Genesis 29 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jacob’s Love for Rachel

1 Then Jacob ^H3290 [fn]took ^H5375 up ^H5375 his journey ^H7272 and came ^H1980 to the land ^H776 of the sons ^H1121 of the east ^H6924.

2 And he looked ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, a well ^H875 in the field ^H7704, and behold ^H2009, three ^H7969 flocks ^H5739 of sheep ^H6629 were lying ^H7257 there ^H8033 beside ^H5921 it, for from that well ^H875 they gave ^H8248 water to the flocks ^H5739 to drink ^H8248. Now the stone ^H68 on the mouth ^H6310 of the well ^H875 was large ^H1419. 3 And all ^H3605 the flocks ^H5739 would be gathered ^H622 there ^H8033, and they would roll ^H1556 the stone ^H68 from the mouth ^H6310 of the well ^H875 and give ^H8248 water to the sheep ^H6629 to drink ^H8248 and return ^H7725 the stone ^H68 back ^H7725 to its place ^H4725 on the mouth ^H6310 of the well ^H875.

4 And Jacob ^H3290 said ^H559 to them, “My brothers ^H251, where ^H370 are you from?” And they said ^H559, “We are from Haran ^H2771.” 5 Then he said ^H559 to them, “Do you know ^H3045 Laban ^H3837 the son ^H1121 of Nahor ^H5152?” And they said ^H559, “We know ^H3045 him.” 6 And he said ^H559 to them, “Is it well ^H7965 with him?” And they said ^H559, “It is well ^H7965, and here ^H2009 is Rachel ^H7354 his daughter ^H1323 coming ^H935 with the sheep ^H6629.” 7 And he said ^H559, “Behold ^H2005, it is still ^H5750 high ^H1419 day ^H3117; it is not time ^H6256 for the livestock ^H4735 to be gathered ^H622. Give ^H8248 water to the sheep ^H6629 to drink ^H8248, and go ^H1980, pasture ^H7462 them.” 8 But they said ^H559, “We cannot ^H3201 H3808, until ^H5704 H834 all ^H3605 the flocks ^H5739 are gathered ^H622, and they roll ^H1556 the stone ^H68 from the mouth ^H6310 of the well ^H875; then we give ^H8248 water to the sheep ^H6629 to drink ^H8248.”

9 While he was still ^H5750 speaking ^H1696 with them, Rachel ^H7354 came ^H935 with her father’s ^H1 sheep ^H6629, for she was a shepherdess ^H7462. 10 Now it happened ^H1961, when ^H834 Jacob ^H3290 saw ^H7200 Rachel ^H7354 the daughter ^H1323 of Laban ^H3837 his mother’s ^H517 brother ^H251 and the sheep ^H6629 of Laban ^H3837 his mother’s ^H517 brother ^H251, Jacob ^H3290 came ^H5066 near ^H5066 and rolled ^H1556 the stone ^H68 from the mouth ^H6310 of the well ^H875 and gave ^H8248 water to the flock ^H6629 of Laban ^H3837 his mother’s ^H517 brother ^H251 to drink ^H8248. 11 Then Jacob ^H3290 kissed ^H5401 Rachel ^H7354 and lifted ^H5375 his voice ^H6963 and wept ^H1058. 12 And Jacob ^H3290 told ^H5046 Rachel ^H7354 that he was a [fn]relative ^H251 of her father ^H1 and that he was Rebekah’s ^H7259 son ^H1121, and she ran ^H7323 and told ^H5046 her father ^H1.

13 So it happened that when Laban ^H3837 heard ^H8085 the report ^H8088 of Jacob ^H3290 his sister’s ^H269 son ^H1121, he ran ^H7323 to meet ^H7122 him, and he embraced ^H2263 him and kissed ^H5401 him and brought ^H935 him to his house ^H1004. Then he recounted ^H5608 to Laban ^H3837 all ^H3605 these ^H428 things ^H1697. 14 And Laban ^H3837 said ^H559 to him, “Surely ^H389 you are my bone ^H6106 and my flesh ^H1320.” And he stayed ^H3427 with him one month ^H2320.

