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Jacob Meets Rachel
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram
Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.
Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
He 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.
And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
It 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.
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?”
“We are from Haran,” they answered.
“We are from Haran,” they answered.
And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
“Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked.
“Yes, we do,” they replied.
“Yes, we do,” they replied.
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
“Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
Jacob 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?”
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
“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.”
And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.
Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd.
And it came to pass, 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.
And 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.
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
He 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.
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
As 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,
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,
And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
Since 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.”
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
So 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.
And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
Finally, 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.”
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
But 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?”
And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
“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.”
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Jacob’s Many Children
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.