Genesis 29
Legacy Standard Bible
Jacob’s Love for Rachel
29 Then Jacob [a]took up his journey and came to the land of (A)the sons of the east. 2 And he looked, and behold, (B)a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they gave water to the flocks to drink. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 And all the flocks would be gathered there, and they would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and give water to the sheep to drink and return the stone back to its place on the mouth of the well.
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from (C)Haran.” 5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the (D)son 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 (E)Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” 7 And he said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Give water to the sheep to drink, 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 give water to the sheep to drink.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now it happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and gave water to the flock of Laban his mother’s brother to drink. 11 Then Jacob (F)kissed Rachel and lifted his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was a [b](G)relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and (H)she ran and told her father.
13 So it happened that when (I)Laban heard the report of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and he (J)embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he recounted to Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “Surely you are (K)my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him one month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my [c]relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall (L)your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was (M)beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance. 18 Now Jacob (N)loved Rachel, so he said, “(O)I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they were in his sight but a few days (P)because of his love for her.
Laban Deceives Jacob
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may (Q)go in to her.” 22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now it happened in the evening that he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his servant-woman Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a servant-woman. 25 Now it happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “(R)What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you (S)deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not [d]the practice in our place to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which (T)you shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28 And Jacob did so and fulfilled her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his servant-woman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her servant-woman. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed (U)he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with [e]Laban for (V)another seven years.
31 And Yahweh saw that Leah was [f]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son and named him [g]Reuben, for she said, “Because Yahweh has [h](W)seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “(X)Because Yahweh has [i]heard that I am [j]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will be [k]joined to me because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named (Y)Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will [l]praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him [m](Z)Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:1 Lit lifted up his feet
- Genesis 29:12 Lit brother
- Genesis 29:15 Lit brother
- Genesis 29:26 Lit done thus in
- Genesis 29:30 Lit him
- Genesis 29:31 Lit hated
- Genesis 29:32 Lit see, a son
- Genesis 29:32 Lit looked upon
- Genesis 29:33 Heb shama, related to Simeon
- Genesis 29:33 Lit hated
- Genesis 29:34 Heb lavah, related to Levi
- Genesis 29:35 Heb jadah, related to Judah
- Genesis 29:35 Heb Jehudah
Bereshis 29
Orthodox Jewish Bible
29 Then Ya’akov went on his journey, and came into the eretz of the bnei kedem.
2 And he looked, and hinei a be’er in the sadeh, and, hinei, there were shloshah edrei tzon lying by it; for out of that be’er they watered the edarim: and a great even (stone) was upon the mouth of the be’er.
3 And to there were all the edarim gathered: and they rolled the even (stone) from the mouth of the be’er, and watered the tzon, and put the even (stone) again upon the mouth of the be’er in its place.
4 And Ya’akov said unto them, My brethren, where are you from? And they said, Of Charan are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Lavan ben Nachor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is the shalom with him? And they said, Shalom; and, hinei, Rachel his bat cometh with the tzon.
7 And he said, Look, the sun is still high, neither is it time that the flock should be gathered together; water ye the tzon, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the edarim be gathered together, and till they roll the even (stone) from the mouth of the be’er; then we water the tzon.
9 And while he yet spoke with them, Rachel came with the tzon of her av; for she was a ro’ah (shepherdess).
10 And it came to pass, when Ya’akov saw Rachel bat Lavan achi immo, and the tzon of Lavan achi immo, that Ya’akov went near, and rolled the even (stone) from the mouth of the be’er, and watered the tzon of Lavan achi immo.
11 And Ya’akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Ya’akov told Rachel that he was the relative of her av, and that he was ben Rivkah; and she ran and told her av.
13 And it came to pass, when Lavan heard the news of Ya’akov ben achoto, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his bais. And he told Lavan all these things.
14 And Lavan said to him, Surely thou art my etzem (bone) and my basar. And he abode with him the space of a chodesh (month).
15 And Lavan said unto Ya’akov, Because thou art my relative, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall thy maskoret (wages) be?
16 And Lavan had two banot: the shem of the elder was Leah, and the shem of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah had weak eyes; but Rachel was yafeh and lovely in form.
18 And Ya’akov loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee sheva shanim for Rachel thy bat haketannah (younger daughter).
19 And Lavan said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another ish; abide with me.
20 And Ya’akov served sheva shanim for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few yamim, because of the ahavah he had for her.
21 And Ya’akov said unto Lavan, Give me my isha, for my yamim are completed, that I may go in unto her.
22 And Lavan gathered together all the anshei hamakom, and made a mishteh (feast).
23 And it came to pass in the erev, that he took Leah his bat, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Lavan gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah shifchato (his maid) for a shifchah.
25 And it came to pass, that in the boker, hinei, it was Leah! And he said to Lavan, What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? So why then hast thou deceived me?
26 And Lavan said, It must not be so done in our land, to give the younger before the bechirah.
27 Finish her shvu’a (week), and we will give thee this also for the avodah (service, work) which thou shalt do for me yet sheva shanim acherot.
28 And Ya’akov did so, and fulfilled her shvu’a; and he gave him Rachel his bat to be his isha also.
29 And Lavan gave to his bat Rachel Bilhah his shifchah to be her shifchah.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served him yet sheva shanim acherot.
31 And when Hashem saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bore a ben, and she called shmo Reuven: for she said, Surely Hashem hath looked upon my misery; now therefore my ish will love me.
33 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Because Hashem hath heard I was hated, He hath therefore given me this also; and she called shmo Shimon.
34 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Now this time will my ish yillaveh (become attached) unto me, because I have born him shloshah banim: therefore was shmo called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bore ben; and she said, Now will odeh (I praise) Hashem; therefore she called shmo Yehudah; and stopped giving birth.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International