Genesis 29
English Standard Version
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
29 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to (A)the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, (B)“We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, (C)Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 Now as soon as 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 well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was (D)her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, (E)and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, (F)he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, (G)“Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall 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 Leah's eyes were weak,[a] but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, (H)“I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob (I)served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and (J)made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave[b] (K)his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 (L)Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave (M)his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban (N)for another seven years.
Jacob's Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was (O)hated, (P)he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,[c] for she said, “Because the Lord (Q)has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[d] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be (R)attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[e] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name (S)Judah.[f] Then she ceased bearing.
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:17 Or soft
- Genesis 29:24 Or had given; also verse 29
- Genesis 29:32 Reuben means See, a son
- Genesis 29:33 Simeon sounds like the Hebrew for heard
- Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like the Hebrew for attached
- Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise
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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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