1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.
1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there [were] three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone [was] upon the well's mouth.
3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the wells mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
4 Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "Were from Haran," they replied.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence [be] ye? And they said, Of Haran [are] we.
5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahors grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know [him].
6 Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
6 And he said unto them, [Is] he well? And they said, [He is] well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
7 And he said, Lo, [it is] yet high day, neither [is it] time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go [and] feed [them].
8 "We cant," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and [till] they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her fathers sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mothers brother, and Labans sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncles sheep.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he [was] her father's brother, and that he [was] Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sisters son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou [art] my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou [art] my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what [shall] thy wages [be]?
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder [was] Leah, and the name of the younger [was] Rachel.
17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
17 Leah [was] tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "Ill work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
19 Laban said, "Its better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
19 And Laban said, [It is] better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him [but] a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give [me] my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid [for] an handmaid.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didnt I? Why have you deceived me?"
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it [was] Leah: and he said to Laban, What [is] this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Finish this daughters bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
31 And when the LORD saw that Leah [was] hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren.
32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I [was] hated, he hath therefore given me this [son] also: and she called his name Simeon.
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.