Genesis 29, side by side

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

¹Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people 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.

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

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.

³And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

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

⁴And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

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

⁵And he said unto them, Know ye 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 unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh 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.”

⁷And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed 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.”

⁸And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

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

⁹And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept 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.

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.

¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

¹¹And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up 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.

¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, 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.

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

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

¹⁴And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

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

¹⁵And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

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

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

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

¹⁷Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

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

¹⁸And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

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

¹⁹And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

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

²⁰And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

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

²¹And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

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

²²And Laban gathered together 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.

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

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

²⁴And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

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?”

²⁵And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

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

²⁶And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give 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.”

²⁷Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

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

²⁸And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

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

²⁹And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

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

³⁰And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

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

³¹And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, 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.”

³²And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore 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.

³³And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name 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.

³⁴And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called 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 bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.