Jacob Meets Rachel 1 UST Then Jacob left{ Bethel} and continued traveling{ until he came} to the land in the east where various people from that land lived. BSB BSB: Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2 UST { When he arrived there,} he looked{ around}, and he saw a well in an{ open} field. There were three flocks of sheep lying near the well{ waiting for water}. That was the well that flocks drank water from, but there was a{ heavy,} 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 UST { Every day} shepherds would bring all the flocks{ of sheep} there. They would{ work together to} remove the stone from the top of the well and draw water for the sheep. Then they would put the stone back 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 UST Jacob asked the shepherds,“My friends, where do you live?” 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 UST So Jacob asked them,“Do you know Laban, Nahor’ s grandson?” They answered,“{ Yes,} we do.” BSB BSB: “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6 UST So Jacob asked,“Is he doing well?” They answered{ him},“{ Yes,}{ he is} well. In fact, here comes his daughter Rachel{ now}, bringing{ his} sheep.” BSB BSB: “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 UST Then Jacob urged{ them},“Look, the sun is still bright, and{ it is} too early to gather the flocks{ for the night}.{ You ought to} draw water for them and take{ them} back out{ to the fields} to graze{ some more}.” 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 UST But they replied,“We can not{ do that} until all the shepherds are here with their flocks. Then{ together} we will move the stone away from the top of the well and draw water for 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 UST While Jacob was still talking with the shepherds, Rachel arrived{ at the well} with her father{ Laban}’ s sheep; it was her job to take care of them. BSB BSB: While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 UST As soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his uncle Laban with her father’ s sheep, he walked over{ to the well}, removed the stone that covered it, and drew 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 UST Then he kissed Rachel{ on her cheek} and{ he was so happy that} he started crying. BSB BSB: Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12 UST Then he told her that he{ was} her father’ s nephew, the son of{ her aunt} Rebekah. So she ran home and told her father{ the news}. BSB BSB: He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13 UST When Laban heard about his sister’ s son Jacob, he ran{ out} to greet him. Then he hugged him and kissed him{ on the cheeks} and took him to his house. Then Jacob told Laban{ about himself and} everything that had happened, 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 UST and Laban exclaimed to him,“There is no doubt that you{ are} a close relative of my family!” 29:14b-30 After Jacob had stayed with Laban{ and worked for him}{ for} an entire month, BSB BSB: Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
15 UST Laban said to him,“{ Just} because you are my nephew,{ that does not mean that} you should{ have to} work for me for free! Tell me what 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 UST Now Laban had two daughters: The name of the older{ one}{ was} Leah, and the younger{ one} was Rachel. BSB BSB: Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
17 UST Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel was extremely beautiful in every way. BSB BSB: Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
18 UST Jacob was in love with Rachel, so he said{ to Laban},“I will work seven years for you if you will let me 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 UST Laban replied,“{ I agree to your terms.} I would{ much} rather give her to you{ to marry} than give her to someone else.{ So} stay here{ and work for me}.” BSB BSB: Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20 UST So Jacob worked seven years{ for Laban} so that he could marry Rachel, but he loved her so{ much} that to him the time seemed{ to pass quickly} like{ only} a few days. BSB BSB: So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21 UST { When the seven years were over,} Jacob said to Laban,“{ Please} let me marry{ your daughter}{ Rachel}{ now} so that I can live with her{ as} my wife, because I have finished my{ seven} years{ of work}{ for you}.” BSB BSB: Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22 UST So Laban invited all the local people and held a{ wedding} feast. BSB BSB: So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23 UST But that evening Laban{ tricked Jacob and} brought his daughter Leah{ to Jacob’ s tent}{ instead of Rachel}, so that he had marital relations with her. BSB BSB: But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 UST Laban also gave his female servant Zilpah to Leah{ to be}{ her}{ personal} servant. BSB BSB: And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 UST But the next morning Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah{ he had married}! So he complained to Laban,“You have treated me very badly!{ You know that} Rachel is the one I served you for! So why did you trick 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 UST Laban replied,“It is not our custom here for the younger{ daughter} to marry before the older{ daughter}{ marries}. BSB BSB: Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27 UST { So then,}{ keep Leah as your wife and} finish this week of celebrating your marriage to her. Then our family will also give you{ my} younger daughter{ to marry} if you will work 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 UST So Jacob{ agreed with Laban and} did what he said: he finished celebrating his marriage to Leah that week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to marry. BSB BSB: And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 UST Laban{ also} gave his servant 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 UST Now Yahweh knew that Jacob did not love Leah, so he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel was not able to conceive. BSB BSB: When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
32 UST Then Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,{ which means“See, a son!”} because she exclaimed,“Now that Yahweh has seen that I am suffering{ and helped me}, surely 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 UST Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to{ another} son. She exclaimed,“Since Yahweh heard that my husband does not love me, he has given me this child also.” So she named him Simeon,{ which means“he 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 UST Then Leah became pregnant{ yet} again and gave birth to another son, and she exclaimed,“Now finally my husband will want to be with me because I have given him three sons!” That is why his name was Levi,{ which means“be with.”} 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 UST Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son, and she exclaimed,“Now I will praise Yahweh!” That is why she named him Judah,{ which means“praise.”} Then Leah stopped having children{ for a while}. 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.