1 Then Jacob 1Lit lifted up his feetwent on his journey, and came to the land of AJudg 6:3, 33the sons of the east. 2 He looked, and 1Lit beholdsaw AGen 24:10, 11; Ex 2:15, 16a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from AGen 28:10Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the AGen 24:24, 29son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 And he said to them, “Is it well with him?” And they said, “It is well, and here is AEx 2:16Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob AGen 33:4kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a 1Lit brotherAGen 28:5relative of her father and that he was Rebekah’s son, and BGen 24:28she ran and told her father.

13 So when AGen 24:29-31Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and BGen 33:4embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. 14 Laban said to him, “Surely you are AGen 2:23; Judg 9:2; 2 Sam 5:1; 19:12, 13my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him a month.

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my 1Lit brotherrelative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall AGen 31:41your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was AGen 12:11, 14; 26:7beautiful of form and 1Lit beautiful of appearanceface. 18 Now Jacob AGen 24:67loved Rachel, so he said, “BHos 12:12I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days ASong 8:7because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my 1Lit days aretime is completed, that I may AJudg 15:1go in to her.” 22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “AGen 12:18; 20:9; 26:10What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you B1 Sam 28:12deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not 1Lit done thus inthe practice in our place to 2Lit givemarry off the younger before the firstborn. 27  “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which AGen 31:41you shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed AGen 29:17, 18he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with 1Lit himLaban for BGen 31:41another seven years.

31 Now the Loʀᴅ saw that Leah was 1Lit hatedunloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named him 1I.e. see, a sonReuben, for she said, “Because the Loʀᴅ has 2Lit looked uponAGen 16:11; 31:42; Ex 3:7; 4:31; Deut 26:7; Ps 25:18seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “ADeut 21:15Because the Loʀᴅ has 1Heb shama, related to Simeonheard that I am 2Lit hatedunloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will become 1Heb lavah, related to Leviattached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named AGen 49:5Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will 1Heb Jadah, related to Judahpraise the Loʀᴅ.” Therefore she named him 2Heb JehudahAGen 49:8; Matt 1:2Judah. Then she stopped bearing.