Now on the way he dreamed and saw
A ladder rose to heaven’s door
The covenant the Lord renewed
This refugee with attitude Would come again into this land
With children like the grains of sand
And they would every nation bless
And God would rescue from distress
So Jacob called that place Bethel
And promised God one tenth as well
And then he travelled all the way
To Uncle Laban’s place to stay
And Cousin Rachel caught his eye
But Laban was a crafty guy
And when the wedding was arranged
Behind the veil the bride was changed
And as the rays of dawn made clear
His bride was Rachel’s sister Leah
And Jacob did not like this joke
But Laban said among his folk
The older daughter marries first
And Jacob thought his heart would burst
But Laban put his mind at rest
Another seven years invest!
And Rachel shall be yours to wed
The trickster to the trickster said
Now, unloved Leah proved to be
Most fertile. On the contrary
Beloved Rachel had no child
And nagged poor Jacob, drove him wild
Both sisters gave their maids to add
Yet further sons, made Jacob glad
The Lord remembered Rachel’s pain
And answered to remove her shame
And Joseph joined this clan of strife
The favourite son of favourite wife
Eleven sons and Dinah too
Unruly mob of tricksters who
Would trade their father, wretched brutes
For half a pound of magic roots
Now Jacob cared for Laban’s sheep
And kept the lame, the blind, the weak
But Jacob’s flocks and herds grew strong
While Laban’s dwindled and ere long
The sons of Laban filed a suit
Their jealousy was at the root
“Time to go!” the Lord God said
So Jacob took his wives and fled
But Laban chased him all the way
And Jacob argued for his pay
The Lord, an angel or a man
Then interrupted Jacob’s plan
And in mid-stream he picked a fight
With Jacob wrestling all that night
With dislocated hip he fell
Into the dawn limped Israel
Four hundred men at Esau’s rear
Came riding up to Jacob’s fear
But Esau’s kisses and embrace
To Jacob were amazing grace
At Shechem Dinah was disgraced
In rage her brothers trashed the place
Then Jacob came to Bethel’s stone
His dream spot when he’d fled from home
There Jacob called upon the Lord
God promised him a rich reward
Of land and children and a name
And one last son to Israel came
There Benjamin at such a cost
Was born, but Rachel’s life was lost
But for his sorrow no relief
For Isaac died, such grief on grief
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