29:1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.
29:2 There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
29:4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Haran,” they replied.
29:5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered.
29:6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?” “Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
29:7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
29:8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
29:9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
29:12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
29:13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
29:15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
29:16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
29:17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
29:18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
29:19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.”
29:20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
29:21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.”
29:22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
29:23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.
29:24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
29:25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
29:26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
29:27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
29:28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
29:29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
29:30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
29:32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
29:33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
29:34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
29:35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the children of the east.
29:2 And he looked, and there in the field was a well, and there three flocks of sheep were lying beside it; for from that well they watered the flocks. And the stone on the mouth of the well was large.
29:3 And when all the flocks would gather there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep; then they would put the stone back on the mouth of the well in its place.
29:4 And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran.
29:5 And he said to them, Do you know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do know him.
29:6 And he said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well, and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with the sheep.
29:7 And he said, Look, it is still full day; and it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go feed them.
29:8 And they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.
29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with the sheep which belonged to her father, for she was a shepherdess.
29:10 Now when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother s brother and the sheep of Laban his mother s brother, Jacob drew near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother s brother.
29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.
29:12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father s relative and that he was Rebekah s son. And she ran and told her father.
29:13 And when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister s son, he ran to meet him. And he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then Jacob related to Laban all these things.
29:14 And Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he stayed with him a month.
29:15 And Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?
29:16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
29:17 And Leah s eyes were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.
29:19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man; stay with me.
29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but they seemed to him only a few days because of the love he had for her.
29:21 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.
29:22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.
29:23 But in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her.
29:24 And Laban gave Zilpah his female servant to his daughter Leah to be her female servant.
29:25 And in the morning there she was, Leah! And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?
29:26 And Laban said, It is not done in this way in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.
29:27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me for another seven years.
29:28 And Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him Rachel his daughter as a wife.
29:29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant to be her female servant.
29:30 And he went in also to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel, more than Leah. And he served with Laban for another seven years.
29:31 Now when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
29:32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, Because Jehovah has looked upon my affliction, surely now my husband will love me.
29:33 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated, He has therefore given me this son also; so she called his name Simeon.
29:34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi.
29:35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, This time I will praise Jehovah. Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.
