Genesis 29:1-14

Living Bible

29 Jacob traveled on, finally arriving in the land of the East. ² He saw in the distance three flocks of sheep lying beside a well in an open field, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well. ³ (The custom was that the stone was not removed until all the flocks were there. After watering them, the stone was rolled back over the mouth of the well again.) ⁴ Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked them where they lived.

“At Haran,” they said.

⁵ “Do you know a fellow there named Laban, the son of Nahor?”

“We sure do.”

⁶ “How is he?”

“He’s well and prosperous. Look, there comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

⁷ “Why don’t you water the flocks so they can get back to grazing?” Jacob asked. “They’ll be hungry if you stop so early in the day!”

⁸ “We don’t roll away the stone and begin the watering until all the flocks and shepherds are here,” they replied.

⁹ As this conversation was going on, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰ And because she was his cousin—the daughter of his mother’s brother—and because the sheep were his uncle’s, Jacob went over to the well and rolled away the stone and watered his uncle’s flock. ¹¹ Then Jacob kissed Rachel and started crying! ^12-13 He explained about being her cousin on her father’s side, and that he was her Aunt Rebekah’s son. She quickly ran and told her father, Laban, and as soon as he heard of Jacob’s arrival, he rushed out to meet him and greeted him warmly and brought him home. Then Jacob told him his story.

¹⁴ “Just think, my very own flesh and blood,” Laban exclaimed.

After Jacob had been there about a month,