Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1Then Jacob 1set out on his journey, and went to the land of 2the 3people of the east. 2He looked, and 4saw 5a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3When all the flocks were gathered there, they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from 6Haran.” 5So he said to them, “Do you know Laban the 7son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is his daughter 8Rachel coming with the sheep.” 7Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone 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. 10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11Then Jacob 9kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. 12Jacob told Rachel that he was a 10relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and 11she ran and told her father.

13So when 12Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and 13embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things. 14And Laban said to him, “You certainly are 14my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall 15your wages be?” 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was 16beautiful in figure and appearance. 18Now Jacob 17loved Rachel, so he said, “18I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days 19because of his love for her.

Laban’s Treachery

21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my 20time is completed, that I may 21have relations with her.” 22So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast. 23Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her. 24Laban also gave his female slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a slave. 25So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “22What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you 23deceived me?” 26But Laban said, “It is not 24the practice in our place to 25marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which 26you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” 28Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed 27he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with 28Laban for 29another seven years.

31Now the Lord saw that Leah was 30unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him 31Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has 3233seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “34Because the Lord has 35heard that I am 36unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become 37attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named 38Levi. 35And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will 39praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him 4041Judah. Then she stopped having children.