Genesis 29

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Continuing his journey, Jacob reached the Land of the Easterners.	1 And so Jacob, setting out, arrived in the eastern land.
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 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 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 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 the shepherds, 'Friends, where are you from?' They replied, 'We are from Haran.'	4 And he said to the shepherds, “Brothers, where are you from?” And they answered. “From Haran.”
5 He asked them, 'Do you know Laban son of Nahor?' They replied, 'We do.'	5 And questioning them, he said, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”
6 Then he asked them, 'Is he wel ?' 'He is,' they replied, 'and here comes his daughter Rachel with theflock.'	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, '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 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 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 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 He was stil talking to them, when Rachel arrived with her father's flock, for she was a shepherdess.	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, 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 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 Jacob then 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 Rachel he was her father's kinsman and Rebekah's son, and she ran to tel 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 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 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 bone and flesh!' After Jacob had been staying with himfor a month,	14 he responded, “You are my bone and my flesh.” And after the days of one month were completed,
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 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 elder named Leah, and 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 shapely and beautiful,	17 But while Leah was bleary-eyed, Rachel had an elegant appearance and was attractive to behold.
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 And Jacob, loving her, said, “I will serve you for 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 responded, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man; remain 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 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, for my time is up and I should like to go to her.'	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 Laban gathered al the people of the place together, and gave a banquet.	22 And he, having called a great crowd of his friends to the feast, agreed to the marriage.
23 But when night came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he slept with her.	23 And at night, he brought in his daughter Leah to him,
24 (Laban gave his slave-girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)	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 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 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 Laban replied, 'It is not the custom in our place to marry off the younger before the elder.	26 Laban responded, “It is not the practice in this place to give the younger in marriage first.
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 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 and, when he had finished the week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.	28 He agreed to his pleading. And after the week had passed, he took Rachel as a wife.
29 (Laban gave his slave-girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.)	29 To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel too, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban foranother 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 Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, 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 gave birth to a son whom she named Reuben, meaning 'Yahweh has seen mymisery'; and she said, '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 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 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 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 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 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 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.