Genesis 29
29
Jacob Arrives at Laban's Home
1Jacob continued on his way and went towards the land of the East. 2Suddenly he came upon a well out in the fields with three flocks of sheep lying round it. The flocks were watered from this well, which had a large stone over the opening. 3Whenever all the flocks came together there, the shepherds would roll the stone back and water them. Then they would put the stone back in place.
4Jacob asked the shepherds, “My friends, where are you from?”
“From Haran,” they answered.
5He asked, “Do you know Laban, grandson of Nahor?”
“Yes, we do,” they answered.
6“Is he well?” he asked.
“He is well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with his flock.”
7Jacob said, “Since it is still broad daylight and not yet time to bring the flocks in, why don't you water them and take them back to pasture?”
8They answered, “We can't do that until all the flocks are here and the stone has been rolled back; then we will water the flocks.”
9While Jacob was still talking to them, Rachel arrived with the flock. 10When Jacob saw Rachel with his uncle Laban's flock, he went to the well, rolled the stone back, and watered the sheep. 11Then he kissed her and began to cry for joy. 12He told her, “I am your father's relative, the son of Rebecca.”
She ran to tell her father; 13and when he heard the news about his nephew Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him and kissed him, and brought him into the house. When Jacob told Laban everything that had happened, 14Laban said, “Yes, indeed, you are my own flesh and blood.” Jacob stayed there a whole month.
Jacob Serves Laban for Rachel and Leah
15Laban said to Jacob, “You shouldn't work for me for nothing just because you are my relative. How much pay do you want?” 16Laban had two daughters; the elder was named Leah, and the younger Rachel. 17Leah had lovely#29.17 lovely; or weak. eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18Jacob was in love with Rachel, so he said, “I will work seven years for you, if you will let me marry Rachel.”
19Laban answered, “I would rather give her to you than to anyone else; stay here with me.” 20Jacob worked seven years so that he could have Rachel, and the time seemed like only a few days to him, because he loved her.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; let me marry your daughter.” 22So Laban gave a wedding feast and invited everyone. 23But that night, instead of Rachel, he took Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had intercourse with her. 24(Laban gave his slave woman Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.) 25Not until the next morning did Jacob discover that it was Leah. He went to Laban and said, “Why did you do this to me? I worked to get Rachel. Why have you tricked me?”
26Laban answered, “It is not the custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the elder. 27Wait until the week's marriage celebrations are over, and I will give you Rachel, if you will work for me another seven years.”
28Jacob agreed, and when the week of marriage celebrations was over, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29(Laban gave his slave woman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.) 30Jacob had intercourse with Rachel also, and he loved her more than Leah. Then he worked for Laban another seven years.
The Children Born to Jacob
31When the LORD saw that Leah was loved less than Rachel, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel remained childless. 32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “The LORD has seen my trouble, and now my husband will love me”; so she named him Reuben.#29.32 Reuben: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “see, a son” and “has seen my trouble”. 33She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “The LORD has given me this son also, because he heard that I was not loved”; so she named him Simeon.#29.33 Simeon: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “hear”. 34Once again she became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now my husband will be bound more tightly to me, because I have borne him three sons”; so she named him Levi.#29.34 Levi: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “bound”. 35Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “This time I will praise the LORD”; so she named him Judah.#29.35 Judah: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “praise”. Then she stopped having children.
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Genesis 29: GNBDK
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Bereshis 29
29
1Then Ya'akov went on his journey, and came into the eretz of the bnei kedem.
2And he looked, and hinei a be'er in the sadeh, and, hinei, there were shloshah edrei tzon lying by it; for out of that be'er they watered the edarim: and a great even (stone) was upon the mouth of the be'er.
3And to there were all the edarim gathered: and they rolled the even (stone) from the mouth of the be'er, and watered the tzon, and put the even (stone) again upon the mouth of the be'er in its place.
4And Ya'akov said unto them, My brethren, where are you from? And they said, Of Charan are we.
5And he said unto them, Know ye Lavan ben Nachor? And they said, We know him.
6And he said unto them, Is the shalom with him? And they said, Shalom; and, hinei, Rachel his bat cometh with the tzon.
7And he said, Look, the sun is still high, neither is it time that the flock should be gathered together; water ye the tzon, and go and feed them.
8And they said, We cannot, until all the edarim be gathered together, and till they roll the even (stone) from the mouth of the be'er; then we water the tzon.
9And while he yet spoke with them, Rachel came with the tzon of her av; for she was a ro'ah (shepherdess).
10And it came to pass, when Ya'akov saw Rachel bat Lavan achi immo, and the tzon of Lavan achi immo, that Ya'akov went near, and rolled the even (stone) from the mouth of the be'er, and watered the tzon of Lavan achi immo.
11And Ya'akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12And Ya'akov told Rachel that he was the relative of her av, and that he was ben Rivkah; and she ran and told her av.
13And it came to pass, when Lavan heard the news of Ya'akov ben achoto, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his bais. And he told Lavan all these things.
14And Lavan said to him, Surely thou art my etzem (bone) and my basar. And he abode with him the space of a chodesh (month).
15And Lavan said unto Ya'akov, Because thou art my relative, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall thy maskoret (wages) be?
16And Lavan had two banot: the shem of the elder was Leah, and the shem of the younger was Rachel.
17Leah had weak eyes; but Rachel was yafeh and lovely in form.
18And Ya'akov loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee sheva shanim for Rachel thy bat haketannah (younger daughter).
19And Lavan said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another ish; abide with me.
20And Ya'akov served sheva shanim for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few yamim, because of the ahavah he had for her.
21And Ya'akov said unto Lavan, Give me my isha, for my yamim are completed, that I may go in unto her.
22And Lavan gathered together all the anshei hamakom, and made a mishteh (feast).
23And it came to pass in the erev, that he took Leah his bat, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24And Lavan gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah shifchato (his maid) for a shifchah.
25And it came to pass, that in the boker, hinei, it was Leah! And he said to Lavan, What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? So why then hast thou deceived me?
26And Lavan said, It must not be so done in our land, to give the younger before the bechirah.
27Finish her shvu'a (week), and we will give thee this also for the avodah (service, work) which thou shalt do for me yet sheva shanim acherot.
28And Ya'akov did so, and fulfilled her shvu'a; and he gave him Rachel his bat to be his isha also.
29And Lavan gave to his bat Rachel Bilhah his shifchah to be her shifchah.
30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served him yet sheva shanim acherot.
31And when Hashem saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb but Rachel was barren.
32And Leah conceived, and bore a ben, and she called shmo Reuven: for she said, Surely Hashem hath looked upon my misery; now therefore my ish will love me.
33And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Because Hashem hath heard I was hated, He hath therefore given me this also; and she called shmo Shim'on.
34And she conceived again, and bore ben; and said, Now this time will my ish yillaveh (become attached) unto me, because I have born him shloshah banim: therefore was shmo called Levi.
35And she conceived again, and bore ben; and she said, Now will odeh (I praise) Hashem; therefore she called shmo Yehudah; and stopped giving birth.
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