Chapter 29

¹Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. ²He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large. ³There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well’s mouth in its place. ⁴Jacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?”

They said, “We are from Haran.”

⁵He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?”

They said, “We know him.”

⁶He said to them, “Is it well with him?”

They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.”

⁷He said, “Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

⁸They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”

⁹While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them. ¹⁰It happened, 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. ¹¹Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹²Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.

¹³It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. ¹⁴Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for a month. ¹⁵Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”

¹⁶Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. ¹⁸Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”

¹⁹Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”

²⁰Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

²¹Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”

²²Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. ²³It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her. ²⁴Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid. ²⁵It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

²⁶Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. ²⁷Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.”

²⁸Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. ²⁹Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid. ³⁰He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

³¹Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. ³²Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.” ³³She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon. ³⁴She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, “Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore was his name called Levi. ³⁵She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.