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Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring.
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Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us,” Laban said.
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Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.
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and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
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Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran.
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Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
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Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
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He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered.
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When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
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As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
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Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
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Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
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Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
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Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.”
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Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
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So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
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And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
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When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
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Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
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And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
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Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.
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Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
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Jacob’s Flocks Increase
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.
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But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”
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“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”
