Genesis 29
Revised Geneva Translation
29 Then Jacob lifted up his feet and came into the east country.
2 And as he looked around, behold, there was a well in the field; and lo, three flocks of sheep lay nearby (for the flocks were watered at that well). And there was a great stone upon the well’s mouth.
3 And all the flocks were gathered there. And they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the sheep and put the stone back in its place upon the well’s mouth.
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they answered, “We are from Haran.”
5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” Who said, “We know him.”
6 Again, he said to them, “Is he in good health?” And they answered, “He is in good health. And behold, his daughter, Rachel, comes with the sheep.”
7 Then he said, “Lo, it is still midday; nor is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water the sheep and go feed them.
8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are brought together and the stone is rolled from the well’s mouth. Then we may water the sheep.”
9 While he talked with them, Rachel also came with her father’s sheep (for she kept them).
10 And as soon as Jacob saw Rachel (the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother) and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, then Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept.
12 For Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. Then she ran and told her father.
13 And when Laban heard tell of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 To whom Laban said, “Well, you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.
15 For Laban said to Jacob, “Though you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall be your wages?”
16 Now Laban had two daughters, the elder called Leah and the younger called Rachel.
17 And Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and fair.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Then Laban answered, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel. And they seemed to him but a few days, because he loved her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, so that I may go in to her. For my term is ended.”
22 Therefore, Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.
23 And when the evening had come, he took Leah, his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.
24 And Laban gave his maid, Zilpah, to his daughter, Leah, to be her servant.
25 But when the morning had come, behold, it was Leah. Then he said to Laban, “Why have you done this to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?”
26 And Laban answered, “It is not the custom of this place to give the younger before the elder.
27 “Fulfill seven years for her, and we will also give you this for the service which you shall serve me yet seven years more.”
28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her seven years. So, he gave him Rachel, his daughter, to be his wife.
29 Laban also gave to Rachel, his daughter, Bilhah, his maid, to be her servant.
30 So, he entered into Rachel also, and also loved Rachel more than Leah, and served yet seven years more.
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was despised, He made her fruitful. But Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name Reuben. For she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my tribulation; now, therefore, my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD heard that I was hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now, at this time my husband will keep me company, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, his name was called Levi.
35 Moreover, she conceived again and bore a son, saying, “Now I will praise the LORD!” Therefore, she called his name Judah, and stopped bearing.
Genesis 29
Names of God Bible
Jacob’s Arrival in Haran
29 Jacob continued on his trip and came to the land in the east. 2 He looked around, and out in a field he saw a well with a large stone over the opening. Three flocks of sheep were lying down near it, because the flocks were watered from that well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the stone would be rolled off the opening of the well so that the sheep could be watered. Then the stone would be put back in place over the opening of the well.
4 Jacob asked some people, “My friends, where are you from?”
“We’re from Haran,” they replied.
5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
They answered, “We do.”
6 “How is he doing?” Jacob asked them.
“He’s fine,” they answered. “Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7 “It’s still the middle of the day,” he said. “It isn’t time yet to gather the livestock. Water the sheep. Then let them graze.”
8 They replied, “We can’t until all the flocks are gathered. When the stone is rolled off the opening of the well, we can water the sheep.”
9 While he was still talking to them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, because she was a shepherd. 10 Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of his uncle Laban, with his uncle Laban’s sheep. He came forward and rolled the stone off the opening of the well and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and sobbed loudly. 12 When Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s nephew and that he was Rebekah’s son, she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. He hugged and kissed him and brought him into his home. Then Jacob told Laban all that had happened. 14 Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Obtains Wives
Jacob stayed with him for a whole month. 15 Then Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative doesn’t mean that you should work for nothing. Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. 17 Leah had attractive eyes,[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and beautiful features. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. So he offered, “I’ll work seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban responded, “It’s better that I give her to you than to any other man. Stay with me.” 20 Jacob worked seven years in return for Rachel, but the years seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her.
21 At the end of the seven years Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; give me my wife! I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the people of that place and gave a wedding feast. 23 In the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. Jacob slept with her. When morning came, he realized it was Leah.[b] 24 (Laban had given his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)
25 “What have you done to me?” Jacob asked Laban. “Didn’t I work for you in return for Rachel? Why did you cheat me?”
26 Laban answered, “It’s not our custom to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish the week of wedding festivities with this daughter. Then we will give you the other one too. But you’ll have to work for me another seven years.”
28 That’s what Jacob did. He finished the week with Leah. Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to him as his wife. 29 (Laban had given his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.) 30 Jacob slept with Rachel too. He loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
Leah and Rachel Compete for Jacob’s Love
31 When Yahweh saw Leah was unloved, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel had none. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [Here’s My Son], because she said, “Certainly, Yahweh has seen my misery; now my husband will love me!” 33 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Certainly, Yahweh has heard that I’m unloved, and he also has given me this son.” So she named him Simeon [Hearing]. 34 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me because I’ve given him three sons.” So she named him Levi [Attached]. 35 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” So she named him Judah [Praise]. Then she stopped having children.
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:17 Or “had no sparkle in her eyes.”
- Genesis 29:23 The first part of verse 25 (in Hebrew) has been placed in verse 23 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.
Genesis 29
King James Version
29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
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