Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

¹⁵ Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, ^(A)what should your wages be?” ¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah’s eyes were ^[a]delicate, but Rachel was ^(B)beautiful of form and appearance.

¹⁸ Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ^(C)“I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

¹⁹ And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob ^(D)served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

²¹ Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may ^(E)go in to her.” ²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and ^(F)made a feast. ²³ Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. ²⁴ And Laban gave his maid ^(G)Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. ²⁵ So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you ^(H)deceived me?”

²⁶ And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our ^[b]country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ^27 (I)Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

²⁸ Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. ²⁹ And Laban gave his maid ^(J)Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. ³⁰ Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also ^(K)loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban ^(L)still another seven years.

The Children of Jacob

³¹ When the Lord ^(M)saw that Leah was ^[c]unloved, He ^(N)opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³² So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name ^[d]Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely ^(O)looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” ³³ Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am ^[e]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name ^[f]Simeon. ³⁴ She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called ^[g]Levi. ³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name ^(P)Judah.^[h] Then she stopped bearing.