25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “(A)What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you (B)deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not [a]the practice in our place to [b]marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which (C)you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30 So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed (D)he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with [c]Laban for (E)another seven years.

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was [d]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him [e]Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has [f](F)seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “(G)Because the Lord has [g]heard that I am [h]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become [i]attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named (H)Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will [j]praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him [k](I)Judah. Then she stopped having children.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:26 Lit done thus in
  2. Genesis 29:26 Lit give
  3. Genesis 29:30 Lit him
  4. Genesis 29:31 Lit hated
  5. Genesis 29:32 I.e., see, a son
  6. Genesis 29:32 Lit looked at
  7. Genesis 29:33 Heb shama, related to Simeon
  8. Genesis 29:33 Lit hated
  9. Genesis 29:34 Heb lavah, related to Levi
  10. Genesis 29:35 Heb Jadah, related to Judah
  11. Genesis 29:35 Heb Jehudah

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(A) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(B)

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(C) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(D) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(E)

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(F) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(G) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(H) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(I) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(J)

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(K) he enabled her to conceive,(L) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(M) She named him Reuben,[a](N) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(O) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(P) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[b](Q)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(R) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[c](S)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[d](T) Then she stopped having children.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
  2. Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
  3. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
  4. Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.