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Genesis 29
Living Bible

29 Jacob traveled on, finally arriving in the land of the East. 2 He saw in the distance three flocks of sheep lying beside a well in an open field, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 (The custom was that the stone was not removed until all the flocks were there. After watering them, the stone was rolled back over the mouth of the well again.) 4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked them where they lived.

“At Haran,” they said.

5 “Do you know a fellow there named Laban, the son of Nahor?”

“We sure do.”

6 “How is he?”

“He’s well and prosperous. Look, there comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

7 “Why don’t you water the flocks so they can get back to grazing?” Jacob asked. “They’ll be hungry if you stop so early in the day!”

8 “We don’t roll away the stone and begin the watering until all the flocks and shepherds are here,” they replied.

9 As this conversation was going on, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 And because she was his cousin—the daughter of his mother’s brother—and because the sheep were his uncle’s, Jacob went over to the well and rolled away the stone and watered his uncle’s flock. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and started crying! 12-13 He explained about being her cousin on her father’s side, and that he was her Aunt Rebekah’s son. She quickly ran and told her father, Laban, and as soon as he heard of Jacob’s arrival, he rushed out to meet him and greeted him warmly and brought him home. Then Jacob told him his story.

14 “Just think, my very own flesh and blood,” Laban exclaimed.

After Jacob had been there about a month, 15 Laban said to him one day, “Just because we are relatives is no reason for you to work for me without pay. How much do you want?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters, Leah, the older, and her younger sister, Rachel. 17 Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was shapely, and in every way a beauty. 18 Well, Jacob was in love with Rachel. So he told her father, “I’ll work for you seven years if you’ll give me Rachel as my wife.”

19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to someone outside the family.”

20 So Jacob spent the next seven years working to pay for Rachel. But they seemed to him but a few days, he was so much in love. 21 Finally the time came for him to marry her.

“I have fulfilled my contract,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife, so that I can sleep with her.”

22 So Laban invited all the men of the settlement to celebrate with Jacob at a big party. 23 Afterwards, that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (And Laban gave to Leah a servant girl, Zilpah, to be her maid.) 25 But in the morning—it was Leah!

“What sort of trick is this?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked for seven years for Rachel. What do you mean by this trickery?”

26 “It’s not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of her sister,” Laban replied smoothly.[a] 27 “Wait until the bridal week is over and you can have Rachel too—if you promise to work for me another seven years!”

28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. Then Laban gave him Rachel, too. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel a servant girl, Bilhah, to be her maid. 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her more than Leah, and stayed and worked the additional seven years.

31 But because Jacob was slighting Leah, Jehovah let her have a child, while Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah became pregnant and had a son, Reuben (meaning “God has noticed my trouble”), for she said, “Jehovah has noticed my trouble—now my husband will love me.” 33 She soon became pregnant again and had another son and named him Simeon (meaning “Jehovah heard”), for she said, “Jehovah heard that I was unloved, and so he has given me another son.” 34 Again she became pregnant and had a son, and named him Levi (meaning “Attachment”) for she said, “Surely now my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!” 35 Once again she was pregnant and had a son and named him Judah (meaning “Praise”), for she said, “Now I will praise Jehovah!” And then she stopped having children.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:26 Laban replied smoothly, implied from context.
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Genesis 29
New International Version

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.(A) 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.(B) The stone(C) over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone(D) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.(E) Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”(F)

“We’re from Harran,(G)” they replied.

5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”(H)

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel(I) with the sheep.(J)”

7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone(K) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water(L) the sheep.”

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,(M) for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel(N) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone(O) away from the mouth of the well and watered(P) his uncle’s sheep.(Q) 11 Then Jacob kissed(R) Rachel and began to weep aloud.(S) 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative(T) of her father and a son of Rebekah.(U) So she ran and told her father.(V)

13 As soon as Laban(W) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him(X) and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”(Y)

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative(Z) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages(AA) should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,(AB) and the name of the younger was Rachel.(AC) 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel(AD) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.(AE) 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel(AF) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”(AG)

19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,(AH) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.(AI)

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.(AJ)”

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.(AK) 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(AL) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah(AM) to his daughter as her attendant.(AN)

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(AO) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(AP)”

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(AQ) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(AR) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(AS)”

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(AT) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(AU) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(AV) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(AW) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(AX)

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(AY) he enabled her to conceive,(AZ) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(BA) She named him Reuben,[b](BB) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(BC) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(BD) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[c](BE)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(BF) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[d](BG)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e](BH) Then she stopped having children.(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:17 Or delicate
  2. Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
  3. Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
  4. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
  5. Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
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