Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

29So Jacob went on his journey ^aand came to the land of the people of the East. ²And he looked, and saw a ^bwell in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. ³Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

⁴And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”

And they said, “We are from ^cHaran.”

⁵Then he said to them, “Do you know ^dLaban the son of Nahor?”

And they said, “We know him.”

⁶So he said to them, ^e“Is he well?”

And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel ^fis coming with the sheep.”

⁷Then he said, “Look, it is still ¹high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

⁸But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

⁹Now while he was still speaking with them, ^gRachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and ^hrolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. ¹¹Then Jacob ⁱkissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. ¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was ^jher father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. ^kSo she ran and told her father.

¹³Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that ^lhe ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴And Laban said to him, ^m“Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

¹⁵Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, ⁿwhat should your wages be?” ¹⁶Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷Leah’s eyes were ²delicate, but Rachel was ^obeautiful of form and appearance.

¹⁸Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ^p“I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

¹⁹And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” ²⁰So Jacob ^qserved seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

²¹Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may ^rgo in to her.” ²²And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and ^smade a feast. ²³Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. ²⁴And Laban gave his maid ^tZilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. ²⁵So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you ^udeceived me?”

²⁶And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our ³country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ^27vFulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

²⁸Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. ²⁹And Laban gave his maid ^wBilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. ³⁰Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also ^xloved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban ^ystill another seven years.

The Children of Jacob

³¹When the Lord ^zsaw that Leah was ⁴unloved, He ^aopened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³²So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name ⁵Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely ^blooked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” ³³Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am ⁶unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name ⁷Simeon. ³⁴She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called ⁸Levi. ³⁵And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name ^cJudah. ⁹Then she stopped bearing.