Genesis 29:15-28

International Children’s Bible

¹⁵ Then Laban said to Jacob, “You are my relative. But it is not right for you to keep on working for me without pay. What would you like me to pay you?”

¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters. The older was Leah, and the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was very beautiful. ¹⁸ Jacob loved Rachel. So he said to Laban, “Let me marry your younger daughter Rachel. If you will, I will work seven years for you.”

¹⁹ Laban said, “It would be better for her to marry you than someone else. So stay here with me.” ²⁰ So Jacob worked for Laban seven years so he could marry Rachel. But they seemed to him like just a few days. This was because he loved Rachel very much.

²¹ After seven years Jacob said to Laban, “Give me Rachel so that I may marry her. The time I promised to work for you is over.”

²² So Laban gave a feast for all the people there. ²³ That evening Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob. Jacob and Leah had intimate relations together. ²⁴ (Laban gave his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter to be her servant.) ²⁵ In the morning Jacob saw that he had had intimate relations with Leah! He said to Laban, “What have you done to me? I worked hard for you so that I could marry Rachel! Why did you trick me?”

²⁶ Laban said, “In our country we do not allow the younger daughter to marry before the older daughter. ²⁷ But complete the full week of the marriage ceremony with Leah. I will give you Rachel to marry also. But you must serve me another seven years.”

²⁸ So Jacob did this and completed the week with Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.