Genesis 29
1 And Jacob started and went to the land of the east to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian, and the brother of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and Esau.
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
2 And he looks, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were there three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but there was a great stone at the mouth of the well.
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.
3 And there were all the flocks gathered, and they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the flocks, and set the stone again in its place on the mouth of the well.
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.
4 And Jacob said to them, Brethren, whence are you? and they said, We are of Charrhan.
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 And he said to them, Know you Laban, the son of Nachor? and they said, We do know [him].
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And behold Rachel his daughter came with the sheep.
“How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
7 And Jacob said, it is yet high day, it is not yet time that the flocks be gathered together; water you the flocks, and depart and feed them.
“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?”
8 And they said, We shall not be able, until all the shepherds be gathered together, and they shall roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, then we will water the flocks.
“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.”
9 While he was yet speaking to them, behold, Rachel the daughter of Laban came with her father's sheep, for she fed the sheep of her father.
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob came and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
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.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and cried with a loud voice and wept.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
12 And he told Rachel that he was the near relative of her father, and the son of Rebecca; and she ran and reported to her father according to these words.
(He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
13 And it came to pass when Laban heard the name of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him, and brought him into his house; and he told Laban all these sayings.
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,
14 And Laban said to him, You are of my bones and of my flesh; and he was with him a full month.
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
15 And Laban said to Jacob, Surely you shall not serve me for nothing, because you are my brother; tell me what your reward is to be.
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?”
16 Now Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lea, and the name of the younger, Rachel.
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 And the eyes of Lea were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in appearance, and exceedingly fair in countenance.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 And Laban said to him, [It is] better that I should give her to you, than that I should give her to another man; dwell with me.
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 And Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they were before him as a few days, by reason of his loving her.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a marriage-feast.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
23 And it was even, and he took his daughter Lea, and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her.
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 And Laban gave to his daughter Lea, Zelpha his handmaid, as a handmaid for her.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
25 And it was morning, and behold it was Lea; and Jacob said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? did I not serve you for Rachel? and therefore have you deceived me?
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?”
26 And Laban answered, It is not done thus in our country, to give the younger before the elder.
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
27 Fulfil then her sevens, and I will give to you her also in return for your labor, which you labor with me, yet seven other years.
“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.”
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her sevens; and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife.
Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
29 And Laban gave to his daughter his handmaid Balla, for a handmaid to her.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
30 And he went in to Rachel; and he loved Rachel more than Lea; and he served him seven other years.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 And when the Lord God saw that Lea was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
32 And Lea conceived and bore a son to Jacob; and she called his name, Ruben; saying, Because the Lord has looked on my humiliation, and has given me a son, now then my husband will love me.
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!”
33 And she conceived again, and bore a second son to Jacob; and she said, Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given to me this one also; and she called his name, Simeon.
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.
34 And she conceived yet again, and bore a son, and said, In the present time my husband will be with me, for I have born him three sons; therefore she called his name, Levi.
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.
35 And having conceived yet again, she bore a son, and said, Now yet again this time will I give thanks to the Lord; therefore she called his name, Juda; and ceased bearing.
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.
