GenesisChapter 29

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¹Jacob went on with his trip. He came to the land of the people of the east. ²He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it, because the sheep were given water from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well. ³When all the flocks had gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well. They would give water to the sheep. Then they would put the stone back over the opening of the well. ⁴Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they answered. ⁵Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" "We know him," they answered. ⁶"Is he doing well?" Jacob asked. "Yes," they said. "And here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep." ⁷Jacob said, "Look, it's still the middle of the day. It's not time yet to gather the animals. Give the sheep water and take them back to the fields to eat." ⁸But they answered, "We can't. First all the flocks must be gathered. Then the stone is rolled away from the well. Then we give the sheep water." ⁹He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father's sheep. She was a shepherd. ¹⁰Rachel was the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother. Jacob saw her with Laban's sheep. Right away he went over and rolled the stone away from the well. Then he gave water to his uncle's sheep. ¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he cried out loud. ¹²Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father. He told her he was Rebekah's son. So she ran and told her father. ¹³Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son. He ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his home. There Jacob told him everything that had happened. ¹⁴Then Laban said, "You really are my own flesh and blood." Jacob stayed with him for a month. ¹⁵Then Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me for nothing just because you're my relative. Tell me what your pay should be." ¹⁶Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah. The younger one was named Rachel. ¹⁷Leah had weak eyes. But Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.a ¹⁸Jacob loved Rachel. So he said, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." ¹⁹Laban said, "It's better for me to give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." ²⁰So Jacob worked seven years to marry Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her so much. ²¹At last Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is up, and I want to sleep with her." ²²So Laban invited all the men of that place and gave a feast. ²³But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob. And Jacob slept with her. ²⁴Laban also gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant. ²⁵When morning came, Jacob saw that it was Leah! He said to Laban, "What have you done to me? I worked for you to get Rachel, didn't I? Why did you trick me?" ²⁶Laban answered, "Here it's not our custom to let the younger daughter marry before the older one. ²⁷Finish this week of celebrating. Then we will give you the younger one too. But you must work for me another seven years." ²⁸And Jacob did that. He finished the week of celebrating. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ²⁹Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant. ³⁰Jacob slept with Rachel too. He loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. ³¹The LORD saw that Leah was not loved. So he made her able to have children. But Rachel could not have children. ³²Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD has seen how I am suffering. Surely my husband will love me now."b ³³She became pregnant again and had a son. She said, "The LORD heard that I am not loved. So he gave me this son too." So she named him Simeon.c ³⁴Again Leah became pregnant and had a son. She said, "Now at last my husband will be close to me. I have given him three sons." So he was named Levi.d ³⁵Once more she became pregnant and had a son. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.e