Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1Then Jacob #29:1 Lit lifted up his feetset out on his journey, and went to the land of the #29:1 Lit sonspeople of the east. 2He looked, and #29:2 Lit beholdsaw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3When all the flocks were gathered there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5So he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6And 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.” 7Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. 12Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

13So when Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things. 14And Laban said to him, “You certainly are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance. 18Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her.

Laban’s Treachery

21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my #29:21 Lit days aretime is completed, that I may have relations with her.” 22So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast. 23Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her. 24Laban also gave his female slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a slave. 25So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26But Laban said, “It is not #29:26 Lit done thus inthe practice in our place to #29:26 Lit givemarry off the younger before the firstborn. 27Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” 28Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with #29:30 Lit himLaban for another seven years.

31Now the Lord saw that Leah was #29:31 Lit hatedunloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him #29:32 I.e., see, a sonReuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has #29:32 Lit looked atseen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the Lord has #29:33 Heb shama, related to Simeonheard that I am #29:33 Lit hatedunloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become #29:34 Heb lavah, related to Leviattached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. 35And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will #29:35 Heb Jadah, related to Judahpraise the Lord.” Therefore she named him #29:35 Heb JehudahJudah. Then she stopped having children.

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Genesis 29

Jacob Arrives at Laban's Home

1As Jacob continued on his way to the east, 2he looked out in a field and saw a well where shepherds took their sheep for water. Three flocks of sheep were lying around the well, which was covered with a large rock. 3Shepherds would roll the rock away when all their sheep had gathered there. Then after the sheep had been watered, the shepherds would roll the rock back over the mouth of the well.

4Jacob asked the shepherds, “Where are you from?”

“We're from Haran,” they answered.

5Then he asked, “Do you know Nahor's grandson Laban?”

“Yes we do,” they replied.

6“How is he?” Jacob asked.

“He's fine,” they answered. “And here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

7Jacob told them, “Look, the sun is still high up in the sky, and it's too early to bring in the rest of the flocks. Water your sheep and take them back to the pasture.”

8But they replied, “We can't do that until they all get here, and the rock has been rolled away from the well.”

9While Jacob was still talking with the men, his cousin Rachel came up with her father's sheep. 10When Jacob saw her and his uncle's sheep, he rolled the rock away and watered the sheep. 11He then kissed Rachel and started crying because he was so happy. 12He told her that he was the son of her aunt Rebekah, and she ran and told her father about him.

13As soon as Laban heard the news, he ran out to meet Jacob. He hugged and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him everything that had happened. 14Laban said, “You are my nephew, and you are like one of my own family.”

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had been there for a month, 15Laban said to him, “You shouldn't have to work without pay, just because you are a relative of mine. What do you want me to give you?”

16-17Laban had two daughters. Leah was older than Rachel, but her eyes didn't sparkle,#29.16,17 but her eyes didn't sparkle: Or “and her eyes sparkled.” while Rachel was beautiful and had a good figure. 18Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he answered, “If you will let me marry Rachel, I'll work seven years for you.”

19Laban replied, “It's better for me to let you marry Rachel than for someone else to have her. So stay and work for me.” 20Jacob worked seven years for Laban, but the time seemed like only a few days, because he loved Rachel so much.

21Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up, and I want to marry Rachel now!” 22So Laban gave a big feast and invited all their neighbors. 23But that evening he brought Leah to Jacob, who married her and spent the night with her. 24Laban also gave Zilpah to Leah as her servant woman.

25The next morning Jacob found out that he had married Leah, and he asked Laban, “Why did you do this to me? Didn't I work to get Rachel? Why did you trick me?”

26Laban replied, “In our country the older daughter must get married first. 27After you spend this week#29.27 this week: The wedding feast lasted for seven days (see Judges 14.12,17). with Leah, you may also marry Rachel. But you will have to work for me another seven years.”

28-30At the end of the week of celebration, Laban let Jacob marry Rachel, and he gave her his servant woman Bilhah. Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, but he had to work another seven years for Laban.

31The Lord knew that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, and so he gave children to Leah, but not to Rachel. 32Leah gave birth to a son and named him Reuben.#29.32 Reuben: In Hebrew “Reuben” means, “Look, a son!” Then she said, “The Lord has taken away my sorrow. Now my husband will love me more than he does Rachel.” 33She had a second son and named him Simeon,#29.33 Simeon: In Hebrew “Simeon” sounds like “someone who hears.” because she said, “The Lord has heard that my husband doesn't love me.” 34When Leah's third son was born, she said, “Now my husband will hold me close.” So this son was named Levi.#29.34 hold me close … Levi: In Hebrew “Levi” sounds like “hold (someone) close.” 35She had one more son and named him Judah,#29.35 Judah: In Hebrew “Judah” sounds like “praise.” because she said, “I'll praise the Lord!”

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