Genesis 29:14-30

GOD’S WORD Translation

¹⁴ Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

Jacob Obtains Wives

Jacob stayed with him for a whole month. ¹⁵ Then Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative doesn’t mean that you should work for nothing. Tell me what your wages should be.”

¹⁶ Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah had attractive eyes,^[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and beautiful features. ¹⁸ Jacob loved Rachel. So he offered, “I’ll work seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

¹⁹ Laban responded, “It’s better that I give her to you than to any other man. Stay with me.” ²⁰ Jacob worked seven years in return for Rachel, but the years seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her.

²¹ ⌞At the end of the seven years⌟ Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; give me my wife! I want to sleep with her.” ²² So Laban invited all the people of that place and gave a wedding feast. ²³ In the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. Jacob slept with her. When morning came, he realized it was Leah.^{[b] 24} (Laban had given his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)

²⁵ “What have you done to me?” Jacob asked Laban. “Didn’t I work for you in return for Rachel? Why did you cheat me?”

²⁶ Laban answered, “It’s not our custom to give the younger daughter ⌞in marriage⌟ before the older one. ²⁷ Finish the week of wedding festivities with this daughter. Then we will give you the other one too. But you’ll have to work for me another seven years.”

²⁸ That’s what Jacob did. He finished the week with Leah. Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to him as his wife. ²⁹ (Laban had given his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.) ³⁰ Jacob slept with Rachel too. He loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.