Genesis 29:1-14

Common English Bible

Jacob meets Rachel

29 Jacob got to his feet and set out for the land of the easterners. ²He saw a well in the field in front of him, near which three flocks of sheep were lying down. That well was their source for water because the flocks drank from that well. A huge stone covered the well’s opening. ³When all of the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well’s opening, water the sheep, and return the stone to its place at the well’s opening. ⁴Jacob said to them, “Where are you from, my brothers?”

They said, “We’re from Haran.”

⁵Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”

They said, “We know him.”

⁶He said to them, “Is he well?”

They said, “He’s fine. In fact, this is his daughter Rachel now, coming with the flock.”

⁷He said to them, “It’s now only the middle of the day. It’s not time yet to gather the animals. Water the flock, and then go, put them out to pasture.”

⁸They said to him, “We can’t until all the herds are gathered, and then we^[a] roll the stone away from the well’s opening and water the flock.”

⁹While he was still talking to them, Rachel came with her father’s flock since she was its shepherd. ¹⁰When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his uncle, and the flock of Laban, Jacob came up, rolled the stone from the well’s opening, and watered the flock of his uncle Laban. ¹¹Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. ¹²Jacob told Rachel that he was related to her father and that he was Rebekah’s son. She then ran to tell her father. ¹³When Laban heard about Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him. Laban embraced him, kissed him, and invited him into his house, where Jacob recounted to Laban everything that had happened. ¹⁴Laban said to him, “Yes, you are my flesh and blood.”