29Jacob resumed his journey^C and went to the eastern country.^D^g ²He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. But a large stone covered the opening of the well. ³The shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep when all the flocks^A were gathered there. Then they would return the stone to its place over the well’s opening.

⁴Jacob asked the men at the well, “My brothers! Where are you from?”

“We’re from Haran,” they answered.

⁵“Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” Jacob asked them.

They answered, “We know him.”

⁶“Is he well?” Jacob asked.

“Yes,” they said, “and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with his sheep.”

⁷Then Jacob said, “Look, it is still broad daylight. It’s not time for the animals to be gathered. Water the flock, then go out and let them graze.”

⁸But they replied, “We can’t until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled from the well’s opening. Then we will water the sheep.”

⁹While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban’s daughter Rachel with his sheep,^B he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep. ¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly.^C ¹²He told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.

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Footnotes

C Jacob picked up his feet
D the land of the children of the east
A, some read flocks and the shepherds
B with the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother
C and he lifted his voice and wept

Cross references

g Nm 23:7; Jdg 6:3