Genesis 29
1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 As he looked around he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it, waiting to be given water. A large stone covered the top of the well.
He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
3 The usual practice was that once all the flocks had arrived, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the well and give their sheep water. Then they would put the stone back again.
When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 “How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 “Look, there's still plenty of daylight left,” said Jacob. “It's too early to round up the sheep yet. Why not let them drink so they can go back to grazing?”
“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 “We can't do that until all the flocks have arrived,” they told him. “Then we roll away the stone from the well and let the sheep drink.”
But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he went over and rolled away the stone from the well so Laban's sheep could drink.
As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 (He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob he ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him, and took him home. After Jacob had explained everything to Laban,
When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 One day Laban said to him, “You're my relative so you shouldn't be working for me for nothing! Tell me, what should I pay you?”
Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 When morning came, he saw it was Leah! He went to Laban and asked angrily, “What have you done to me? It was for Rachel that I worked for you! Why have you deceived me?”
When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27 “Finish this week of wedding celebrations and then I'll give you the other daughter as well, as long as you work another seven years for me.”
Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 Leah became pregnant, and had a son she named Reuben, for she said, “The Lord saw how much I was suffering and now my husband will love me!”
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33 Then Leah became pregnant again, and had another son. She said, “The Lord has heard that I'm not loved so he gave me this son.” So she named him Simeon.
Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.
34 Leah became pregnant for the third time, and had another son. She said, “Finally my husband will be attached to me because now I've given him three sons.” That's why he was named Levi.
Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and had another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I can really praise the Lord!” After that she had no more children.
And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
