Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.^{(A) 2} 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. ³ 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.

⁴ Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”^(F)

“We’re from Harran,^(G)” they replied.

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

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

⁶ Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel^(I) with the sheep.^(J)”

⁷ “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.”

⁸ “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.”

⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,^(M) for she was a shepherd.