Genesis 29
1 And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east;
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
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.
As he looked around he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it, waiting to be given water. A large stone covered the top 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.)
The usual practice was that once all the flocks had arrived, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the well and give their sheep water. Then they would put the stone back again.
4 And Jacob saith to them, 'My brethren, from whence [are] ye?' and they say, 'We [are] from Haran.'
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 And he saith to them, 'Have ye known Laban, son of Nahor?' and they say, 'We have known.'
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 And he saith to them, 'Hath he peace?' and they say, 'Peace; and lo, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.'
“How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
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.'
“Look, there's still plenty of daylight left,” said Jacob. “It's too early to round up the sheep yet. Why not let them drink so they can go back to grazing?”
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.'
“We can't do that until all the flocks have arrived,” they told him. “Then we roll away the stone from the well and let the sheep drink.”
9 He is yet speaking with them, and Rachel hath come with the flock which her father hath, for she [is] shepherdess;
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
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.
When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he went over and rolled away the stone from the well so Laban's sheep could drink.
11 And Jacob kisseth Rachel, and lifteth up his voice, and weepeth,
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
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.
(He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
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,
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob he ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him, and took him home. After Jacob had explained everything to Laban,
14 and Laban saith to him, 'Only my bone and my flesh [art] thou;' and he dwelleth with him a month of days.
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
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.'
One day Laban said to him, “You're my relative so you shouldn't be working for me for nothing! Tell me, what should I pay you?”
16 And Laban hath two daughters, the name of the elder [is] Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel,
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 and the eyes of Leah [are] tender, and Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 And Jacob loveth Rachel, and saith, 'I serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter:'
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your 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;'
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 and Jacob serveth for Rachel seven years; and they are in his eyes as some days, because of his loving her.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 And Jacob saith unto Laban, 'Give up my wife, for my days have been fulfilled, and I go in unto her;'
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 and Laban gathereth all the men of the place, and maketh a banquet.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
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;
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 and Laban giveth to her Zilpah, his maid-servant, to Leah his daughter, a maid-servant.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
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?'
When morning came, he saw it was Leah! He went to Laban and asked angrily, “What have you done to me? It was for Rachel that I worked for you! Why have you deceived me?”
26 And Laban saith, 'It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first-born;
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
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.'
“Finish this week of wedding celebrations and then I'll give you the other daughter as well, as long as you work another seven years for me.”
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;
Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
29 and Laban giveth to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant, for a maid-servant to her.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
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.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 And Jehovah seeth that Leah [is] the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel [is] barren;
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
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.'
Leah became pregnant, and had a son she named Reuben, for she said, “The Lord saw how much I was suffering and now my husband will 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.
Then Leah became pregnant again, and had another son. She said, “The Lord has heard that I'm not loved so he gave me this son.” So she named him 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.
Leah became pregnant for the third time, and had another son. She said, “Finally my husband will be attached to me because now I've given him three sons.” That's why he was named 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.
Once again Leah became pregnant and had another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I can really praise the Lord!” After that she had no more children.
