52 GENESIS XXIX-JACOB'S WEDDING Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father. 13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 15¶ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me what shall thy wages be? 16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me. 26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his hand Noah Builds the Ark FROM THE WORK OF THE WANDSBEKER ART IN STITUTE IN GERMANY. + "Make thee an ark of gopher-wood."-Gen., 6, 14. O powerful was the growing influence of sin, that, everywhere in the early world, evil grad ually predominated over good. Then God determined to send his punishment of death, not at long intervals as before, but against the whole evil world, at once and suddenly. There still remained, however, one good man, who "walked with God" as Enoch had done. Him God spared with all his family. This good man was called Noah, which meant "comfort." He was the great grandson of Enoch and the grandson of Methuselah, whose tale of years was 969, the longest life recorded. Noah was himself 600 years old, when, in what was apparently the very year of Methuselah's death, the destruction came. "And God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them: and behold I will destroy them with the earth." Then he told Noah of the flood which was to come, and directed in careful detail the building of the enormous ark, over five hundred feet long, ninety wide, and three stories high. |