Genesis 29:14-30

Modern English Version

¹⁴ Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.”

And he stayed with him for a month. ¹⁵ Laban said to Jacob, “Since you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

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 tender, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. ¹⁸ Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

¹⁹ 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 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, for my days are fulfilled, so that I may have relations with her.”

²² Laban gathered together all the men of the place and prepared a feast. ²³ But in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob had relations with her. ²⁴ Laban gave Zilpah his maid to his daughter Leah for a maidservant.

²⁵ In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah, and he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?”

²⁶ Then Laban said, “It is not the custom in our country to marry off the younger before the firstborn. ²⁷ Fulfill the period of seven days for 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 Rachel his daughter as his wife also. ²⁹ Laban gave Bilhah his maidservant to Rachel his daughter to be her maid. ³⁰ So Jacob also had relations with Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served Laban another seven years.