| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. | 1So Jacob moved on and came to the land of the eastern people. |
| 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 saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well. |
| 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, the shepherds would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well's mouth. |
| 4“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. | 4Jacob asked them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They replied, "We're from Haran." |
| 5“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. | 5So he said to them, "Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" "We know him," they said. |
| 6“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.” | 6"Is he well?" Jacob asked. They replied, "He is well. Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel 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.” | 7Then Jacob said, "Since it is still the middle of the day, it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more." |
| 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.” | 8"We can't," they said, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off 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 arrived with her father's sheep, for she was tending them. |
| 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 his uncle Laban, and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he went over and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. |
| 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. | 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. |
| 12He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. | 12When Jacob explained to Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah, 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. | 13When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister's son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban how he was related to him. |
| 14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month, | 14Then Laban said to him, "You are indeed my own flesh and blood." So Jacob stayed with him for 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, "Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be." |
| 16Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. | 16(Now Laban had two daughters; the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. |
| 17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. | 17Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) |
| 18Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” | 18Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, "I'll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel." |
| 19Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.” | 19Laban replied, "I'd rather give her to you than 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 worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because his love for her was so great. |
| 21Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.” | 21Finally Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. I want to have marital relations with her." |
| 22So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. | 22So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast. |
| 23But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. | 23In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had marital relations with her. |
| 24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant. | 24(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) |
| 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?” | 25In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What in the world have you done to me! Didn't I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?" |
| 26Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. | 26"It is not our custom here," Laban replied, "to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. |
| 27Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.” | 27Complete my older daughter's bridal week. Then we will give you the younger one too, in exchange for seven more years of work." |
| 28And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. | 28Jacob did as Laban said. When Jacob completed Leah's bridal week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. |
| 29Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. | 29(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) |
| 30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years. | 30Jacob had marital relations with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban for seven more years. |
| 31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. | 31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless. |
| 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.” | 32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now." |
| 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. | 33She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "Because the LORD heard that I was unloved, he gave me this one too." 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 became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "Now this time my husband will show me affection, because I have given birth to three sons for him." That is why 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. | 35She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. |
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