Gen 29:21-30:24, 35:18, 22-26, 1Ti 5:8 | ESV | STEP | Then Jacob said to Laban , Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed .

Genesis 29:21-35

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and ^amade a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave ^{▼▼Or had given; also verse 29} ^chis female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 ^dComplete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave ^ehis female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban ^ffor another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was ^ghated, ^hhe opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, ^{▼▼ Reuben means See, a son} for she said, “Because the Lord ^jhas looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. ^{▼▼ Simeon sounds like the Hebrew for heard} 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be ^lattached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. ^{▼▼ Levi sounds like the Hebrew for attached} 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name ⁿJudah. ^{▼▼ Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise} Then she ceased bearing.

Genesis 30:1-24

1 When Rachel saw that ^pshe bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, ^qwho has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant ^rBilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth ^son my behalf, ^{▼▼Hebrew on my knees} that even I may have children ^{▼▼Hebrew be built up, which sounds like the Hebrew for children} through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has ^vjudged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. ^{▼▼ Dan sounds like the Hebrew for judged} 7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings ^{▼▼Hebrew With wrestlings of God} I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name ^yNaphtali. ^{▼▼ Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew for wrestling}

9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and ^aagave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, ^ab“Good fortune has come!” so she called his name ^acGad. ^{▼▼ Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune} 12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women ^aehave called me happy.” So she called his name Asher. ^{▼▼ Asher sounds like the Hebrew for happy}

14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found ^agmandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar. ^{▼▼ Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages, or hire}

19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name ^aiZebulun. ^{▼▼ Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor} 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

22 Then God ^akremembered Rachel, and God listened to her and ^alopened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away ^ammy reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph, ^{▼▼ Joseph means May he add, and sounds like the Hebrew for taken away} saying, ^ao“May the Lord add to me another son!”

Genesis 35:18

18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; ^{▼▼ Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength} ^aqbut his father called him Benjamin. ^{▼▼ Benjamin means son of the right hand}

Genesis 35:22-26

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and ^aslay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: ^atReuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

1 Timothy 5:8

8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for ^aumembers of his household, he has ^avdenied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.