¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”^(A)

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^(B) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages^(C) should be.”

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

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,^(J) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.^(K)

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

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

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

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

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

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(AA) he enabled her to conceive,^(AB) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(AC) She named him Reuben,^[b](AD) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(AE) 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,^(AF) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[c](AG)

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

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](AJ) Then she stopped having children.^(AK)

⁹ When Leah^(A) saw that she had stopped having children,^(B) she took her servant Zilpah^(C) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.^{(D) 10} Leah’s servant Zilpah^(E) bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”^[a] So she named him Gad.^[b](F)

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

¹⁴ During wheat harvest,^(J) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,^(K) 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^(L) 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.”^(M)

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.”^(N) So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah,^(O) 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.”^(P) So she named him Issachar.^[d](Q)

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,^(R) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.^[e](S)

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