Children Bible Stories

Jacob came to Shechem in Canaan. Jacob then pitches his tents before the city of Shechem.

Jacob bought a piece of land from the children of Hamor for 100 pieces of money. Hamor is Shechem’s father.

When Shechem saw Dinah, he took Dinah by force and lay with her. Shechem violated Dinah. Shechem desperately wanted Dinah and so he asked his father Hamor to help him to get Dinah for him.

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled the virginity of Dinah. Dinah’s brothers were at work in the field and never heard of the news yet.

When Dinah’s brothers came back from the field, they heard the news about Dinah and were very angry with Shechem.

This is because it is a very disgraceful thing to happen to Dinah.

Hamor talked to Jacob, “My son, Shechem, loves your daughter, Dinah and want to marry her. Please give your daughter, Dinah to marry with my son Shechem. You can then marry any woman here in our city. You can also trade with us.”

Then Shechem said, “I will give you any amount of dowry that you want. Just give me your daughter, Dinah for marriage.”

Jacob’s sons had already made plan to kill Shechem along with the inhabitants of his country.

So they tricked Shechem by saying, “We will give you Dinah for marriage. However, our custom required that you and the men in your city must be circumcised. If you don’t get your men circumcised, we will take Dinah and disappear.”

And so Hamor and Shechem persuaded the men in their city to get circumcised.

The men of Shechem agreed and they all circumcised. When on the third day after the circumcision, the men are still in pain, Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi went to attack Shechem.

They killed all the men in the city and plundered away all their possessions. They took all the woman and children in the city as prisoners.

Jacob was left all alone after he had sent his 2 female servants, 2 wives, and 11 sons across the Jabbok brook.

At night, an angel of God wrestled with Jacob until the sun rise in the morning.

When the angel of God saw that he cannot overcome Jacob. He touches the hip of Jacob and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of place.

And so Jacob couldn’t walk properly and was limb. But Jacob was still holding on to the angel of God and will not let go.

The angel of God said, “Look, the sun has risen. Please let go of me.”

Jacob said, “I will not let go my hand on you unless you give me your blessing.”

The angel of God said, “What is your name?”

He replied, “My name is Jacob.”

The angel of God said, “You will no longer be called Jacob. From now on, your name is Israel because you have fought with God and man and has won.”

Jacob said, “Please let me know what your name is.” The angel of God answered, “You don’t have to know my name.”

Jacob named the place Peniel because he sees God face to face and yet he survives.

Just as the sun was rising over Peniel, Jacob arose and limped on his hip.

That is why the people of Israel today do not eat the muscles from the socket on the hip which shrank because He touched Jacob’s socket and its muscle shrank.

When Jacob arrived at Canaan, he sent messenger to his brother Esau. Jacob’s messenger returned with the message to Jacob that Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men.

Jacob was very afraid that Esau will attack him with his four hundred men. So he separated his men and livestock into two groups because he thinks if Esau attacks one company, the other company can escape.

Jacob prayed to God that he will be delivered from his brother Esau. Then Jacob sent 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, and 20 rams, 30 milk camels with their colts, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 foals through his servants to Esau.

Jacob said to his servants, “When Esau asks ‘Who do you belong to? Where are you going?’ You will say, ‘We are the servants of Jacob. The flocks that are present here is a gift to you from Jacob. Jacob is also behind us.’”

Jacob thought if he gives Esau these livestock as present, Esau will forgive him and not attack his family.”

At night, Jacob woke up and took his 2 wives, 11 sons and crossed the Jabbok River. Then he went back to the other side of the river.

The next morning, Jacob saw Esau coming with his 400 men. Jacob put his maidservants in front, then Leah and her sons, and finally Rachel and her sons.

Esau asked Jacob, “Who are these that are with you?”

Jacob replied,” They are my children.”

Jacob made them bow down before Esau.

First, the two maidservants and their sons come and bow down. Then Leah and his sons bow down before Esau. Finally Rachel and her sons also bow down.

Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all these livestock?” Jacob said, “They are a gift to you so that you will find favor with me.”

Esau said, “I already have plenty of them. Take them for yourself.” But Jacob insisted that Esau receive the animal livestock as present from him so Esau accepted them.

Esau wanted to accompany Jacob on the journey.

Jacob refused the request because his children are still young and unable to travel fast. So Esau went back home to Seir.

Jacob made his way to Succoth and built himself a house at that place. He also made shelters for his livestock.

One day, Jacob said to Laban, “You know how I had toiled for you. Before I come, you only have little. After I come, your livestock had increased and you have become very rich. God had blessed you abundantly since my coming. Now I want to provide for my own family.”

So Laban said, “What do you want me to give you?”

And Jacob said, “You don’t have to give me anything. I will go through your lambs and separate the spotted and speckled lambs with the brown lambs. I want the spotted and speckled lambs for my wages. If you see any lamb that is not spotted and speckled or brown missing from your flock, you can blame me that I steal it.”

Laban agreed with Jacob and he went back home.

Jacob is very witty. He took the branches from the green poplar, almond and chestnut trees. Jacob then peeled the branches so that it will show the white in the branches.

To attract the speckled and spotted lambs, Jacob put the peeled branches (which are exposed in white now) in the watering troughs where the not spotted or speckled lamb and brown lamb came to drink when they are in heat.

The spotted and speckled lamb mated with Laban’s brown lamb which is stronger and healthier. And so all the lamb that is given birth are spotted and speckled. Jacob then took these lambs into his own flock.

