Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east.

2He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.

2He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

3When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

4Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

5“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.

5He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."

6“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”

6And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep."

7“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

7He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them."

8But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

8But they said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep."

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.

10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept.

12He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.

12Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.

13When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.

13So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things.

14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,

14Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month.

15Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

15Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?"

16Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.

16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

17And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.

18Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

18Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."

19Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”

19Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me."

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

21Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her."

22So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.

22Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.

23But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.

23Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.

24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

24Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.

25When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”

25So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?"

26Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.

26But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn.

27Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

27"Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years."

28And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

28Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

29Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

29Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.

30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

31Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

32And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

32Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me."

33Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.

33Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon.

34Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

34She conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi.

35And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.

35And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

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