| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1So Jacob moved on and came to the land of the eastern people. | 1Jacob journeyed on and reached the territory that belonged to the people who lived in the east. |
| 2He saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well. | 2As he was observing a well that had been dug out on the open range, all of a sudden he noticed three flocks of sheep lying there, because shepherds watered their flocks from that well. There was a very large stone that covered the opening of the well, |
| 3When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well's mouth. | 3and when all the flocks had been gathered there, they would roll away the stone from the opening of the well, water their flocks, and then return the stone to its place covering the opening of the well. |
| 4Jacob asked them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They replied, "We're from Haran." | 4Jacob asked them, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they answered. |
| 5So he said to them, "Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" "We know him," they said. | 5"Do you happen to know Nahor's son Laban?" he inquired. "We do," they replied. |
| 6"Is he well?" Jacob asked. They replied, "He is well. Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep." | 6So he asked them, "How's he doing?" "Very well," they answered. "As a matter of fact, look over there! That's his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep." |
| 7Then Jacob said, "Since it is still the middle of the day, it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more." | 7"Look!" Jacob replied. "The sun is still high. It's not yet time for the flocks to be gathered. Let's water the sheep, then let them graze." |
| 8"We can't," they said, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep." | 8But they responded, "We can't do that until all the sheep have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the opening of the well. Only then can we water the flock." |
| 9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep, for she was tending them. | 9While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep, since she was a shepherdess. |
| 10When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he went over and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. | 10When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, accompanied by Laban's sheep, Jacob approached the well, rolled the stone from the opening of the well, and then watered his mother's brother Laban's flock. |
| 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. | 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to cry out loud. |
| 12When Jacob explained to Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. | 12Jacob told Rachel that he was related to her father, since he was Rebekah's son, so she ran and told her father. |
| 13When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister's son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban how he was related to him. | 13When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him back to his house. Then Jacob told Laban about everything that had happened. |
| 14Then Laban said to him, "You are indeed my own flesh and blood." So Jacob stayed with him for a month. | 14Laban responded, "You certainly are my flesh and blood!" So Jacob stayed with him for about a month. |
| 15Then Laban said to Jacob, "Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be." | 15Later, Laban asked Jacob, "Should you serve me for free, just because you're my nephew? Let's talk about what your wages should be." |
| 16(Now Laban had two daughters; the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. | 16Now Laban happened to have two daughters. The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. |
| 17Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) | 17Leah looked rather plain, but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance. |
| 18Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, "I'll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel." | 18Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: "I'll serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter." |
| 19Laban replied, "I'd rather give her to you than to another man. Stay with me." | 19"It's better that I give her to you than to another man," Laban replied, "so stay with me." |
| 20So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because his love for her was so great. | 20Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but it seemed like only a few days because of his love for her. |
| 21Finally Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. I want to have marital relations with her." | 21Eventually, Jacob told Laban, "Bring me my wife, now that my time of service has been completed, so I can go be with her." |
| 22So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast. | 22So Laban gathered all the men who lived in that place and held a wedding festival. |
| 23In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had marital relations with her. | 23That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. He had marital relations with her. |
| 24(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) | 24Laban also gave his servant woman Zilpah to Leah to be her maidservant. |
| 25In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What in the world have you done to me! Didn't I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?" | 25The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" he demanded of Laban. "Didn't I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? Why did you deceive me?" |
| 26"It is not our custom here," Laban replied, "to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. | 26But Laban responded, "It's not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage before the firstborn. |
| 27Complete my older daughter's bridal week. Then we will give you the younger one too, in exchange for seven more years of work." | 27Fulfill the week for this daughter, then we'll give you the other one in exchange for serving me another seven years." |
| 28Jacob did as Laban said. When Jacob completed Leah's bridal week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. | 28So Jacob completed another seven years' work, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. |
| 29(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) | 29Laban also gave his woman servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant. |
| 30Jacob had marital relations with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban for seven more years. | 30Jacob also married Rachel, since he loved her. He served Laban another full seven years' work for Rachel. |
| 31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless. | 31Later, the LORD noticed that Leah was being neglected, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless. |
| 32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now." | 32Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, "The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me." |
| 33She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "Because the LORD heard that I was unloved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon. | 33Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, "Because the LORD heard that I'm neglected, he gave me this one, too." So she named him Simeon. |
| 34She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "Now this time my husband will show me affection, because I have given birth to three sons for him." That is why he was named Levi. | 34Later, she conceived again and said, "This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I've borne him three sons." So he named him Levi. |
| 35She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. | 35Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, "This time I'll praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children. |
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