Gen 29 | NASB1995 | STEP | Then Jacob went on his journey , and came to the land of the sons of the east .

Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1 Then Jacob ^{▼▼ Lit lifted up his feet}went on his journey, and came to the land of ^bthe sons of the east. 2 He looked, and ^{▼▼ Lit behold}saw ^da well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from ^eHaran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the ^fson of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is ^gRachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob ^hkissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a ^{▼▼ Lit brother
,} ^jrelative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and ^kshe ran and told her father.

13 So when ^lLaban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and ^membraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. 14 Laban said to him, “Surely you are ⁿmy bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my ^{▼▼ Lit brother}relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall ^pyour wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was ^qbeautiful of form and ^{▼▼ Lit beautiful of appearance}face. 18 Now Jacob ^sloved Rachel, so he said, ^t“I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to 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 ^ubecause of his love for her.

Laban’s Treachery

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my ^{▼▼ Lit days are}time is completed, that I may ^wgo in to her.” 22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, ^x“What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you ^ydeceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not ^{▼▼ Lit done thus in}the practice in our place to ^{▼▼ Lit give}marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which ^abyou shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed ^ache loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with ^{▼▼ Lit him}Laban for ^aeanother seven years.

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was ^{▼▼ Lit hated}unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named him ^{▼▼ I.e. see, a son}Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has ^{▼▼ Lit looked upon
,} ^aiseen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, ^aj“Because the Lord has ^{▼▼ Heb shama, related to Simeon}heard that I am ^{▼▼ Lit hated}unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will become ^{▼▼ Heb lavah, related to Levi}attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named ^anLevi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will ^{▼▼ Heb Jadah, related to Judah}praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him ^{▼▼ Heb Jehudah
,} ^aqJudah. Then she stopped bearing.