Genesis 29:14-30
New Living Translation
14 Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes,[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.
21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”
22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. 27 “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”
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.
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- 29:17 Or Leah had dull eyes, or Leah had soft eyes. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Genesis 29:14-30
International Standard Version
14 Laban responded, “You certainly are my flesh and blood!”[a] So Jacob[b] stayed with him for about a month.[c]
Jacob Agrees to Work in Order to Marry Rachel
15 Later, Laban asked Jacob, “Should you serve me for free, just because you’re my nephew?[d] Let’s talk about what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban happened to have two daughters. The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah looked rather plain,[e] but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: “I’ll serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 “It’s better that I give her to you than to another man,” Laban replied, “so stay with me.” 20 Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but it seemed like only a few days because of his love for her.
21 Eventually, Jacob told Laban, “Bring me my wife, now that my time of service[f] has been completed, so I can go be with her.” 22 So Laban gathered all the men who lived in that place and held a wedding festival.
Laban Deceives Jacob
23 That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob.[g] He had marital relations with her. 24 Laban also gave his servant woman Zilpah to Leah to be her maidservant. 25 The next morning, Jacob[h] realized that it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” he demanded of Laban. “Didn’t I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? Why did you deceive me?”
26 But Laban responded, “It’s not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage[i] before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the week for this daughter,[j] then we’ll give you the other one in exchange for serving me another seven years.”
28 So Jacob completed another seven years’ work, and then Laban[k] gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban also gave his woman servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant. 30 Jacob[l] also married Rachel, since he loved her. He served Laban another full seven years’ work for Rachel.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 29:14 Lit. bones
- Genesis 29:14 Lit. he
- Genesis 29:14 Lit. for days of a new month
- Genesis 29:15 Lit. brother
- Genesis 29:17 Or Leah had weak eyes
- Genesis 29:21 The Heb. lacks of service
- Genesis 29:23 Lit. him
- Genesis 29:25 Lit. he
- Genesis 29:26 The Heb. lacks in marriage
- Genesis 29:27 Lit. one
- Genesis 29:28 Lit. he
- Genesis 29:30 Lit. he
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