1 Then Jacobwent on his journey, and came to the land of 1the sons of the east.
2
He looked, and saw2a well in the field, and behold, threeflocks of sheep were lyingtherebeside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.
3
When all the flocks were gatheredthere, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stoneback in its place on the mouth of the well.
4
Jacobsaid to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from 3Haran."
5
He said to them, "Do you knowLaban the 4son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."
6
And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is 5Rachel his daughtercoming with the sheep."
7
He said, "Behold, it is stillhighday; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them."
8
But 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."
9
While he was stillspeaking with them, Rachelcame with her father'ssheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10
WhenJacobsawRachel the daughter of Laban his mother'sbrother, and the sheep of Laban his mother'sbrother, Jacobwent up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother'sbrother.
11
Then Jacob6kissedRachel, and lifted his voice and wept.
12
JacobtoldRachel that he was a 7relative of her father and that he was Rebekah'sson, and 8she ran and told her father.
13
So when 9Labanheard the news of Jacob his sister'sson, he ran to meet him, and 10embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Labanallthesethings.
14
Labansaid to him, "Surely you are 11my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month.
15
Then Labansaid to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall 12your wages be?"
16
Now Laban had twodaughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17
And Leah'seyes were weak, but Rachel was 13beautiful of form and face.
18
Now Jacob14lovedRachel, so he said, "15I will serve you sevenyears for your youngerdaughterRachel."
19
Labansaid, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to anotherman; stay with me."
20
So Jacobservedsevenyears for Rachel and they seemed* to him but a fewdays16because of his love for her.
Laban's Treachery
21 Then Jacobsaid to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may 17go in to her."
22
Labangatheredall the men of the place and made a feast.
23
Now in the evening he took his daughterLeah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.
24
Laban also gave his maidZilpah to his daughterLeah as a maid.
25
So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "18What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you 19deceived me?"
26
But Labansaid, "It is not the practice* in our place to marryoff the youngerbefore the firstborn.
27
"Complete the week of thisone, and we will give you the otheralso for the servicewhich20you shall serve with me for anothersevenyears."
28
Jacobdidso and completed her week, and he gave him his daughterRachel as his wife.
29
Laban also gave his maidBilhah to his daughterRachel as her maid.
30
So Jacob went in to Rachelalso, and indeed21he lovedRachelmorethanLeah, and he served with Laban for 22anothersevenyears.
31
Now the LORDsaw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32
Leahconceived and bore a son and named* him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has 23seen my affliction; surelynow my husband will love me."
33
Then she conceivedagain and bore a son and said, "24Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named* him Simeon.
34
She conceivedagain and bore a son and said, "Nowthistime my husband will becomeattached to me, because I have borne him threesons." Therefore* he was named*25Levi.
35
And she conceivedagain and bore a son and said, "Thistime I will praise the LORD." Therefore* she named* him 26Judah. Then she stoppedbearing.