ULT GEN Chapter 29

Jacob Meets Rachel and Laban in Haran

29:1-14

29 Then Jacob lifted his feet and went to the land of the sons of the east. 2 And he looked, and behold, a well was in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there near it, because from that well the flocks were watered, and the stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 And all the flocks would be gathered there, then they would roll the stone from over the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Then Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 Then he said to them, “Are things well for him?” And they said, “Things are well. And behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.” 7 Then he said, “Behold, the day is still large. 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 over the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9 He was still talking with them when Rachel came with the sheep that belonged to her father, because she was tending them. 10 Then it happened, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, then Jacob went over and rolled the stone from over the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted his voice and cried. 12 Then Jacob told Rachel 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 it happened, when Laban heard the news about Jacob the son of his sister, then he ran to meet him. Then he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he told Laban all these things, 14 and Laban said to him, “You are indeed my bone and my flesh!”

Jacob Works for Laban to Marry Rachel and Leah

29:14b-30

Then he stayed with him a month of days. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you then serve me for nothing? Tell me, what are your wages?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And the eyes of Leah were delicate, but Rachel was lovely of form and beautiful of appearance. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” 19 And Laban said, “It is better for me to give her to you than for me to give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but in his eyes they were like a few days because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, because my days are completed, so that I may go to her.” 22 Then Laban gathered all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went to her. 24 And Laban gave to her Zilpah his maidservant, to Leah his daughter, to be a maidservant.

25 Then it happened in the morning, that behold, she was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? So why have you deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not done so in our place to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the week of this one, then we will also give you this one for service that you will serve with me for another seven years.”

28 So Jacob did so, and he fulfilled the week for that one. Then he gave to him Rachel his daughter as a wife for him. 29 And Laban gave Bilhah his maidservant to Rachel his daughter as a maidservant for her. 30 Then he also went to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him for another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

29:31-30:24

31 Now Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, so he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Then Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, because she said, “Because Yahweh has looked on my misery, surely now my husband will love me.”

33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, “Because Yahweh heard that I am hated, then he gave to me this son also.” So she called his name Simeon.

34 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, “This time now my husband will be joined to me, because I have born three sons for him.” For that reason he called his name Levi.

35 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” For that reason she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.