Jacob Meets Rachel 1 UDB Jacob continued on the road, and he reached the land that was east of the land of Canaan. BSB BSB: Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 UDB There he saw a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds normally got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering the top of the well. 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 UDB When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well. 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 UDB On that day, Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, "Where are you from?" They replied, "We are from the city of Haran." BSB BSB: “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 UDB He asked them, "Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" They replied, "Yes, we know him." BSB BSB: “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 UDB Jacob asked them, "Is Laban well?" They replied, "Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!" BSB BSB: “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 UDB Jacob said, "But the sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Why do you not give the sheep some water and then take them back to graze in the pastures?" 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 UDB They replied, "No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep." 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 UDB While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep. She was the one who took care of her father's sheep. BSB BSB: While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 UDB When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and by himself rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle's sheep. 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 UDB Then Jacob kissed Rachel on the cheek, and he cried loudly because he was so happy. BSB BSB: Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 UDB Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father's relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that 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 UDB As soon as Laban heard that Jacob, his sister's son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him on the cheek. Then he brought him to his home, and then Jacob told him all that had happened to him. 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 UDB Then Laban said to him, "Truly, you are part of my family!" Jacob stayed there and worked for Laban for a month. BSB BSB: Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 UDB Then Laban said to him "You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine! Tell me how much you want me to pay you." 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 UDB Now Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel. BSB BSB: Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 UDB Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful. BSB BSB: Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 UDB Jacob was in love with Rachel, and he said, "I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for you giving me permission to marry your younger daughter Rachel." BSB BSB: Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 UDB Laban replied, "It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man! You should stay here with us." BSB BSB: Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 UDB So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days because he loved her so much. BSB BSB: So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 UDB After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, "Let me marry Rachel now because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you has ended, and I want to marry 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 UDB So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast. BSB BSB: So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 UDB But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter Leah to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he slept with her. BSB BSB: But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 UDB (Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) BSB BSB: And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 UDB The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban and told him very angrily, "What you have done to me is disgusting! I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive 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 UDB Laban replied, "In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter. BSB BSB: Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27 UDB After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for 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 UDB So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his 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 UDB Laban gave his slave girl Bilhah to Rachel to be her servant. BSB BSB: Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah 31 UDB When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah very much, he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant. BSB BSB: When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 UDB Leah gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben. She said, "Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him." 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 UDB Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, "Because Yahweh has heard that my husband does not love me, he has given me this son, too." So she named him Simeon, which means "someone who hears." 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 UDB Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, "Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him." So she named him Levi, which means "hold close." 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 UDB Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, "This time I will praise Yahweh," so she called his name Judah. After that, she did not give birth to any more children. 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.