Genesis 29

Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram

29Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.H3290H5375H7272H3212H776H1121H69242He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.H7200H875H7704H7969H5739H6629H7257H875H8248H5739H1419H68H875H63103It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H7725H68H7725H875H6310H47254Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, "Where are you from, my friends?" "We are from Haran," they answered.H3290H559H251H370H559H27715"Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" he asked. "Yes, we do," they replied.H559H3045H3837H1121H5152H559H30456"Is he doing well?" Jacob asked. "Yes, he's well," they answered. "Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now."H559H7965H559H7965H7354H1323H935H66297Jacob said, "Look, it's still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don't you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?"H559H2005H1419H3117H6256H4735H622H8248H6629H3212H74628"We can't water the animals until all the flocks have arrived," they replied. "Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats."H559H3201H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H66299Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherd.H5750H1696H7354H935H1H6629H746210And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle's flock.H3290H7200H7354H1323H3837H517H251H6629H3837H517H251H3290H5066H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H3837H517H25111Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.H3290H5401H7354H5375H6963H105812He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father's side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.H3290H5046H7354H1H251H7259H1121H7323H5046H113As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,H3837H8085H8088H3290H269H1121H7323H7125H2263H5401H935H1004H5608H3837H1697

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

14Laban exclaimed, "You really are my own flesh and blood!" After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,H3837H559H389H6106H1320H3427H3117H232015Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be."H3837H559H3290H251H5647H2600H5046H490916Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.H3837H8147H1323H8034H1419H3812H8034H6996H735417There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes

, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.H3812H7390H5869H7354H3303H8389H3303H475818Since 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."H3290H157H7354H559H5647H7651H8141H7354H6996H132319"Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me."H3837H559H2896H5414H5414H312H376H342720So 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.H3290H5647H7651H8141H7354H5869H259H3117H16021Finally, 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."H3290H559H3837H3051H802H3117H4390H93522So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.H3837H622H582H4725H6213H496023But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.H6153H3947H3812H1323H935H93524(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)H3837H5414H1323H3812H2153H8198H819825But 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?"H1242H3812H559H3837H6213H5647H7354H741126"It's not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied.H3837H559H6213H4725H5414H6810H6440H106727"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."H4390H2063H7620H5414H5656H5647H7651H312H814128So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.H3290H6213H4390H7620H5414H7354H1323H80229(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)H3837H5414H7354H1323H1090H8198H819830So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.H935H7354H157H7354H3812H5647H7651H312H8141

Jacob’s Many Children

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.H3068H7200H3812H8130H6605H7358H7354H613532So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben

, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me."H3812H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H7205H3588H559H3588H3068H7200H6040H3588H376H15733She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon

, for she said, "The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son."H2029H3205H1121H559H3068H8085H8130H5414H7121H8034H809534Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi

, for she said, "Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!"H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H376H3867H3205H7969H1121H8034H7121H387835Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah

, for she said, "Now I will praise the LORD!" And then she stopped having children.H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H3034H3068H7121H8034H3063H5975H3205