After leaving his father’s home, on his way to Laban’s house, Jacob had a dream in which angels were ascending and descending a ladder reaching from the earth to the heavens.
In this dream, God stood behind Jacob and told him that God will protect him and bless him and his descendants.
The next morning, Jacob continued his journey and came to a well with a large stone covering it, which Laban’s daughter, Rachel, was to bring her sheep to drink from.
When Jacob saw Rachel, he told her that he was her kinsman, and was able to move the stone from the well, allowing her sheep to drink, for which Rachel was very thankful.
Jacob stayed at Laban’s home and worked for seven years in exchange for Laban’s promise that Jacob could marry Rachel at the end of that time.
The wedding day came and passed, and the next morning, Jacob awoke to find that he had married Rachel’s older sister, Leah, and had been tricked by Laban who would not let his younger daughter marry before his older daughter.
Jacob then worked another seven years before being able to marry Rachel,
Over time, Jacob had twelve sons – Reuben, Shimeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Yissakhar, Zebulun and Joseph, and a daughter, Dinah.
Jacob then told Laban that he wanted to leave, and took his wives and children in the middle of the night, later telling Laban that he snuck away because he was worried that Laban would take his daughters back by force.
Eventually, Laban blessed them and sent them on their way.
