Genesis 29

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 After Jacob resumed his journey, he came to the land of the Easterners.	1 And so Jacob, setting out, arrived in the eastern land.
2 Looking about, he saw a well in the open country, with three droves of sheep huddled near it, for droves were watered from that well. A large stone covered the mouth of the well.	2 And he saw a well in a field, and also three flocks of sheep reclining near it. For the animals were watered from it, and its mouth was closed with a great stone.
3 Only when all the shepherds were assembled there could they roll the stone away from the mouth of the well and water the flocks. Then they would put the stone back again over the mouth of the well.	3 And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone. And when the flocks had been refreshed, they placed it over the mouth of the well again.
4 Jacob said to them, "Friends, where are you from?" "We are from Haran," they replied.	4 And he said to the shepherds, “Brothers, where are you from?” And they answered. “From Haran.”
5 Then he asked them, "Do you know Laban, son of Nahor?" "We do," they answered.	5 And questioning them, he said, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”
6 He inquired further, "Is he well?" "He is," they answered; "and here comes his daughter Rachel with his flock."	6 He said, “Is he well?” “He is very well,” they said. “And behold, his daughter Rachel approaches with his flock.”
7 Then he said: "There is still much daylight left; it is hardly the time to bring the animals home. Why don't you water the flocks now, and then continue pasturing them?"	7 And Jacob said, “There is still much daylight remaining, and it is not time to return the flocks to the sheepfold. Give the sheep to drink first, and then lead them back to pasture.”
8 "We cannot," they replied, "until all the shepherds are here to roll the stone away from the mouth of the well; only then can we water the flocks."	8 They responded, “We cannot, until all the animals are gathered together and we remove the stone from the mouth of the well, so that we may water the flocks.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep; she was the one who tended them.	9 They were still speaking, and behold, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep; for she pastured the flock.
10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, with the sheep of his uncle Laban, he went up, rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well, and watered his uncle's sheep.	10 When Jacob had seen her, and he realized that she was his maternal first cousin, and that these were the sheep of his uncle Laban, he removed the stone which closed the well.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and burst into tears.	11 And having watered the flock, he kissed her. And lifting up his voice, he wept.
12 He told her that he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son, and she ran to tell her father.	12 And he revealed to her that he was a brother of her father, and the son of Rebekah. And so, hurrying, she announced it to her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he hurried out to meet him. After embracing and kissing him, he brought him to his house. Jacob then recounted to Laban all that had happened,	13 And when he had heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, had arrived, he ran to meet him. And embracing him, and kissing him heartily, he brought him into his house. But when he had heard the reasons for his journey,
14 and Laban said to him, "You are indeed my flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him a full month,	14 he responded, “You are my bone and my flesh.” And after the days of one month were completed,
15 Laban said to him: "Should you serve me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine? Tell me what your wages should be."	15 he said to him: “Though you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would accept.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was called Leah, the younger Rachel.	16 In truth, he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah; and truly the younger was called Rachel.
17 Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was well formed and beautiful.	17 But while Leah was bleary-eyed, Rachel had an elegant appearance and was attractive to behold.
18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he answered Laban, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."	18 And Jacob, loving her, said, “I will serve you for seven years, for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban replied, "I prefer to give her to you rather than to an outsider. Stay with me."	19 Laban responded, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man; remain with me.”
20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.	20 Therefore, Jacob served for seven years for Rachel. And these seemed like only a few days, because of the greatness of love.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, that I may consummate my marriage with her, for my term is now completed."	21 And he said to Laban, “Give my wife to me. For now the time has been fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.”
22 So Laban invited all the local inhabitants and gave a feast.	22 And he, having called a great crowd of his friends to the feast, agreed to the marriage.
23 At nightfall he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob consummated the marriage with her.	23 And at night, he brought in his daughter Leah to him,
24 (Laban assigned his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.)	24 giving his daughter a handmaid named Zilpah. After Jacob had gone in to her, according to custom, when morning had arrived, he saw Leah.
25 In the morning Jacob was amazed: it was Leah! So he cried out to Laban: "How could you do this to me! Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why did you dupe me?"	25 And he said to his father-in-law, “What is it that you intended to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”
26 "It is not the custom in our country," Laban replied, "to marry off a younger daughter before an older one.	26 Laban responded, “It is not the practice in this place to give the younger in marriage first.
27 Finish the bridal week for this one, and then I will give you the other too, in return for another seven years of service with me."	27 Complete a week of days with this mating. And then I will give this one to you also, for the service that you will provide to me for another seven years.”
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the bridal week for Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel in marriage.	28 He agreed to his pleading. And after the week had passed, he took Rachel as a wife.
29 (Laban assigned his slave girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.)	29 To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant.
30 Jacob then consummated his marriage with Rachel also, and he loved her more than Leah. Thus he remained in Laban's service another seven years.	30 And, having at last obtained the marriage he desired, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and he served with him another seven years.
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel remained barren.	31 But the Lord, seeing that he despised Leah, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.
32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben; for she said, "It means, 'The LORD saw my misery; now my husband will love me.'"	32 Having conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: “The Lord saw my humiliation; now my husband will love me.”
33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "It means, 'The LORD heard that I was unloved,' and therefore he has given me this one also"; so she named him Simeon.	33 And again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Because the Lord heard that I was treated with contempt, he has also given this one to me.” And she called his name Simeon.
34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, since I have now borne him three sons"; that is why she named him Levi.	34 And she conceived a third time, and she gave birth to another son, and she said: “Now likewise my husband will unite with me, because I have borne him three sons.” And because of this, she called his name Levi.
35 Once more she conceived and bore a son, and she said, "This time I will give grateful praise to the LORD"; therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children.	35 A fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Only now will I confess to the Lord.” And for this reason, she called him Judah. And she ceased from child-bearing.