Parallel Bible results for "genesis 29"

Genesis 29

The Message Bible MSG

1 Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east.

2 He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge.

3 When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.

4 Jacob said, "Hello friends. Where are you from?" They said, "We're from Haran."

5 Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban son of Nahor?" "We do."

6 "Are things well with him?" Jacob continued. "Very well," they said. "And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock."

7 Jacob said, "There's a lot of daylight still left; it isn't time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?"

8 "We can't," they said. "Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks."

9 While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father's sheep. She was the shepherd.

10 The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.

11 Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears.

12 He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

13 When Laban heard the news - Jacob, his sister's son! - he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.

14 Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!"

15 Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"

16 Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger.

17 Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful.

18 And it was Rachel that Jacob loved. So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."

19 "It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."

20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage."

22 Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast.

23 At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her.

24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.)

25 Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed! Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?"

26 "We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older.

27 Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work."

28 Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

29 (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.)

30 Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.

31 When God realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.

32 Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me."

33 She became pregnant again and had another son. "God heard," she said, "that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also." She named this one Simeon (God-Heard).

34 She became pregnant yet again - another son. She said, "Now maybe my husband will connect with me - I've given him three sons!" That's why she named him Levi (Connect).

35 She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, "This time I'll praise God." So she named him Judah (Praise-God). Then she stopped having children.

New Living Translation NLT

1 Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.

2 He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

3 It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

5 “Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked. “Yes, we do,” they replied.

6 “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked. “Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”

7 Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”

8 “We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”

9 Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd.

10 And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock.

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.

12 He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.

13 As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,

14 Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!” Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,

15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.

17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”

20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.

23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.

27 “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.

29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)

30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the LORD !” And then she stopped having children.