Quotes About Tradition

Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.

Finish this weekís celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

And Jacob did just that. He finished the weekís celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my sonís mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your sonís mandrakes.”

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my sonís mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our fatherís house?

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.

Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon which is at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacobís hip was struck near that tendon.

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

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

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.

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

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

We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.

But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

The young man, who was the most respected of all his fatherís household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacobís daughter.

But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.