< Genesis 29 >
1 Then Jacob lifted up his feet, —and went his way towards the land of the sons 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:
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.
4 And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said: From haran, are we.
5 And he said to them, Know ye Laban, son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, —and lifted up his voice, and wept.
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.
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.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely, my bone and my flesh, art thou. So he abode with him a month of days.
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?
16 Now, Laban, had two daughters, —the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel,
17 But, the eyes of Leah were weak, —whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance.
18 So Jacob loved Rachel, —and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, —Abide with me!
20 So Jacob served for Rachel—seven years, —and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her.
21 Then said Jacob unto Laban: Come give me my wife, for fulfilled are my days, —that I may go in unto her.
22 So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a banquet,
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.
24 And Laban gave her Zilpah, his handmaid, unto Leah his daughter. as handmaid.
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?
26 And Laban said, It must not be done so in our place, —to give the later-born before the firstborn.
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.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one, —and he gave him Rachel his daughter—to him to wife.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid, —to be hers as a handmaid.
30 So he went in, unto Rachel also, and loved, Rachel also, more than Leah, —and he served with him, yet seven years more.
31 And, when Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, he granted her to bear children, —whereas, 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.
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.
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.
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.
