious
of promises. His whole life was changed, and from that time he was
God's man.

Then Jacob went on his way again and came to a well near Haran, where
Laban lived. This well was not like the one where Eliezer, the steward
of Abraham, had first seen the maiden who became Jacob's mother. It
was more like a cistern or tank with an opening at the top which was
covered by a great stone which had to be rolled away to get at the
water.

Three flocks of sheep were lying near by and Jacob asked the shepherds
if they knew Laban and why they did not water their flocks. The men
told him that they knew Laban and that they were waiting for his sheep
to arrive and then all the flocks would be watered.

Just then Rachel, one of the daughters of Laban, appeared with her
father's sheep, and the shepherds told Jacob who she was. Then Jacob
went to the well, rolled the stone away, and watered Laban's sheep.
Then he told Rachel who he was and she hastened away to tell her father.

When Laban heard who had come to visit him he ran to meet Jacob and
made him welcome just as he had done years before when his sister
Rebekah had told him of her meeting with her uncle's steward outside
the city of Nahor.

[Illustration: Meeting of Eliezer and the maiden who became Jacob's
mother.]

Jacob staid with Laban for a month, helping him with his flocks and
becoming more and more in love with Rachel. Then Laban asked him if he
would like to be his shepherd and if so what wages he would wish.
Jacob told Laban he would serve him seven years for his daughter Rachel
and so the bargain was made. We are told that, "Jacob served seven
years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love
he had to her."

But Laban was as crafty as Jacob had been wh