Quotes About Family

He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.

Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.

Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechemís father, for a hundred pieces of silver.

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

Meanwhile, Shechemís father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.

When Jacobís sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacobís daughter—a thing that should not be done.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

Then Shechem said to Dinahís father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.

Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacobís sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.

“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.