15 Then Laban ^H3837 said ^H559 to Jacob ^H3290, “Because ^H3588 you are my [fn]relative ^H251, should you therefore serve ^H5647 me for ^H2600 nothing ^H2600? Tell ^H5046 me, what ^H4100 shall your wages ^H4909 be?” 16 Now Laban ^H3837 had two ^H8147 daughters ^H1323; the name ^H8034 of the older ^H1419 was Leah ^H3812, and the name ^H8034 of the younger ^H6996 was Rachel ^H7354. 17 And Leah’s ^H3812 eyes ^H5869 were weak ^H7390, but Rachel ^H7354 was beautiful ^H3303 in form ^H8389 and beautiful ^H3303 in appearance ^H4758. 18 Now Jacob ^H3290 loved ^H157 Rachel ^H7354, so he said ^H559, “I will serve ^H5647 you seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 for your younger ^H6996 daughter ^H1323 Rachel ^H7354.” 19 And Laban ^H3837 said ^H559, “It is better ^H2896 that I give ^H5414 her to you than ^H4480 to give ^H5414 her to another ^H312 man ^H376; stay ^H3427 with me.” 20 So Jacob ^H3290 served ^H5647 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 for Rachel ^H7354, and they were ^H1961 in his sight ^H5869 but a few ^H259 days ^H3117 because of his love ^H160 for her.

Laban Deceives Jacob

21 Then Jacob ^H3290 said ^H559 to Laban ^H3837, “Give ^H3051 me my wife ^H802, for my days ^H3117 are fulfilled ^H4390, that I may go ^H935 in ^H935 to her.”

22 And Laban ^H3837 gathered ^H622 all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of the place ^H4725 and made ^H6213 a feast ^H4960. 23 Now it happened ^H1961 in the evening ^H6153 that he took ^H3947 his daughter ^H1323 Leah ^H3812 and brought ^H935 her to him; and Jacob went ^H935 in ^H935 to her. 24 Laban ^H3837 also gave ^H5414 his servant-woman ^H8198 Zilpah ^H2153 to his daughter ^H1323 Leah ^H3812 as a servant-woman ^H8198. 25 Now it happened ^H1961 in the morning ^H1242 that, behold ^H2009, it was Leah ^H3812! And he said ^H559 to Laban ^H3837, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 you have done ^H6213 to me? Was it not for Rachel ^H7354 that I served ^H5647 with you? Why ^H4100 then have you deceived ^H7411 me?” 26 But Laban ^H3837 said ^H559, “It is not [fn]the practice ^H6213 H3651 in our place ^H4725 to give ^H5414 the younger ^H6810 before ^H6440 the firstborn ^H1067. 27 Fulfill ^H4390 the week ^H7620 of this ^H2088 one ^H2088, and we will give ^H5414 you the other ^H2088 also ^H1571 for the service ^H5656 which ^H834 you shall serve ^H5647 with me for another ^H312 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141.” 28 And Jacob ^H3290 did ^H6213 so ^H3651 and fulfilled ^H4390 her week ^H7620, and he gave ^H5414 him his daughter ^H1323 Rachel ^H7354 as his wife ^H802. 29 Laban ^H3837 also gave ^H5414 his servant-woman ^H8198 Bilhah ^H1090 to his daughter ^H1323 Rachel ^H7354 as her servant-woman ^H8198. 30 So Jacob went ^H935 in ^H935 to Rachel ^H7354 also ^H1571, and indeed ^H1571 he loved ^H157 Rachel ^H7354 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 Leah ^H3812, and he served ^H5647 with [fn]Laban for another ^H312 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141.

31 And Yahweh ^H3068 saw ^H7200 that Leah ^H3812 was [fn]unloved ^H8130, and He opened ^H6605 her womb ^H7358, but Rachel ^H7354 was barren ^H6135. 32 So Leah ^H3812 conceived ^H2029 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121 and named ^H7121 H8034 him [fn]Reuben ^H7205, for she said ^H559, “Because ^H3588 Yahweh ^H3068 has [fn]seen ^H7200 my affliction ^H6040; surely ^H3588 now ^H6258 my husband ^H376 will love ^H157 me.” 33 Then she conceived ^H2029 again ^H5750 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121 and said ^H559, “Because ^H3588 Yahweh ^H3068 has [fn]heard ^H8085 that I am [fn]unloved ^H8130, He has therefore given ^H5414 me this ^H2088 son also ^H1571.” So she named ^H7121 H8034 him Simeon ^H8095. 34 And she conceived ^H2029 again ^H5750 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121 and said ^H559, “Now ^H6258 this ^H6471 time ^H6471 my husband ^H376 will be ^H3867 [fn]joined ^H3867 to me because ^H3588 I have borne ^H3205 him three ^H7969 sons ^H1121.” Therefore ^H5921 H3651 he was named ^H7121 H8034 Levi ^H3878. 35 And she conceived ^H2029 again ^H5750 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121 and said ^H559, “This ^H6471 time ^H6471 I will [fn]praise ^H3034 Yahweh ^H3068.” Therefore ^H5921 H3651 she named ^H7121 H8034 him [fn]Judah ^H3063. Then she stopped ^H5975 bearing ^H3205.