Jacob will never allow the weak ones in Laban’s flock to mate with his spotted and speckled lambs. And so Jacob becomes rich and own large flocks, camels, donkeys as well as male and female servants.

Laban’s sons began to notice and envy Jacob because Jacob has become very rich.

Jacob also notices that Laban is not very friendly to him recently so he decided to move back to his father’s home at Canaan.

Jacob spoke with his two wives, Leah and Rachel about it and they agreed with Jacob that they should leave.

So Jacob took his wives, his sons along with all his flocks, and possessions and set out for Canaan. While Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole one of the household idols of Laban.

Jacob was attempting to flee from Laban because he didn’t inform Laban about his departure. When someone told Laban that Jacob had fled, he took a few men with him and chase after Jacob for seven days.

Laban caught up with Jacob. Laban said to Jacob, “Why did you steal my household idol? Why did you run away from me without telling me? You didn’t even give me a change to kiss my daughters goodbye. All that you have comes from me but what can I do now? Let us make a covenant that you will never harm my daughters or take any wives other than my daughters.”

Jacob said, “I flee from you without telling you because I was afraid that you will take your daughters away from me with force. But I didn’t take any of your household idols. If you find anyone here that has taken your household idol, you can kill the person.”

Then Jacob went through Laban’s tents but he couldn’t find it. Now Rachel hid the idol in the camel’s seat in which she was sitting.

Rachel told his father, Laban,” Excuse me. I couldn’t get up because I am having period.” So Laban never found the idol.

So Jacob took a stone set it up as a pillar. Laban called the pillar of stone Jegar Sahadutha. Jacob called it Galeed because it serves as a witness between him and Laban.

Laban also called it Mizpah because he said that it is a witness that God will watch over between him and Jacob when Jacob is absent that he will never harm my daughter or take other wives besides his daughter.

Laban said to Jacob, “This heap of stones is a boundary between you and me that you will never pass over this stone to harm me nor I will pass over this stone to harm you.”

Jacob offered sacrifice to the Lord and called the men to eat bread.

Early the next morning, Laban rose and kissed his daughters. Then Laban went back to his home.’

Laban said to Jacob, “You are my relative and should you work for nothing? What do you want in return for working for me?”

Jacob loved Rachel so he said, “I will work seven years for you in return your daughter, Rachel.”

Laban agreed to let Jacob have Rachel in return of Jacob’s seven years of labor for him.

After seven years had passed, Jacob asked Laban to let him marry Rachel.

Laban didn’t keep his promise and give Leah to Jacob for marriage instead. Laban gives Leah Zilpah as her maidservant.

When the morning comes, Jacob found out that the woman he married is Leah, Rachel’s older sister.

Jacob went to Laban and said, “Isn’t it that I work seven years for Rachel? Why did you give me Leah for marriage? Why did you trick me?”

Laban replied, “It is the custom of our country that the older daughter must be married first before the younger daughter can be married. Work for me another seven years and I will give Rachel to you for marriage.”

So Jacob works for Laban another seven years so that he can marry Rachel.

After the seven years had passed, Laban keeps his promise and let Jacob marry Rachel. Laban gives Rachel Bilhah as her maidservant.

The Lord saw that Jacob loved Rachel and Leah was not loved so he opened the womb of Leah.

Leah become pregnant and gives birth to a son named Reuben. Leah also has other sons which are Simeon, Levi, and Judah and a daughter called Dinah.

When Rachel saw that she is barren, she gives Jacob her maidservant Bilhah.

Jacob lay with Bilhah and Bilhah bore him a son. Rachel named the bay boy Dan. Then Bilhah become pregnant again and gives birth to a second son whom Rachel named Naphtali.

When Leah saw that she is not bearing anymore children for Jacob, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob.

Jacob lay with Zilpah and Zilpah became pregnant. Zilpah gave birth to a son called Gad. Zilpah became pregnant again and gives birth to Asher.

One day, Leah’s son Reuben was in the field and he found some mandrakes and brought it to his mother.

Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of the mandrakes.” Leah said, “I will give you the mandrakes in return for Jacob.” Rachel agreed and Leah went to hire Jacob to sleep with her that night.

And so Leah became pregnant again and bore a fifth son. Leah named the boy Issachar. Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a boy named Zebulun.

Then God remembered Rachel and open Rachel’s womb. Rachel became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy. Rachel named the baby boy Joseph.

Jacob went on his way and he finally reached a place where the people of the East live.

Jacob saw a well and there were three sheep flocks lying beside it. The sheep had gathered around the well to drink water. But they can’t because there is a big and heavy stone on the well’s mouth.

Jacob asked the people there, “Where are you from?”

The people replied, “We come from Haran.”

Jacob said, “Do you know Laban?”

The people answered, “Yes. We know Laban and here comes his daughter, Rachel with the sheep. ”

Then Jacob said, “The sun is still high. It is not yet the time for the cattle to be gathered. Water the sheep first and then go and feed the sheep. ”

But they replied, “We will not roll the stones away from the mouth of the well until all the flocks had gathered here.”

While Jacob was still talking with the people, he saw Rachel coming with the sheep. Then he initiatively went to roll the stones away and water the sheep flock that comes along with Rachel.

Jacob kissed Rachel and cried aloud. Jacob told her that she is the son of his father’s sister, Rebecca.

Rachel ran to tell her father, Laban the news. Laban heard about Rebecca’s son Jacob and ran to greet Jacob. Laban hugged and kissed Jacob and welcomed him into his home.

Laban said to Jacob, “You are my bone and my flesh.” And Jacob stays with Laban for one month.