Jacob Meets Rachel

29 So Jacob went on his journey ^(A)and came to the land of the people of the East. ² And he looked, and saw a ^(B)well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. ³ Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

⁴ And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”

And they said, “We are from ^(C)Haran.”

⁵ Then he said to them, “Do you know ^(D)Laban the son of Nahor?”

And they said, “We know him.”

⁶ So he said to them, ^(E)“Is he well?”

And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel ^(F)is coming with the sheep.”

⁷ Then he said, “Look, it is still ^[a]high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

⁸ But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

⁹ Now while he was still speaking with them, ^(G)Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ¹⁰ And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and ^(H)rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. ¹¹ Then Jacob ^(I)kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. ¹² And Jacob told Rachel that he was ^(J)her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. ^(K)So she ran and told her father.

¹³ Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that ^(L)he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. ¹⁴ And Laban said to him, ^(M)“Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

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, ^(N)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 ^[b]delicate, but Rachel was ^(O)beautiful of form and appearance.

¹⁸ Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ^(P)“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 ^(Q)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 ^(R)go in to her.” ²² And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and ^(S)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 ^(T)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 ^(U)deceived me?”

²⁶ And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our ^[c]country, to give the younger before the firstborn. ^27 (V)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 ^(W)Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. ³⁰ Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also ^(X)loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban ^(Y)still another seven years.

The Children of Jacob

³¹ When the Lord ^(Z)saw that Leah was ^[d]unloved, He ^(AA)opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³² So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name ^[e]Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely ^(AB)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 ^[f]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name ^[g]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 ^[h]Levi. ³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name ^(AC)Judah.^[i] Then she stopped bearing.