Genesis 28-29

New International Version

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed^(A) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.^{(B) 2} Go at once to Paddan Aram,^[a](C) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.^(D) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.^{(E) 3} May God Almighty^[b](F) bless^(G) you and make you fruitful^(H) and increase your numbers^(I) until you become a community of peoples. ⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,^(J) so that you may take possession of the land^(K) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(L) the land God gave to Abraham.” ⁵ Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,^(M) and he went to Paddan Aram,^(N) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,^(O) the brother of Rebekah,^(P) who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶ Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”^{(Q) 7} and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. ⁸ Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women^(R) were to his father Isaac;^{(S) 9} so he went to Ishmael^(T) and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth^(U) and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.^(V)

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(W) and set out for Harran.^{(X) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(Y) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(Z) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(AA) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(AB) 13} There above it^[c] stood the Lord,^(AC) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(AD) I will give you and your descendants the land^(AE) on which you are lying.^{(AF) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(AG) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(AH) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[d](AI) 15} I am with you^(AJ) and will watch over you^(AK) wherever you go,^(AL) and I will bring you back to this land.^(AM) I will not leave you^(AN) until I have done what I have promised you.^(AO)”^(AP)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(AQ) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(AR) This is none other than the house of God;^(AS) this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸ Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head^(AT) and set it up as a pillar^(AU) and poured oil on top of it.^{(AV) 19} He called that place Bethel,^[e](AW) though the city used to be called Luz.^(AX)

²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow,^(AY) saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me^(AZ) on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear^{(BA) 21} so that I return safely^(BB) to my father’s household,^(BC) then the Lord^[f] will be my God^{(BD) 22} and^[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar^(BE) will be God’s house,^(BF) and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.^(BG)”

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.^{(BH) 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.^(BI) The stone^(BJ) over the mouth of the well was large. ³ When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone^(BK) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.^(BL) 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?”^(BM)

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

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

“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^(BP) with the sheep.^(BQ)”

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^(BR) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water^(BS) the sheep.”

⁹ While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,^(BT) for she was a shepherd. ¹⁰ When Jacob saw Rachel^(BU) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone^(BV) away from the mouth of the well and watered^(BW) his uncle’s sheep.^{(BX) 11} Then Jacob kissed^(BY) Rachel and began to weep aloud.^{(BZ) 12} He had told Rachel that he was a relative^(CA) of her father and a son of Rebekah.^(CB) So she ran and told her father.^(CC)

¹³ As soon as Laban^(CD) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him^(CE) 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.”^(CF)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(DF) he enabled her to conceive,^(DG) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(DH) She named him Reuben,^[i](DI) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(DJ) 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,^(DK) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[j](DL)

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

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.^[l](DO) Then she stopped having children.^(DP)