Jacob Meets Rachel

1And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east; 2and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves, and the great stone [is] on the mouth of the well. 3(When thither have all the droves been gathered, and they have rolled the stone from off the mouth of the well, and have watered the flock, then they have turned back the stone on the mouth of the well to its place.)

4And Jacob saith to them, ‘My brethren, from whence [are] ye?’ and they say, ‘We [are] from Haran.’ 5And he saith to them, ‘Have ye known Laban, son of Nahor?’ and they say, ‘We have known.’ 6And he saith to them, ‘Hath he peace?’ and they say, ‘Peace; and lo, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.’ 7And he saith, ‘Lo, the day [is] still great, [it is] not time for the cattle to be gathered; water ye the flock, and go, delight yourselves.’ 8And they say, ‘We are not able, till that all the droves be gathered together, and they have rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and we have watered the flock.’

9He is yet speaking with them, and Rachel hath come with the flock which her father hath, for she [is] shepherdess; 10and it cometh to pass when Jacob hath seen Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the flock of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob cometh nigh and rolleth the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watereth the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11And Jacob kisseth Rachel, and lifteth up his voice, and weepeth, 12and Jacob declareth to Rachel that he [is] her father’s brother, and that he [is] Rebekah’s son, and she runneth and declareth to her father.

13And it cometh to pass, when Laban heareth the report of Jacob his sister’s son, that he runneth to meet him, and embraceth him, and kisseth him, and bringeth him in unto his house; and he recounteth to Laban all these things,

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

14and Laban saith to him, ‘Only my bone and my flesh [art] thou;’ and he dwelleth with him a month of days.

15And Laban saith to Jacob, ‘Is it because thou [art] my brother that thou hast served me for nought? declare to me what [is] thy hire.’ 16And Laban hath two daughters, the name of the elder [is] Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel, 17and the eyes of Leah [are] tender, and Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance. 18And Jacob loveth Rachel, and saith, ‘I serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter:’ 19and Laban saith, ‘It is better for me to give her to thee than to give her to another man; dwell with me;’ 20and Jacob serveth for Rachel seven years; and they are in his eyes as some days, because of his loving her.

21And Jacob saith unto Laban, ‘Give up my wife, for my days have been fulfilled, and I go in unto her;’ 22and Laban gathereth all the men of the place, and maketh a banquet. 23And it cometh to pass in the evening, that he taketh Leah, his daughter, and bringeth her in unto him, and he goeth in unto her; 24and Laban giveth to her Zilpah, his maid-servant, to Leah his daughter, a maid-servant. 25And it cometh to pass in the morning, that lo, it [is] Leah; and he saith unto Laban, ‘What [is] this thou hast done to me? for Rachel have I not served with thee? and why hast thou deceived me?’ 26And Laban saith, ‘It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first-born; 27fulfil the week of this one, and we give to thee also this one, for the service which thou dost serve with me yet seven other years.’ 28And Jacob doth so, and fulfilleth the week of this one, and he giveth to him Rachel his daughter, to him for a wife; 29and Laban giveth to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant, for a maid-servant to her. 30And he goeth in also unto Rachel, and he also loveth Rachel more than Leah; and he serveth with him yet seven other years.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah

31And Jehovah seeth that Leah [is] the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel [is] barren; 32and Leah conceiveth, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Reuben, for she said, ‘Because Jehovah hath looked on mine affliction; because now doth my husband love me.’ 33And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith, ‘Because Jehovah hath heard that I [am] the hated one, He also giveth to me even this [one];’ and she calleth his name Simeon. 34And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith, ‘Now [is] the time, my husband is joined unto me, because I have born to him three sons,’ therefore hath [one] called his name Levi. 35And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith this time, ‘I praise Jehovah;’ therefore hath she called his name Judah; and she ceaseth from bearing.