Genesis 29

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Continuing his journey, Jacob reached the Land of the Easterners.	1 After Jacob resumed his journey, he came to the land of the Easterners.
2 And there, out in the open, he saw a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it; this wel was usedfor watering the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the wel was a large one,	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.
3 and only when al the flocks had collected there, did they rol the stone off the mouth of the wel andwater the sheep; then they would replace the stone over the mouth of the wel .	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.
4 Jacob said to the shepherds, 'Friends, where are you from?' They replied, 'We are from Haran.'	4 Jacob said to them, "Friends, where are you from?" "We are from Haran," they replied.
5 He asked them, 'Do you know Laban son of Nahor?' They replied, 'We do.'	5 Then he asked them, "Do you know Laban, son of Nahor?" "We do," they answered.
6 Then he asked them, 'Is he wel ?' 'He is,' they replied, 'and here comes his daughter Rachel with theflock.'	6 He inquired further, "Is he well?" "He is," they answered; "and here comes his daughter Rachel with his flock."
7 Then he said, 'But it is stil broad daylight, not the time to round up the animals. Why don't you waterthe sheep and take them back to graze?'	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?"
8 To which, they replied, 'We can't, until al the shepherds have assembled to rol the stone off themouth of the well; then we can water the sheep.'	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."
9 He was stil talking to them, when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherdess.	9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep; she was the one who tended them.
10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, with his uncle Laban's flock, he went upand, rolling the stone off the mouth of the wel , watered his uncle Laban's sheep.	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.
11 Jacob then kissed Rachel and burst into tears.	11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and burst into tears.
12 He told Rachel he was her father's kinsman and Rebekah's son, and she ran to tel her father.	12 He told her that he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son, and she ran to tell her father.
13 As soon as he heard her speak of his sister's son Jacob, Laban ran to greet him, embraced him,kissed him and took him to his house. Jacob told Laban everything that had happened,	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,
14 and Laban said to him, 'You are indeed my bone and flesh!' After Jacob had been staying with himfor a month,	14 and Laban said to him, "You are indeed my flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him a full month,
15 Laban said to Jacob, 'Just because you are my kinsman, why should you work for me for nothing?Tel me what wages you want.'	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."
16 Now Laban had two daughters, the elder named Leah, and the younger Rachel.	16 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was called Leah, the younger Rachel.
17 Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful,	17 Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was well formed and beautiful.
18 and Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel. So his answer was, 'I shal work for you for seven years inexchange for your younger daughter Rachel.'	18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he answered Laban, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
19 Laban replied, 'It is better for me to give her to you than to a stranger; stay with me.'	19 Laban replied, "I prefer to give her to you rather than to an outsider. Stay with me."
20 So Jacob worked for seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like a few days because heloved her so much.	20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my time is up and I should like to go to her.'	21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, that I may consummate my marriage with her, for my term is now completed."
22 Laban gathered al the people of the place together, and gave a banquet.	22 So Laban invited all the local inhabitants and gave a feast.
23 But when night came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he slept with her.	23 At nightfall he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob consummated the marriage with her.
24 (Laban gave his slave-girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)	24 (Laban assigned his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.)
25 When morning came, it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What have you done to me? Did I notwork for you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?'	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?"
26 Laban replied, 'It is not the custom in our place to marry off the younger before the elder.	26 "It is not the custom in our country," Laban replied, "to marry off a younger daughter before an older one.
27 Finish this marriage week and I shal give you the other one too in return for your working for me foranother seven years.'	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."
28 Jacob agreed and, when he had finished the week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.	28 Jacob agreed. He finished the bridal week for Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel in marriage.
29 (Laban gave his slave-girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.)	29 (Laban assigned his slave girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.)
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel too, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban foranother seven years.	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.
31 When Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, while Rachel remained barren.	31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel remained barren.
32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Reuben, meaning 'Yahweh has seen mymisery'; and she said, 'Now my husband will love me.'	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.'"
33 Conceiving again, she gave birth to a son and said, 'Yahweh heard that I was unloved, and so hehas given me this one too'; and she named him Simeon.	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.
34 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, 'This time my husband wil become attachedto me, because I have borne him three sons.' Accordingly, she named him Levi.	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.
35 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, 'Now I shal praise Yahweh!' Accordingly, shenamed him Judah. Then she had no more children.	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.