Since Jacob had fallen in love with ¹  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”

So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ¹  But they seemed like only a few days to him ²  because his love for her was so great. ³ 

Finally Jacob said ¹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ²  I want to have marital relations with her.” ³ 

So Rachel ¹  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ²  her.

When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ¹ 

The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ¹  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ² 

So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ¹ 

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ¹  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ²  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

Jacob sent messengers on ahead ¹  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ²  of Edom.

So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹  wrestled ²  with him until daybreak. ³ 

Then he became very attached ¹  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ² 

Jacob’s sons killed them ¹  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ² 

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

Jacob named the place ¹  where God spoke with him Bethel. ² 

Jacob set up a marker ¹  over her grave; it is ²  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ¹  and mourned for his son many days.

¹ These ²  are the names ³  of the sons of Israel ⁴  who entered Egypt – each man with his household ⁵  entered with Jacob:

All the people ¹  who were directly descended ²  from Jacob numbered seventy. ³  But Joseph was already in Egypt, ⁴ 

For the music director; a psalm of David. May the Lord answer ²  you ³  when you are in trouble; ⁴  may the God of Jacob ⁵  make you secure!