Open English Translation GEN Chapter 29

29 Then Yacob got on the road again and went to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 Close to his destination, he looked ahead, and wow, there was a well in the field, and what’s more, three flocks of sheep and goats were lying there near it, because the flocks were watered from that well but the stone over the mouth of the well was large and heavy. 3 Once all the flocks were gathered there, then they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well and water the animals. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 So Yacob asked the farmers, “My brothers, where are you from?”

“We’re from Haran,” they replied.

5 “Do you know Nahor’s grandson Lavan?” Yacob asked.

“Yes, we know him,” they replied.

6 “Is he doing well?” Yacob asked.

“Yes, he’s fine,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rahel with their flock.”

7 “Look, it’s still broad daylight,” Yacob told them. “It’s not time for the livestock to be brought it. Water the flock, and go pasture them.”

8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered here and they roll the stone off the top of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9 He was still talking with them when Rahel came with her father’s flock, because she was the one who looked after them. 10 When Yacob saw Rahel (the daughter of his mother’s brother, Lavan) with Lavan’s flock, he went over and rolled the stone off the top of the well and watered the sheep and goats. 11 Then he gave Rahel a kiss and happily cried out loud. 12 Then he told Rahel that he was a relative of her father and that he was a son of Rebekah.

Then she ran and told her father, 13 and when Lavan heard the news about his sister’s son Yacob, he ran out to meet him. Then he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then Yacob told Lavan everything that had happened up until then, 14 and Lavan told him, “You are indeed a close relative.”

After Yacob had stayed with Lavan and worked for him for a whole month, 15 Lavan said to him, “Should you work for me for nothing just because you’re my relative? Tell me, what should I pay you?”

16 Now Lavan had two daughters: the older one was named Le’ah, and the younger one was named Rahel (Rachel). 17 Le’ah had pretty eyes, but Rahel was extremely beautiful in every way.

18 Now Yacob was in love with Rahel, so he answered, “I’ll work for you for seven years so I can marry your younger daughter Rahel.”

19 “Ok, stay with me then,” said Lavan. “It’s better for me to give her to you than to give her to some other man.”

20 So Yacob worked seven years for Rahel, but it only seemed like a few days to him because of his love for her, 21 then he said to Lanan, “Give me my wife to marry now because I’ve worked the agreed seven years.” 22 So Lavan invited all the local people and held a wedding reception, 23 but that evening Lavan brought his other daughter Le’ah to Yacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Lavan also gave his female slave Zilpah to Le’ah to be her personal slave.) 25 But in the morning, Yacob saw that wow, it was Leah! “Hey, what’s this that you’ve done to me?” Yacob demanded of Lavan. “Wasn’t it Rahel that I worked for you for? So why did you deceive me?”

26 “It’s not our custom here,” Lavan answered, “for the younger daughter to marry before the older one. 27 Stay with just this one for the marriage week, and then we’ll also give you the younger one in return for another seven year’s work.”

28 So Yacob agreed and spent the week with Le’ah, then Lavan also gave him his daughter Rahel to be his wife. 29 (Lavan also gave his female slave Bilhah to Rahel to be her personal slave.)

30 So Yacob also slept with Rahel, but he also loved her more than Le’ah. Then he worked for Lavan for another seven years.

31 Now Yahweh saw that Le’ah was spurned, so he allowed her to conceive, but Rahel was unable to get pregnant. 32 So Leah got pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she named him ‘Reuben’ (which means ‘Look, a son’) because she said, “Because Yahweh has looked on my misery, surely my husband will love me now.” 33 Then she got pregnant again and gave birth to a second son, and she said, “Because Yahweh heard that I am hated, then he also gave me this son.” So she called his name ‘Simeon’ (which means ‘he hears’). 34 Then she got pregnant again and gave birth to a third son, and she said, “This time now my husband will hold me close to him, because I’ve given him three sons.” That’s why she named the baby ‘Levi’ (which means ‘hold close’). 35 Then Le’ah got pregnant again and gave birth to a fourth son, and she said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” That’s why she named him ‘Yehudah’ (which means ‘praise’). Then she stopped getting pregnant.