After Ya’akov (Jacob) had stayed with Lavan (Laban) 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 was named Rahel (Rachel). 17 Le’ah had pretty eyes, but Rahel was extremely beautiful in every way.
18 Now Ya’akov 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 “Okay, 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 Ya’akov 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 Lavan, “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 Ya’akov, 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, Ya’akov saw that wow, it was Le’ah! “Hey, what’s this that you’ve done to me?” Ya’akov 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 Ya’akov 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 Ya’akov also slept with Rahel, but he also loved her more than Le’ah. Then he worked for Lavan for another seven years.
