^29:25In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah!⁴⁷ So Jacob⁴⁸ said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me!⁴⁹ Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked⁵⁰ me?” ^29:26“It is not our custom here,”⁵¹ Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage⁵² before the firstborn. ^29:27Complete my older daughter’s bridal week.⁵³ Then we will give you the younger one⁵⁴ too, in exchange for seven more years of work.”⁵⁵

^29:28Jacob did as Laban said.⁵⁶ When Jacob⁵⁷ completed Leah’s bridal week,⁵⁸ Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.⁵⁹^29:29(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)⁶⁰^29:30Jacob⁶¹ had marital relations⁶² with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban⁶³ for seven more years.⁶⁴

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Footnotes

47 Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
48 Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49 Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
50 The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” 34 (1984): 211–13.
51 Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’ ” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
52 Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
53 Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity. Bridal week. An ancient Hebrew marriage ceremony included an entire week of festivities (cf. Judg 14:12).
54 Heb “this other one.”
55 Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.” In exchange for seven more years of work. See C. H. Gordon, “The Story of Jacob and Laban in the Light of the Nuzi Tablets,” 66 (1937): 25–27; and J. Van Seters, “Jacob’s Marriages and Ancient Near Eastern Customs: A Reassessment,” 62 (1969): 377–95.
56 Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
57 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58 Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.
59 Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
60 Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”
61 Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62 Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
63 Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
64 Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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

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

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

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?”

Laban answered, “It is not the custom in our country to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”

And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

NLTNew Living Translation

But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And it happened that in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Now why did you deceive me?” Then Laban said, “It is not the custom in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, then I will also give you the other, on the condition that you will work for me another seven years.” And Jacob did so. So he completed the week of this one, then he gave Rachel his daughter to him as a wife. And Laban gave Bilhah his female slave to Rachel his daughter as a female servant. Then he also went in to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet another seven years.

KJV 1900King James Version

And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

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