Genesis 29
29
1Then Iaakob lift vp his feete and came into the East countrey. 2And as he looked about, behold there was a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheepe lay thereby (for at that well were the flockes watered) and there was a great stone vpon the welles mouth. 3And thither were all the flockes gathered, and they rolled the stone from the welles mouth, and watered the sheepe, and put the stone againe vpon the welles mouth in his place. 4And Iaakob sayde vnto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they answered, We are of Haran. 5Then he sayd vnto them, Know ye Laban the sonne of Nahor? Who said, We know him. 6Againe he sayd vnto them, Is he in good health? And they answered, He is in good health, and beholde, his daughter Rahel commeth with the sheepe. 7Then he sayd, Lo, it is yet hie day, neither is it time that the cattell shoulde be gathered together: water ye the sheepe and go feede them. 8But they sayde, We may not vntill all the flocks be brought together, and till men rolle the stone from the welles mouth, that we may water the sheepe. 9While he talked with them, Rahel also came with her fathers sheepe, for she kept them. 10And assoone as Iaakob saw Rahel ye daughter of Laban his mothers brother, and the sheepe of Laban his mothers brother, then came Iaakob neere, and rolled the stone from the welles mouth, and watered ye flocke of Laban his mothers brother. 11And Iaakob kissed Rahel, and lift vp his voyce and wept. 12(For Iaakob tolde Rahel, that he was her fathers brother, and that he was Rebekahs sonne) then she ranne and tolde her father. 13And when Laban heard tell of Iaakob his sisters sonne, he ranne to meete him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house: and he tolde Laban all these things. 14To whome Laban sayd, Well, thou art my bone and my flesh. and he abode with him the space of a moneth. 15For Laban sayde vnto Iaakob, Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therfore serue me for nought? tell me, what shalbe thy wages? 16Now Laban had two daughters, the elder called Leah, and the yonger called Rahel. 17And Leah was tender eyed, but Rahel was beautifull and faire. 18And Iaakob loued Rahel, and sayde, I will serue thee seuen yeeres for Rahel thy yonger daughter. 19Then Laban answered, It is better that I giue her thee, then that I should giue her to another man: abide with me. 20And Iaakob serued seuen yeres for Rahel, and they seemed vnto him but a few dayes, because he loued her. 21Then Iaakob sayde to Laban, Giue me my wife, that I may goe in to her: for my terme is ended. 22Wherefore Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23But whe the euening was come, he tooke Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in vnto her. 24And Laban gaue his mayde Zilpah to his daughter Leah, to be her seruant. 25But when the morning was come, behold, it was Leah. Then sayde he to Laban, Wherefore hast thou done thus to mee? did not I serue thee for Rahel? wherfore then hast thou beguiled me? 26And Laban answered, It is not the maner of this place, to giue the yonger before the elder. 27Fulfill seuen yeeres for her, and we wil also giue thee this for the seruice, which thou shalt serue me yet seuen yeeres more. 28Then Iaakob did so, and fulfilled her seuen yeeres, so he gaue him Rahel his daughter to be his wife. 29Laban also gaue to Rahel his daughter Bilhah his mayde to be her seruant. 30So entred he in to Rahel also, and loued also Rahel more then Leah, and serued him yet seuen yeeres more. 31When the Lord saw that Leah was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rahel was barren. 32And Leah conceiued and bare a sonne, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Because the Lord hath looked vpon my tribulation, now therefore mine husband will loue me. 33And she conceiued againe and bare a sonne, and sayde, Because the Lord heard that I was hated, he hath therefore giuen me this sonne also, and she called his name Simeon. 34And she conceiued againe and bare a sonne, and said, Now at this time wil my husband keepe mee company, because I haue borne him three sonnes: therefore was his name called Leui. 35Moreouer shee conceiued againe and bare a sonne, saying, Nowe will I prayse the Lord: therefore shee called his name Iudah, and left bearing.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
Genesis 29
29
1-3Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east. He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge. When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.
4Jacob said, “Hello friends. Where are you from?”
They said, “We’re from Haran.”
5Jacob asked, “Do you know Laban son of Nahor?”
“We do.”
6“Are things well with him?” Jacob continued.
“Very well,” they said. “And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock.”
7Jacob said, “There’s a lot of daylight still left; it isn’t time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?”
8“We can’t,” they said. “Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks.”
9-13While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father’s sheep. She was the shepherd. The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban’s sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears. He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father. When Laban heard the news—Jacob, his sister’s son!—he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.
14-15Laban said, “You’re family! My flesh and blood!”
When Jacob had been with him for a month, Laban said, “Just because you’re my nephew, you shouldn’t work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What’s a fair wage?”
16-18Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger. Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful. And it was Rachel that Jacob loved.
So Jacob answered, “I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19“It is far better,” said Laban, “that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me.”
20So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.
21-24Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife; I’ve completed what we agreed I’d do. I’m ready to consummate my marriage.” Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast. At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.)
25Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed!
Jacob confronted Laban, “What have you done to me? Didn’t I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?”
26-27“We don’t do it that way in our country,” said Laban. “We don’t marry off the younger daughter before the older. Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we’ll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work.”
28-30Jacob agreed. When he’d completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.) Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.
31-32When God realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It’s-a-Boy!). “This is a sign,” she said, “that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me.”
33-35She became pregnant again and had another son. “God heard,” she said, “that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also.” She named this one Simeon (God-Heard). She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, “Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I’ve given him three sons!” That’s why she named him Levi (Connect). She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, “This time I’ll praise God.” So she named him Judah (Praise-God). Then she stopped having children.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.