Genesis 29

¹Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east .

²As he looked , he saw a well in the field , and behold , three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered . The stone on the well’s mouth was large ,

³and when all the flocks were gathered there , the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep , and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well .

⁴Jacob said to them, My brothers , where do you come 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 ; and see , Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep !

⁷He said , Behold , it is still high day ; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together . Water the sheep and go , pasture them.

⁸But they said , We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well ; then we water the sheep .

⁹While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep , for she was a shepherdess .

¹⁰Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother , and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother , Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother .

¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud .

¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman , and that he was Rebekah’s son , and she ran and told her father .

¹³As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob , his sister’s son , he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house . Jacob told Laban all these things ,

¹⁴and Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh ! And he stayed with him a month .

¹⁵Then Laban said to Jacob , Because you are my kinsman , should you therefore serve me for nothing ? Tell me, what shall your wages be?

¹⁶Now Laban had two daughters . The name of the older was Leah , and the name of the younger was Rachel .

¹⁷Leah’s eyes were weak , but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance .

¹⁸Jacob loved Rachel . And he said , I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel .

¹⁹Laban said , It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man ; stay with me.

²⁰So Jacob served seven years for Rachel , and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

²¹Then Jacob said to Laban , Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed .

²²So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast .

²³But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.

²⁴( Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant .)

²⁵And in the morning , behold , it was Leah ! And Jacob said to Laban , What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel ? Why then have you deceived me?

²⁶Laban said , It is not so done in our country , to give the younger before the firstborn .

²⁷Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years .

²⁸Jacob did so , and completed her week . Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife .

²⁹( Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant .)

³⁰So Jacob went in to Rachel also , and he loved Rachel more than Leah , and served Laban for another seven years .

³¹When the Lord saw that Leah was hated , he opened her womb , but Rachel was barren .

³²And Leah conceived and bore a son , and she called his name Reuben , for she said , Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction ; for now my husband will love me.

³³She conceived again and bore a son , and said , Because the Lord has heard that I am hated , he has given me this son also . And she called his name Simeon .

³⁴Again she conceived and bore a son , and said , Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons . Therefore his name was called Levi .

³⁵And she conceived again and bore a son , and said , This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah . Then she ceased bearing .