Genesis 29 NIV ISV Parallel

◄ Genesis 29 ►

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1Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.

1Jacob journeyed on and reached the territory that belonged to the people who lived in the east.

2There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.

2As he was observing a well that had been dug out on the open range, all of a sudden he noticed three flocks of sheep lying there, because shepherds watered their flocks from that well. There was a very large stone that covered the opening of the well,

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

3and when all the flocks had been gathered there, they would roll away the stone from the opening of the well, water their flocks, and then return the stone to its place covering the opening of the well.

4Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Harran," they replied.

4Jacob asked them, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they answered.

5He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.

5"Do you happen to know Nahor's son Laban?" he inquired. "We do," they replied.

6Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

6So he asked them, "How's he doing?" "Very well," they answered. "As a matter of fact, look over there! That's his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep."

7"Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."

7"Look!" Jacob replied. "The sun is still high. It's not yet time for the flocks to be gathered. Let's water the sheep, then let them graze."

8"We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."

8But they responded, "We can't do that until all the sheep have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the opening of the well. Only then can we water the flock."

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

9While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep, since she was a shepherdess.

10When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban's sheep, he went over 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, accompanied by Laban's sheep, Jacob approached the well, rolled the stone from the opening of the well, and then watered his mother's brother Laban's flock.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to cry out loud.

12He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

12Jacob told Rachel that he was related to her father, since he was Rebekah's son, so she ran and told her father.

13As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.

13When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him back to his house. Then Jacob told Laban about everything that had happened.

14Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,

14Laban responded, "You certainly are my flesh and blood!" So Jacob stayed with him for about a month.

15Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

15Later, Laban asked Jacob, "Should you serve me for free, just because you're my nephew? Let's talk about what your wages should be."

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

16Now Laban happened to have two daughters. The older one was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel.

17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

17Leah looked rather plain, but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance.

18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."

18Jacob loved Rachel, so he made this offer to Laban: "I'll serve you for seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."

19Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."

19"It's better that I give her to you than to another man," Laban replied, "so stay with me."

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

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

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her."

21Eventually, Jacob told Laban, "Bring me my wife, now that my time of service has been completed, so I can go be with her."

22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.

22So Laban gathered all the men who lived in that place and held a wedding festival.

23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.

23That night Laban took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. He had marital relations with her.

24And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

24Laban also gave his servant woman Zilpah to Leah to be her maidservant.

25When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"

25The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" he demanded of Laban. "Didn't I serve you for seven years in order to marry Rachel? Why did you deceive me?"

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

26But Laban responded, "It's not the practice of our place to give the younger one in marriage before the firstborn.

27Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."

27Fulfill the week for this daughter, then we'll give you the other one in exchange for serving me another seven years."

28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

28So Jacob completed another seven years' work, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

29Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.

29Laban also gave his woman servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant.

30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

30Jacob also married Rachel, since he loved her. He served Laban another full seven years' work for Rachel.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

31Later, the LORD noticed that Leah was being neglected, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."

32Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben, because she was saying, "The LORD had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me."

33She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.

33Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, "Because the LORD heard that I'm neglected, he gave me this one, too." So she named him Simeon.

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

34Later, she conceived again and said, "This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I've borne him three sons." So he named him Levi.

35She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

35Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, "This time I'll praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children.

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