Welcome to our website where we explore the Bible! Pleasure to meet you here!
May your journey into the world of the Holy Scriptures be engaging and inspiring!
You can change reading language: uk ru
Parallel
New Living Translation
Darby Bible Translation
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.
Jacob Meets Rachel
And Jacob continued his journey, and went into the land of the children of the east.
And Jacob continued his journey, and went into the land of the children of the east.
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 he looked, and behold, there was a well in the fields, and behold there, three flocks of sheep were lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks, and a great stone was at the mouth of the well.
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 when all the flocks were gathered there, they rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the mouth of the well in its place.
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 Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
“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 to them, Do ye know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do know [him].
“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 to them, Is he well? And they said, [He is] well; and behold, there comes Rachel his daughter with the sheep.
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 he said, Behold, it is yet high day; it is not time that the cattle should be gathered together; water the sheep, and go, feed [them].
“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 they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep.
Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd.
While he was still speaking to them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
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 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 mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
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 Jacob told Rachel that he was a brother of her father, and that he was Rebecca's son; and she ran and told her father.
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,
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.
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,
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
And Laban said to him, Thou art indeed my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him a month's time.
And Laban said to him, Thou art indeed my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him a month's time.
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 said to Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou serve me for nothing? tell me, what shall be thy wages?
Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel.
And the eyes of Leah were tender; but Rachel was of beautiful form and beautiful countenance.
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 Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
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 served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes as single days, because he loved 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 Jacob said to Laban, Give [me] my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.
So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.
(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
And Laban gave to her Zilpah, his maidservant, to be maidservant to Leah his daughter.
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 it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Have I not served thee for Rachel? Why then hast thou deceived me?
“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.
And Laban said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.
“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.”
Fulfil the week [with] this one: then we will give thee the other one also, for the service that thou shalt serve me yet seven other years.
So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week [with] this one, and he gave him Rachel his daughter to be his wife.
(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah, his maidservant, to be her maidservant.
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.
And he went in also to Rachel; and he loved also Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet seven other years.
Jacob’s Many Children
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah
And when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
And when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Reuben; for she said, Because Jehovah has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.
And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.
And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, Now this time will my husband be united to me, for I have borne him three sons; therefore was his name called Levi.
And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, This time will I praise Jehovah; therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased to bear.