Genesis 29
1 Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 There he [was surprised to] see a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds habitually got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering the top of the well.
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well.
And there were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its place.
4 [On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, from where are ye? And they said, We are from Haran.
5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
And he said to them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 Jacob said, “Hey! The sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Give the sheep some water and then take them back to (graze/eat grass) in the pastures!”
And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 They replied, “No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep.”
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
And while he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who was his mother’s brother, [Jacob was so excited that] he went over and [by himself] rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle’s sheep.
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 well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father’s relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that to her father.
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek]. Then he brought him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened to him.
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.
14 Then Laban said to him, “Truly, you are part of my family!” After Jacob had stayed there and worked for Laban for a month,
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 Laban said to him “(You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine!/Why should you work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine?) [RHQ] Tell me how much you want me to pay you.”
And Laban said to Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nothing? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
16 Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 Jacob (was in love with/wanted very much to be married to) Rachel, and he said, “I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for your letting me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20 So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days, because he loved her so much.
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.
21 After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me marry Rachel now, because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you is ended, and I want to marry her. [EUP]”
And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.
22 So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter, Leah, to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he had sex [EUP] 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.
24 (Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
And Laban gave to his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban [and told him] very angrily, “(What you have done to me is disgusting!/What is this that you have done to me?) [RHQ] I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive me?”
And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? did I not serve with thee for Rachel? why then hast thou deceived me?
26 Laban replied, “In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter.
And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for me for another seven years.”
Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a wife also.
29 Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 Jacob had sex [EUP] with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
And he went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah [very much], he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant.
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 Leah gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘Look, a son]!’ She said, “Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him.”
And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that my husband doesn’t love me, he has given me this son, too.” So she named him Simeon, [which means ‘someone who hears’].
And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him.” So she named him Levi, [which means ‘hold close’].
And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, Now this time will my husband love me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “(This time/Now) I will praise Yahweh.” So she called his name Judah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘praise’]. After that, she did not give birth to any more children [for several years].
And she conceived again, and bore a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and stopped bearing.
