Genesis 29:1–20

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29Then Jacob continued on his journey. He came to the land where the eastern tribes lived.

²There he saw a well in the field. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it. The flocks were given water from the well. The stone over the opening of the well was large. ³All of the flocks would gather there. The shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s opening. They would give water to the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the opening of the well.

⁴Jacob asked the shepherds, “My friends, where are you from?”

“We’re from Haran,” they replied.

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

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

⁶Then Jacob asked them, “How is he?”

“He’s fine,” they said. “Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep now.”

⁷“Look,” he said, “the sun is still high in the sky. It’s not time for the flocks to be brought together. Give water to the sheep and take them back to the grasslands.”

⁸“We can’t,” they replied. “We have to wait until all of the flocks are brought together. The stone has to be rolled away from the opening of the well. Then we’ll give water to the sheep.”

⁹He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father’s sheep. It was her job to take care of the flock. ¹⁰Rachel was the daughter of Laban. He was the brother of Jacob’s mother.

When Jacob saw Rachel with Laban’s sheep, he went over to the well. He rolled the stone away from the opening. He gave water to his uncle’s sheep.

¹¹Jacob kissed Rachel. Then he began to sob loudly. ¹²He had told Rachel he was a relative of her father. He had also said he was Rebekah’s son. Rachel ran and told her father what Jacob had said.

¹³As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he hurried to meet him. Laban hugged Jacob and kissed him. Then he brought him to his home. There Jacob told him everything. ¹⁴Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

Jacob Gets Married to Leah and Rachel

Jacob stayed with Laban for a whole month. ¹⁵Then Laban said to him, “You are one of my relatives. But is that any reason for you to work for me for nothing? Tell me what your pay should be.”

¹⁶Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah. And the name of the younger one was Rachel. ¹⁷Leah had weak eyes. But Rachel was beautiful. She had a nice figure.

¹⁸Jacob was in love with Rachel. He said to Laban, “I’ll work for you for seven years to get 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 for seven years to get Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her so much.