Genesis 29 NLT HCSB Parallel

◄ Genesis 29 ►

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

New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

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

1Jacob resumed his journey and went to the eastern country.

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.

2He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well.

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.

3When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep. The stone was then placed back on the well's opening.

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

4Jacob asked the men at the well, "My brothers! Where are you from?"" We're from Haran," they answered."

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

5Do you know Laban grandson of Nahor?" Jacob asked them. They answered, "We know him.""

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

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

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?”

7Then Jacob said, "Look, it is still broad daylight. It's not time for the animals to be gathered. Water the flock, then go out and let them graze."

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.”

8But they replied, "We can't until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled from the well's opening. Then we will water the sheep."

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

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

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.

10As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban's daughter Rachel with his sheep, he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban's sheep.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.

11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly.

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.

12He told Rachel that he was her father's relative, Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

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,

13When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then he took him to his house, and Jacob told him all that had happened.

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,

14Laban said to him, "Yes, you are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him a month,

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.”

15Laban said to him, "Just because you're my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

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

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

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

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

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.”

18Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."

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

19Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me."

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.

20So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for 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.”

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her."

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

22So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast.

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

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

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

24And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.

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?”

25When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Wasn't it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?"

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

26Laban answered, "It is not the custom in this place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn.

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.”

27Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me."

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

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

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

29And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.

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

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

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

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

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.”

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

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.”

33She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The LORD heard that I am unloved and has given me this son also." So she named him Simeon.

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!”

34She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him." Therefore he was named Levi.

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.

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

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