Genesis 29
1 Then Jacob lifted up his feet, —and went his way towards the land of the sons of the East.
Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and lo! a well, in the field and lo! there, three flocks of sheep, lying down near it, for out of that well, do they water the flocks, but, the stone, is great, on the mouth 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 so they gather together thither all the flocks, and roll away the stone from off the mouth of the well, and water the sheep, —and put back the stone upon the mouth of the well, to its place.
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 And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said: From haran, are we.
“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 And he said to them, Know ye Laban, son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 And he said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, Well, but lo! Rachel his daughter, coming in with the sheep.
“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 And he said Lo! the day is yet high, it is not time for gathering together the cattle, —water the sheep, and go feed.
“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 And they said, We cannot, until that all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll away the stone, from off the mouth of the well, —and then can we water the sheep.
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 yet he was speaking with them, Rachel, had come in with the sheep which belonged to her father, for a shepherdess, was she.
While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled away the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother,
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 And Jacob kissed Rachel, —and lifted up his voice, and wept.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 And when Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son, then ran she, and told her father.
He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fondly kissed him, and brought him into his house, —when he recounted to Laban all these things.
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 And Laban said to him, Surely, my bone and my flesh, art thou. So he abode with him a month of days.
Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 Then said Laban to Jacob, Is it because my brother, thou art, that thou shouldst serve me for naught? Come tell me! What shall be thy wages?
Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now, Laban, had two daughters, —the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel,
Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 But, the eyes of Leah were weak, —whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance.
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 So Jacob loved Rachel, —and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter.
Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, —Abide with me!
Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 So Jacob served for Rachel—seven years, —and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her.
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 Then said Jacob unto Laban: Come give me my wife, for fulfilled are my days, —that I may go in unto her.
Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22 So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a banquet,
So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her in unto him, —and he went in unto her.
But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 And Laban gave her Zilpah, his handmaid, unto Leah his daughter. as handmaid.
And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 And it came to pass in the morning, that lo! it was Leah, —and he said unto Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Was it not, for Rachel, I served with thee? Wherefore then hast thou 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 And Laban said, It must not be done so in our place, —to give the later-born before the firstborn.
Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27 Fulfil the week of this one, —then must we give thee, the other one also, for the service wherewith thou shalt serve with me, yet seven years more.
Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one, —and he gave him Rachel his daughter—to him to wife.
And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid, —to be hers as a handmaid.
Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
30 So he went in, unto Rachel also, and loved, Rachel also, more than Leah, —and he served with him, yet seven years more.
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
31 And, when Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, he granted her to bear children, —whereas, Rachel, was barren.
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 So Leah conceived, and bare a son, and called his name Reuben, —for she said, Because, Yahweh hath looked upon my humiliation, For, now, will my husband 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 And she conceived again, and bare a son, and said. Because Yahweh heard that, I, was hated, he gave me, this one also. So she called his name 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 And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, Now—this time, will my husband be bound unto me, For I have borne him three sons, —For this cause, called she his name 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 And she conceived again and bare a son, and said This time, will I praise Yahweh, For which cause, she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.
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.
