29:1 Jacob continued his journey
entering the region
of the people of the East.
29:2 There he saw a spring in a field
with three flocks of sheep lying near it
as the birds watered from that spring.
The stone over wellspring was large.
29:3 Where the flocks gathered
they would roll away the stone
from the wellspring to water the sheep.
Then they returned the stone
to cover the wellspring.
29:4 Jacob asked them:
My brothers where are you from?
They replied:
We are from
29:5 Then he asked them:
Do you know Laban
the follower of Nahor?
They replied:
Yes we do know him.
29:6 Then he asked them:
Is he well?
They replied:
Yes he is.
Here comes Rachel
his daughter with the sheep.
29:7 Then he said:
I see the sun is still high.
It’s not time for gathering the herds.
Go water and feed your sheep.
29:8 They replied:
We can't until all the herds gather
and the wellspring stone is rolled away.
Then we will water the sheep.
29:9 While he spoke with them
Rachel came with her father’s sheep.
For it was her who cared for them.
29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel
daughter of his uncle Laban
and Laban's shepherd
he rolled the stone away
from the wellspring
and watered his uncle's sheep.
29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel
and cried loudly.
29:12 Then Jacob told Rachel
that he was her father’s kin
and was a son of Rebekah.
Then she ran and told her father.
29:13 When Laban heard about Jacob
his sister's son
he went to meet him.
He embraced and kissed him
and brought him to his household.
Jacob told him all these things.
29:14 Then Laban said to him:
Surely you are my kin and essence.
Jacob remained with him for a month.
29:15 Then Laban said to him:
Just because you are my kin
should you work for me for nothing?
Tell me what your wages shall be.
29:16 Now Laban had two daughters.
The older one was named Leah
and the younger one was Rachel.
29:17 Leah had tender eyes
but Rachel was beautiful and attractive.
29:18 Jacob loved Rachel and said:
I will work for you seven years
for your younger daughter Rachel.
29:19 Laban replied:
It's better I give her to you
than to another man.
Stay here with me.
29:20 For Rachel Jacob worked for seven years.
But they seemed like only a few days
because of his love for her.
29:21 Jacob then told Laban:
I have fulfilled my time.
Please give me my wife
so that I can be with her.
29:22 So Laban gathered the people
in the area and held a banquet.
29:23 Once evening arrived
he brought his daughter Leah
over to Jacob
and they came together.
29:24 Then Laban gave his daughter Leah
his housemaid Zilpah as her attendant.
29:25 Once morning arrived
it was Leah that was there.
So Jacob said to Laban:
What have you done to me?
I worked for you for Rachel yes?
Why have you tricked me?
29:26 So Laban replied:
It is not done in our land
to give a younger daughter to marry
before giving the older one.
29:27 Finish this daughter's bridal week
then we will give you the other one
in exchange for another seven years of work.
29:28 That’s what Jacob did.
He completed the week with Leah
and later Laban gave him
his daughter Rachel to marry.
29:29 Laban gave his housemaid Bilhah
to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.
29:30 Jacob came together with Rachel
and loved Rachel more than Leah.
And he worked another seven years.
29:31 Yahweh knew Leah was not favored.
So He made her fertile
while Rachel remained childless.
29:32 Thus Leah gave birth to a son.
She named him Reuben saying:
Surely Yahweh saw my pain.
Now my husband will care for me.
29:33 Then she conceived again
giving birth to a son saying:
Because Yahweh knew
that I was not favored
He gave me this one too.
So she named him Simeon (heard).
29:34 Yet again she conceived
giving birth to a son saying:
Now finally my husband will be with me
for I brought forth three sons.
So he was named Levi (joined).
29:35 Then she conceived again
giving birth to a son, saying:
This time I will praise Yahweh.
So she named him Judah (praised)
and had no more children.
