Jacob Meets Rachel 1 CPDV And so Jacob, setting out, arrived in the eastern land. BSB BSB: Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 CPDV And he saw a well in a field, and also three flocks of sheep reclining near it. For the animals were watered from it, and its mouth was closed with a great stone. BSB BSB: He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
3 CPDV And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone. And when the flocks had been refreshed, they placed it over the mouth of the well again. BSB BSB: When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from 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 CPDV And he said to the shepherds, “Brothers, where are you from?” And they answered. “From Haran.” BSB BSB: “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 CPDV And questioning them, he said, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” BSB BSB: “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 CPDV He said, “Is he well?” “He is very well,” they said. “And behold, his daughter Rachel approaches with his flock.” BSB BSB: “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 CPDV And Jacob said, “There is still much daylight remaining, and it is not time to return the flocks to the sheepfold. Give the sheep to drink first, and then lead them back to pasture.” BSB BSB: “Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8 CPDV They responded, “We cannot, until all the animals are gathered together and we remove the stone from the mouth of the well, so that we may water the flocks.” BSB BSB: But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 CPDV They were still speaking, and behold, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep; for she pastured the flock. BSB BSB: While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 CPDV When Jacob had seen her, and he realized that she was his maternal first cousin, and that these were the sheep of his uncle Laban, he removed the stone which closed the well. BSB BSB: As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
11 CPDV And having watered the flock, he kissed her. And lifting up his voice, he wept. BSB BSB: Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 CPDV And he revealed to her that he was a brother of her father, and the son of Rebekah. And so, hurrying, she announced it to her father. BSB BSB: He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13 CPDV And when he had heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, had arrived, he ran to meet him. And embracing him, and kissing him heartily, he brought him into his house. But when he had heard the reasons for his journey, BSB BSB: When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel 14 CPDV he responded, “You are my bone and my flesh.” And after the days of one month were completed, BSB BSB: Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 CPDV he said to him: “Though you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would accept.” BSB BSB: Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 CPDV In truth, he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah; and truly the younger was called Rachel. BSB BSB: Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 CPDV But while Leah was bleary-eyed, Rachel had an elegant appearance and was attractive to behold. BSB BSB: Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 CPDV And Jacob, loving her, said, “I will serve you for seven years, for your younger daughter Rachel.” BSB BSB: Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 CPDV Laban responded, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man; remain with me.” BSB BSB: Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 CPDV Therefore, Jacob served for seven years for Rachel. And these seemed like only a few days, because of the greatness of love. BSB BSB: So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 CPDV And he said to Laban, “Give my wife to me. For now the time has been fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.” BSB BSB: Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22 CPDV And he, having called a great crowd of his friends to the feast, agreed to the marriage. BSB BSB: So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 CPDV And at night, he brought in his daughter Leah to him, BSB BSB: But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 CPDV giving his daughter a handmaid named Zilpah. After Jacob had gone in to her, according to custom, when morning had arrived, he saw Leah. BSB BSB: And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 CPDV And he said to his father-in-law, “What is it that you intended to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?” BSB BSB: When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
26 CPDV Laban responded, “It is not the practice in this place to give the younger in marriage first. BSB BSB: Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27 CPDV Complete a week of days with this mating. And then I will give this one to you also, for the service that you will provide to me for another seven years.” BSB BSB: Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28 CPDV He agreed to his pleading. And after the week had passed, he took Rachel as a wife. BSB BSB: And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 CPDV To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant. BSB BSB: Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah 31 CPDV But the Lord, seeing that he despised Leah, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren. BSB BSB: When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 CPDV Having conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: “The Lord saw my humiliation; now my husband will love me.” BSB BSB: And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33 CPDV And again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Because the Lord heard that I was treated with contempt, he has also given this one to me.” And she called his name Simeon. BSB BSB: Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.
34 CPDV And she conceived a third time, and she gave birth to another son, and she said: “Now likewise my husband will unite with me, because I have borne him three sons.” And because of this, she called his name Levi. BSB BSB: Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
35 CPDV A fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Only now will I confess to the Lord.” And for this reason, she called him Judah. And she ceased from child-bearing. BSB BSB: And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.