29:1 So Jacob picked up his heels¹ and went on his way to the land of the eastern people. 29:2 Then he looked and there was² a well in the field, and there were there three flocks of sheep crouching down beside it, because from that well the flocks were watered.

Now³ the stone over the mouth of the well was large. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, then they⁴ would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

29:4 And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 29:5 And he said, “Do you know Laban, the son⁵ of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”⁶ 29:6 Then Jacob said to them, “Is he well?”⁷ And they said, “He is well.⁸ “Look,⁹ Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” 29:7 And he said, “Since it is still the middle of the day¹⁰ it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Why don’t you water¹¹ the sheep and go and feed them.”¹² 29:8 And they replied,¹³ “We can’t until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone rolled off¹⁴ the mouth of the well. Then we water¹⁵ the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with the sheep that belonged to her father, for she was tending them.¹⁶ 29:10 And when Jacob saw¹⁷ Rachel, the daughter of Laban the brother of his mother, and the sheep of Laban the brother of his mother, he¹⁸ went over¹⁹ and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban the brother of his mother.²⁰ 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice²¹ and wept. 29:12 When Jacob told²² Rachel that he was a relative of her father, and that he was a son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 And when Laban heard²³ the report about Jacob, the son of his sister, he ran to meet him; and he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. And Jacob related²⁴ to Laban all these things. 29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed²⁵ my own bone and my own flesh.” So Jacob stayed with him for a month.²⁶

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are a relative of mine, should you work²⁷ for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 Now²⁸ Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel. 29:17 And the eyes of Leah were tender,²⁹ but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance. 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, “I will serve you for seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

29:19 And Laban said, “It is better for me to give³⁰ her to you than for me to give her³¹ to another man; stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob served for Rachel for seven years. But they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

29:21 Finally Jacob said³² to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time³³ is fulfilled; and I will go in to her.”³⁴ 29:22 So Laban gathered all the people³⁵ of the place and prepared a feast. 29:23 But in the evening³⁶ he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him,³⁷ and he went in to her.³⁸ 29:24 And Laban gave her Zilpah his handmaiden, to Leah his daughter as her handmaiden.

29:25 In the morning it was Leah!³⁹ So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this⁴⁰ you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you beguiled⁴¹ me?” 29:26 And Laban replied,⁴² “It is not done that way⁴³ in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. 29:27 Fulfill her week,⁴⁴ and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me for seven more years.”⁴⁵

29:28 And Jacob did so. He finished⁴⁶ her week⁴⁷ and Laban⁴⁸ gave him Rachel his daughter to be his wife. 29:29 And Laban gave Bilhah his maidservant to Rachel his daughter, to be her maidservant. 29:30 And he went in to Rachel also; and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. So he served with him for seven more years.

29:31 And when the LORD saw⁴⁹ that Leah was hated,⁵⁰ he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 29:32 So Leah conceived⁵¹ and bore a son; and she called his name Reuben,⁵² for she said, “The LORD has looked on my affliction.⁵³ Surely my husband will love me.”

29:33 And she conceived⁵⁴ again and bore a son; and she said, “Because the LORD heard that I was hated, he gave me this one also.” And she called his name Simeon.⁵⁵

29:34 And she conceived⁵⁶ again and bore a son; and she said, “Now this time my husband will be joined⁵⁷ to me, because I have born three sons for him.” That is why his name was called Levi.

29:35 And she conceived⁵⁸ again and bore a son; and she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” That is why she called his name Judah.⁵⁹ Then she stopped having children.