Genesis 29 NKJV NLT Parallel

◄ Genesis 29 ►

NKJV Parallel NLT [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

New King James Version

New Living Translation

1So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.

1Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.

2And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth.

2He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

3Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.

3It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.

4And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.”

4Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

5Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”

5“Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked. “Yes, we do,” they replied.

6So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

6“Is he doing well?” Jacob asked. “Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”

7Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

7Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”

8But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”

8“We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”

9Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

9Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd.

10And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

10And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock.

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

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.

12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.

12He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.

13Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things.

13As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,

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

14Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!” Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,

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

15Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

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

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

17Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.

17There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

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

18Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

19And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”

19“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

20So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”

21Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

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

22So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.

23Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.

23But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

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

24(Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

25So it came to pass 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 you? Why then have you deceived me?”

25But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

26And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

26“It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.

27Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”

27“But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

28Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.

28So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.

29And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

29(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)

30Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

30So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. Jacob’s Many Children

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 have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

32So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.”

32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

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.” And she called his name Simeon.

33She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

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 his name was called Levi.

34Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

35And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

35Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the LORD!” And then she stopped having children.

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