Genesis 29

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.^a There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.^b The stone^c over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone^d away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.^e Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”^f

“We’re from Harran,^g” they replied.

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

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachelⁱ with the sheep.^j”

“Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

“We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone^k has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water^l the sheep.”

While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,^m for she was their shepherd. When Jacob saw Rachelⁿ daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone^o away from the mouth of the well and watered^p his uncle’s sheep.^q Then Jacob kissed^r Rachel and began to weep aloud.^s He had told Rachel that he was a relative^t of her father and a son of Rebekah.^u So she ran and told her father.^v

As soon as Laban^w heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him^x and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”^y

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative^a of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages^b should be.”

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,^c and the name of the younger was Rachel.^d Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel^e had a lovely figure and was beautiful.^f Jacob was in love with Rachel^g and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”^h

Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,ⁱ but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.^j

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.^k”

So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.^l But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah^m and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. And Laban gave his servant Zilpahⁿ to his daughter as her attendant.^o

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

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

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

Jacob’s Children

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^a he enabled her to conceive,^b but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^c She named him Reuben,^d for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^e Surely my husband will love me now.”

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,^f he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^g

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,^h because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.ⁱ

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.^j Then she stopped having children.^k