Chapter 29

Chapter 29

1 Jacob continued his journey and arrived in the land of the eastern peoples.

2 He saw a well in the open field, and look! Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks; and a large stone was over the mouth of the well.

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

4 Jacob asked them, 'My brothers, where are you from?' They answered, 'We are from Haran.'

5 He asked them, 'Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' They replied, 'We know him.' 6 Then he asked them, 'Is he well?' They answered, 'He is well; look! His daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.'

7 He said, 'Look! The day is still high; it is not yet time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.'

8 But they replied, 'We cannot until all the flocks are gathered and they roll the stone away from the mouth of the well; then we will water the sheep.'

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

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

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.

12 Jacob reported to Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and reported it to her father.

13 When Laban heard the report about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him; he embraced him, kissed him, and brought him into his house. Jacob reported all these matters to Laban.

14 Laban said to him, 'You are actually my bone and my flesh.' Jacob stayed with him for a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?'

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

17 Leah’s eyes were tender, but Rachel was exceptionally beautiful in form and appearance.

18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.'

19 Laban replied, 'It is better that I give her to you than to another man; stay with me.' 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her."

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my woman, for my time is complete, so that I may go in to her.'

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

23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him, and he went in to her.

24 Laban gave his maidservant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a servant.

25 When morning came, look! It was Leah; so Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this that you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?'
26 Laban replied, 'It is not the custom in our place to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service that you will perform with me for another seven years.'

28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel to be his woman.

29 Laban gave his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a servant.

30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel even more than Leah, and he served with him for another seven years.

31 When The Self-Existent saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben (Look, a son!), for she said, 'Because The Self-Existent has seen my misery; surely now my man will love me.'

33 She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she said, 'Because The Self-Existent heard that I was unloved, He has given me this one as well,' and she named him Simeon (Hearing).

34 She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she said, 'Now this time my man will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons;' therefore his name was called Levi (Attached).

35 She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she said, 'This time I will acknowledge The Self-Existent as the Source of life,' therefore she named him Judah (Acknowledged); then she stopped giving birth.