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28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

Jacob’s Many Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,[a] for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon,[b] for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi,[c] for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah,[d] for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.

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Footnotes

  1. 29:32 Reuben means “Look, a son!” It also sounds like the Hebrew for “He has seen my misery.”
  2. 29:33 Simeon probably means “one who hears.”
  3. 29:34 Levi sounds like a Hebrew term that means “being attached” or “feeling affection for.”
  4. 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term for “praise.”

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