New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.

1Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

2He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

2As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large,

3It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.

3and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

4Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

4Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”

5“Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked. “Yes, we do,” they replied.

5He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”

6“Is he doing well?” Jacob asked. “Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”

6He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!”

7Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”

7He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.”

8“We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”

8But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd.

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock.

10Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

12He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.

12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

13As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,

13As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things,

14Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!” Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,

14and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

15Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

16Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.

16Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

18Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

18Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”

19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”

20So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

21Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”

22So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.

22So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.

23But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

23But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.

24(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

24(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)

25But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

25And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

26“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.

26Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27“But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

27Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”

28So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.

28Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

29(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)

29(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)

30So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. Jacob’s Many Children

30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

32And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”

33She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

33She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

34Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

34Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

35Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the LORD!” And then she stopped having children.

35And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.