Genesis 29:1-30:24

New International Version

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. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel^(N) daughter of his uncle Laban, 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) 11} Then Jacob kissed^(R) Rachel and began to weep aloud.^{(S) 12} 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)

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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, ¹⁵ Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative^(Z) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages^(AA) should be.”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,^(AB) and the name of the younger was Rachel.^{(AC) 17} Leah had weak^[a] eyes, but Rachel^(AD) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.^{(AE) 18} Jacob was in love with Rachel^(AF) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”^(AG)

¹⁹ Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,^(AH) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.^(AI)

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.^(AJ)”

²² So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.^{(AK) 23} But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah^(AL) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his servant Zilpah^(AM) to his daughter as her attendant.^(AN)

²⁵ When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?^(AO) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?^(AP)”

²⁶ Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.^{(AQ) 27} Finish this daughter’s bridal week;^(AR) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.^(AS)”

²⁸ And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.^{(AT) 29} Laban gave his servant Bilhah^(AU) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.^{(AV) 30} Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.^(AW) And he worked for Laban another seven years.^(AX)

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(AY) he enabled her to conceive,^(AZ) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(BA) She named him Reuben,^[b](BB) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(BC) Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,^(BD) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[c](BE)

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,^(BF) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^[d](BG)

³⁵ 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.^[e](BH) Then she stopped having children.^(BI)

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,^(BJ) she became jealous of her sister.^(BK) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

² Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,^(BL) who has kept you from having children?”^(BM)

³ Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,^(BN) my servant.^(BO) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”^(BP)

⁴ So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.^(BQ) Jacob slept with her,^{(BR) 5} and she became pregnant and bore him a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;^(BS) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”^(BT) Because of this she named him Dan.^[f](BU)

⁷ Rachel’s servant Bilhah^(BV) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”^(BW) So she named him Naphtali.^[g](BX)

⁹ When Leah^(BY) saw that she had stopped having children,^(BZ) she took her servant Zilpah^(CA) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.^{(CB) 10} Leah’s servant Zilpah^(CC) bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”^[h] So she named him Gad.^[i](CD)

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me^(CE) happy.”^(CF) So she named him Asher.^[j](CG)

¹⁴ During wheat harvest,^(CH) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,^(CI) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵ But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough^(CJ) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”^(CK)

¹⁶ So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”^(CL) So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah,^(CM) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”^(CN) So she named him Issachar.^[k](CO)

¹⁹ Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,^(CP) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.^[l](CQ)

²¹ Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.^(CR)

²² Then God remembered Rachel;^(CS) he listened to her^(CT) and enabled her to conceive.^{(CU) 23} She became pregnant and gave birth to a son^(CV) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”^{(CW) 24} She named him Joseph,^[m](CX) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”^(CY)