Genesis 29

₁Jacob went on and he came to the land of the people of the East. ₂He saw a water-well in the field and 3 flocks of sheep and goats around the well. The sheep and goats always drank water from this water-well, but there was a big stone over the well. ₃When all the sheep and goats were there to drink water, the shepherds always rolled away the stone from the water-well and then they gave the animals water. After they had drunk water, the shepherds put the stone over the well again.

₄Jacob asked the shepherds: ‘My friends, where do you come from?’ They said: ‘We come from Haran.’ ₅And Jacob asked them: ‘Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?’ And they said: ‘Yes, we know him.’ ₆Jacob asked them: ‘How is he?’ They said: ‘He is well. Look, there is his daughter Rachel coming with his sheep and goats.’

₇Jacob said: ‘It is early. It isn't time yet to bring the sheep and goats together for the night. Give them water so that they can go back into the field to eat.’

₈But the shepherds said: ‘No, we can not do that. We have to wait until all the sheep and goats are here together. Only then can we roll the stone from the water-well and give water to the sheep and goats.’

₉Jacob was still talking to them when Rachel came to the water-well with her father's sheep and goats. She was the shepherdess. ₁₀Jacob saw his uncle Laban's daughter Rachel with Laban's sheep and goats. He went to the water-well and he rolled away the stone. He gave water to his uncle Laban's sheep and goats.

₁₁Jacob kissed Rachel and he started to cry. ₁₂He told Rachel that he was family of her father, and that he was Rebekah's son. Rachel ran home and told her father.

₁₃When they told Laban that his sister's son, Jacob, was there, he ran to him and hugged him and kissed him. Laban took Jacob to his home and Jacob told Laban everything. ₁₄Laban said to him: ‘We are family.’

Jacob stayed with him for a month. ₁₅Then Laban said to Jacob: ‘You are my family, but you do not have to work for me without pay. Tell me how much I must pay you.’

₁₆Laban had 2 daughters. The older daughter was Leah and the younger daughter was Rachel. ₁₇Leah's eyes were soft and weak, but Rachel was a beautiful woman. ₁₈Jacob was in love with Rachel and he said to Laban: ‘I will work for you for 7 years for your younger daughter Rachel.’

₁₉Laban said: ‘That is good. It is better for me to give her to you than to any other man. You may stay here with me.’

₂₀Jacob worked for 7 years so that he could marry Rachel, but it felt to him as short as a few days because he loved her. ₂₁After 7 years, Jacob said to Laban: ‘I have worked for you for 7 years. Please give me my wife. I want to marry her.’

₂₂Laban called all the people together and they had a big feast. ₂₃But that night, Laban gave his other daughter, Leah, to Jacob and Jacob had sex with her. ₂₄Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah. ₂₅The next morning Jacob saw that it was Leah who had become his wife. Then he said to Laban: ‘What have you done to me? I have worked for you so that I could marry Rachel. Why have you deceived me?’

₂₆Then Laban said: ‘Here with our people, we do not let the younger daughter marry before the older daughter. ₂₇When this week is over, I will give you my younger daughter Rachel, but then you will have to work for me for another 7 years.’

₂₈Jacob did what Laban asked. Jacob waited until the week was over. Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to Jacob and she also became his wife. ₂₉Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel. ₃₀Jacob also had sex with Rachel and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban for another 7 years.

₃₁The Lord saw that Jacob did not love Leah as much as he loved Rachel and so He gave children to Leah, but Rachel could not have children. ₃₂Leah became pregnant and she had a son. She named him Reuben. She said: ‘The Lord sees that I am suffering. Now my husband will love me too.’

₃₃Later she became pregnant again and she had another son and she said: ‘The Lord saw that Jacob does not love me a lot and He gave me this child.’ So she named him Simeon.

₃₄When Leah became pregnant again and it was another son, she said: ‘Now my husband will love me more because I have given him 3 sons.’ She named him Levi.

₃₅She became pregnant again and had another son. Then she said: ‘Now I will praise the Lord.’ So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.