Chapter 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1 Then Jacob 1went on his journey, and came to the land of athe sons of the east.

2 He looked, and 1saw aa well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

3 When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from aHaran.”

5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the ason of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”

6 And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is aRachel his daughter coming with the sheep.”

7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.”

8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

11 Then Jacob akissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept.

12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a 1arelative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and bshe ran and told her father.

13 So when aLaban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and bembraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things.

14 Laban said to him, “Surely you are amy bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my 1relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall ayour wages be?”

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was abeautiful of form and 1face.

18 Now Jacob aloved Rachel, so he said, “bI will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.”

20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days abecause of his love for her.

Laban’s Treachery

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my 1time is completed, that I may ago in to her.”

22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.

23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.

24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.

25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “aWhat is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you bdeceived me?”

26 But Laban said, “It is not 1the practice in our place to 2marry off the younger before the firstborn.

27 “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which ayou shall serve with me for another seven years.”

28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.

30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed ahe loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with 1Laban for banother seven years.

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was 1unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named him 1Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has 2aseen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.”

33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “aBecause the Lord has 1heard that I am 2unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.

34 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will become 1attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named aLevi.

35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will 1praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him 2aJudah. Then she stopped bearing.