Genesis 29
1
And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east; 2 and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three
droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves,
and the great stone [is] on the mouth of the well. 3 (When thither have all the
droves been gathered, and they have rolled the stone from off the mouth of the
well, and have watered the flock, then they have turned back the stone on the
mouth of the well to its place.) 4 And Jacob saith to
them, `My brethren, from whence [are] ye?' and they say, `We [are] from Haran.'
5 And he saith to them, `Have ye known Laban, son of Nahor?' and they say, `We have known.' 6 And he saith to them, `Hath he peace?' and they say, `Peace; and
lo, *Rachel his
daughter is coming with the flock.' 7 And he saith,
`Lo, the day [is] still great, [it is] not time for the cattle to be gathered;
water ye the flock, and go, delight yourselves.' 8 And they say, `We are not
able, till that all the droves be gathered together, and they have rolled away
the stone from the mouth of the well, and we have watered the flock.' 9 He is
yet speaking with them, and Rachel hath come with the flock which her father
hath, for she [is] shepherdess; 10 and it cometh to pass when Jacob hath seen
Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the flock of Laban his
mother's brother, that Jacob cometh nigh and rolleth
the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watereth
the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 And Jacob kisseth
Rachel, and lifteth up his voice, and weepeth, 12 and Jacob declareth
to Rachel that he [is] her father's brother, and that he [is] Rebekah's son,
and she runneth and declareth
to her father. 13 And it cometh to pass, when Laban heareth
the report of Jacob his sister's son, that he runneth
to meet him, and embraceth him, and kisseth him, and bringeth him in
unto his house; and he recounteth to Laban all these
things, 14 and Laban saith to him, `Only my bone and
my flesh [art] thou;' and he dwelleth with him a
month of days. 15 And Laban saith to Jacob, `Is it
because thou [art] my brother that thou hast served me for nought?
declare to me what [is] thy hire.' 16 And Laban hath two daughters, the name of
the elder [is] *Leah,
and the name of the younger Rachel, 17 and the eyes of Leah [are] tender, and
Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance. 18 And Jacob loveth Rachel, and saith, `I
serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter:' 19 and Laban saith, `It is better for me to give her to thee than to
give her to another man; dwell with me;' 20 and Jacob serveth
for Rachel seven years; and they are in his eyes as some days, because of his
loving her. 21 And Jacob saith unto Laban, `Give up
my wife, for my days have been fulfilled, and I go in unto her;' 22 and Laban gathereth all the men of the place, and maketh
a banquet. 23 And it cometh to pass in the evening, that he taketh Leah, his
daughter, and bringeth her in unto him, and he goeth in unto her; 24 and Laban giveth to her Zilpah, his maid-servant, to Leah his daughter, a
maid-servant. 25 And it cometh to pass in the morning, that lo, it [is] Leah;
and he saith unto Laban, `What [is] this thou hast
done to me? for Rachel have I not served with thee? and why hast thou deceived
me?' 26 And Laban saith, `It is not done so in our
place, to give the younger before the first-born; 27 fulfil the *week of this
one, and we give to thee also this one, for the service which thou dost serve
with me yet seven other years.' 28 And Jacob doth so, and fulfilleth
the week of this one, and he giveth to him Rachel his daughter, to him for a
wife; 29 and Laban giveth to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant, for a
maid-servant to her. 30 And he goeth in also unto
Rachel, and he also loveth Rachel more than Leah; and
he serveth with him yet seven other years. 31 And
Jehovah seeth that Leah [is] the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel [is] barren; 32 and Leah conceiveth, and beareth a son,
and calleth his name *Reuben, for she
said, `Because Jehovah hath looked on mine affliction; because now doth my
husband love me.' 33 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith,
`Because Jehovah hath heard that I [am] the hated one, He also giveth to me
even this [one];' and she calleth his name *Simeon. 34 And
she conceiveth again, and beareth
a son, and saith, `Now [is] the time, my husband is
joined unto me, because I have born to him three sons,' therefore hath [one]
called his name *Levi. 35
And she conceiveth again, and beareth
a son, and saith this time, `I praise Jehovah;'
therefore hath she called his name *Judah; and she ceaseth from bearing.