Genesis 29
1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Then Jacob lifted up his feet, —and went his way towards the land of the sons of the East.
2 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.
And he looked, and lo! a well, in the field and lo! there, three flocks of sheep, lying down near it, for out of that well, do they water the flocks, but, the stone, is great, on the mouth of the well:
3 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.
so they gather together thither all the flocks, and roll away the stone from off the mouth of the well, and water the sheep, —and put back the stone upon the mouth of the well, to its place.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said: From haran, are we.
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
And he said to them, Know ye Laban, son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 “How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
And he said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, Well, but lo! Rachel his daughter, coming in with the sheep.
7 “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?”
And he said Lo! the day is yet high, it is not time for gathering together the cattle, —water the sheep, and go feed.
8 “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.”
And they said, We cannot, until that all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll away the stone, from off the mouth of the well, —and then can we water the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
While yet he was speaking with them, Rachel, had come in with the sheep which belonged to her father, for a shepherdess, was she.
10 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.
And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled away the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother,
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
And Jacob kissed Rachel, —and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 (He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
And when Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son, then ran she, and told her father.
13 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,
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 fondly kissed him, and brought him into his house, —when he recounted to Laban all these things.
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
And Laban said to him, Surely, my bone and my flesh, art thou. So he abode with him a month of days.
15 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?”
Then said Laban to Jacob, Is it because my brother, thou art, that thou shouldst serve me for naught? Come tell me! What shall be thy wages?
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Now, Laban, had two daughters, —the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel,
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
But, the eyes of Leah were weak, —whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
So Jacob loved Rachel, —and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, —Abide with me!
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
So Jacob served for Rachel—seven years, —and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
Then said Jacob unto Laban: Come give me my wife, for fulfilled are my days, —that I may go in unto her.
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a banquet,
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter 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 in unto him, —and he went in unto her.
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
And Laban gave her Zilpah, his handmaid, unto Leah his daughter. as handmaid.
25 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?”
And it came to pass in the morning, that lo! it was Leah, —and he said unto Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Was it not, for Rachel, I served with thee? Wherefore then hast thou deceived me?
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
And Laban said, It must not be done so in our place, —to give the later-born before the firstborn.
27 “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.”
Fulfil the week of this one, —then must we give thee, the other one also, for the service wherewith thou shalt serve with me, yet seven years more.
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one, —and he gave him Rachel his daughter—to him to wife.
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid, —to be hers as a handmaid.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
So he went in, unto Rachel also, and loved, Rachel also, more than Leah, —and he served with him, yet seven years more.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
And, when Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, he granted her to bear children, —whereas, Rachel, was barren.
32 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!”
So Leah conceived, and bare a son, and called his name Reuben, —for she said, Because, Yahweh hath looked upon my humiliation, For, now, will my husband love me.
33 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.
And she conceived again, and bare a son, and said. Because Yahweh heard that, I, was hated, he gave me, this one also. So she called his name Simeon.
34 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.
And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, Now—this time, will my husband be bound unto me, For I have borne him three sons, —For this cause, called she his name Levi.
35 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.
And she conceived again and bare a son, and said This time, will I praise Yahweh, For which cause, she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.
