| Chapter 29 |
1 |
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. |
2 |
He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well`s mouth was great. |
3 |
There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well`s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well`s mouth in its place. |
4 |
Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran." |
5 |
He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him." |
6 |
He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep." |
7 |
He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the cattle together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them." |
8 |
They said, We can`t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well`s mouth. Then we water the sheep." |
9 |
While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father`s sheep, for she kept them. |
10 |
It happened, 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 rolled the stone from the well`s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother`s brother. |
11 |
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. |
12 |
Jacob told Rachel that he was her father`s brother, and that he was Rebekah`s son. She ran and told her father. |
13 |
It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister`s son, that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. |
14 |
Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for a month. |
15 |
Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?" |
16 |
Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. |
17 |
Leah`s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. |
18 |
Jacob loved Rachel. 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 |
Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. |
21 |
Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." |
22 |
Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. |
23 |
It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her. |
24 |
Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid. |
25 |
It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Didn`t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" |
26 |
Laban said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first born. |
27 |
Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years." |
28 |
Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. |
29 |
Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid. |
30 |
He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. |
31 |
Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. |
32 |
Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me." |
33 |
She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon. |
34 |
She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi. |
35 |
She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. |