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Genesis 29-30
New Life Version

Jacob Finds Laban

29 Then Jacob went on his way and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 He looked up and saw a well in the field where three flocks of sheep were lying beside it. The people gave water to the flocks from that well. The stone covering the top of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the men would roll the stone from the top of the well. Then after giving water to the sheep, they would put the stone again in its place on top of the well.

4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He asked them, “Is he well?” They said, “He is well. And see, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.” 7 Jacob said, “See, the sun is still high. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Give water to the sheep, and return them to their field.” 8 But they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered and they roll the stone from the top of the well. Then we will give the sheep water.”

9 He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she cared for them. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the top of the well. And he gave water to the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to cry for joy. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was of her father’s family, the son of Rebekah. And she ran and told her father.

13 When Laban heard the news of his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. He put his arms around him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Then Jacob told Laban all these things. 14 Laban said to him, “For sure you are my bone and my flesh.” And Jacob stayed with him a month.

Jacob Works for Laban

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are one of my family, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what do you want to be paid?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in body and face. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. So he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. It was only like a few days to him, because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife so I may go in to her. For my time is finished.” 22 And Laban gathered all the men of the place together, and made a special supper. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah to him. Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also took Zilpah, a woman who served him, and gave her to his daughter Leah, to serve her.

25 When the morning came, Jacob saw that it was Leah. He said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Did I not work for you for Rachel? Why have you fooled me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not allowed in our country to give the younger in marriage before the first-born. 27 Complete the wedding week of this one. Then we will give you the other one also if you work for me seven years more.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her wedding week. And Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also took Bilhah, a woman who served him, and gave her to his daughter Rachel, to serve her. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also. He loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban seven years more.

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, He made her able to give birth. But Rachel could not give birth. 32 Leah was able to have a child and she gave birth to a son. She gave him the name Reuben. For she said, “The Lord has seen my trouble. Now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she was going to have another child and she gave birth to a son. She said, “The Lord has given me this son also, because He has heard that I am not loved.” So she gave him the name Simeon. 34 She was going to have another child and she gave birth to a son. She said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me because I have given birth to his three sons.” So she gave him the name Levi. 35 She was going to have another child and she gave birth to a son. And she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she gave him the name of Judah. Then she stopped giving birth.

30 When Rachel saw that she had not given birth to any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die!” 2 Then Jacob became angry with Rachel. He said, “Am I taking God’s place, Who has kept you from giving birth?” 3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, the woman who serves me. Go in to her, and let her give birth for me. Even I may have children through her.” 4 So she gave Bilhah to him for a wife, the woman who served her. And Jacob went in to her. 5 Bilhah was going to have a child and she gave birth to a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has done the right thing for me. He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” So she gave him the name Dan. 7 Bilhah, the woman who served Rachel, was going to have another child. And she gave birth to another son for Jacob. 8 So Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, and I have won.” She gave him the name Naphtali.

9 Leah saw that she had stopped giving birth. So she took Zilpah, the woman who served her, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And a son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah. 11 Then Leah said, “Good things have happened to me!” So she gave him the name Gad. 12 A second son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah. 13 Then Leah said, “I am happy! For women will say that I am happy.” So she gave him the name Asher.

14 During the time of gathering grain, Reuben went out in the field and found some fruit. He brought it to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s fruit.” 15 But Leah said, “Is it not enough to take my husband? Would you take my son’s fruit also?” So Rachel said, “Jacob may lie with you tonight if you give me your son’s fruit.”

16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight. For I have paid for you with my son’s fruit.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God heard Leah and she gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my pay because I gave my husband the woman who serves me.” So she gave him the name Issachar. 19 Leah was going to have another child and she gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will live with me, because I have given birth to six sons.” So she gave him the name of Zebulun. 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter, and gave her the name Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her, and made her able to have a child, 23 and she gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 She gave him the name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me another son.”

25 When Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so I may go to my own place and my own country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served. Let me leave, for you know how much I have served you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If now it pleases you, stay with me. I have learned that the Lord has brought good to me because of you.” 28 Then he said, “Tell me what you want to be paid, and I will pay it.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how much I have served you and how I have cared for your cattle. 30 For you had little before I came. But now it has become very much. The Lord has brought good to you everywhere I turned. But when will I be able to give much to those of my own house also?”

31 Laban said, “What should I pay you?” Jacob said, “Do not pay me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again feed and take care of your flock. 32 Let me go through your whole flock today. Let me take out of it every sheep and every goat that has spots, and every black lamb. These will be my pay. 33 So my fair actions will answer for me later, when you come to look at what I have been paid. If you find any sheep or goat without spots or any lamb that is not black, you may think of them as stolen.” 34 And Laban said, “Good! Let it be done as you say.” 35 That day Laban took out all the male goats with spots and all the female goats with spots, every one with white on it, and every black sheep. And he put them into the care of his sons. 36 Then he traveled three days away from Jacob. And Jacob was left to care for the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Then Jacob took green sticks of three kinds of trees. And he cut white marks in them, showing the white which was in the sticks. 38 He took these sticks which he had cut and set them in front of the flocks, in the place where the flocks came to drink. And the animals mated when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks mated in front of the sticks. And the young that were born had spots. 40 Then Jacob divided the lambs. He made the flocks look toward Laban’s flock of the animals which were black or with spots. And he put his own flocks by themselves. He did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 When the stronger animals of the flock were mating, Jacob would put the sticks in the water in front of the flock so they would mate by the sticks. 42 But when the flock was weak, Jacob did not put the sticks in. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones went to Jacob. 43 Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks and camels and donkeys, and men and women servants.

Listen to Genesis 29-30
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Genesis 29-30
New International Version

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.(A) 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well.(B) The stone(C) over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone(D) away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep.(E) Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”(F)

“We’re from Harran,(G)” they replied.

5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”(H)

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel(I) with the sheep.(J)”

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.”

8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone(K) has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water(L) the sheep.”

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,(M) for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel(N) daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone(O) away from the mouth of the well and watered(P) his uncle’s sheep.(Q) 11 Then Jacob kissed(R) Rachel and began to weep aloud.(S) 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative(T) of her father and a son of Rebekah.(U) So she ran and told her father.(V)

13 As soon as Laban(W) heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him(X) and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”(Y)

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative(Z) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages(AA) should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,(AB) and the name of the younger was Rachel.(AC) 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel(AD) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.(AE) 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel(AF) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”(AG)

19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,(AH) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.(AI)

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.(AJ)”

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.(AK) 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(AL) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah(AM) to his daughter as her attendant.(AN)

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(AO) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(AP)”

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(AQ) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(AR) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(AS)”

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(AT) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(AU) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(AV) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(AW) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(AX)

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(AY) he enabled her to conceive,(AZ) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(BA) She named him Reuben,[b](BB) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(BC) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(BD) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[c](BE)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(BF) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[d](BG)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e](BH) Then she stopped having children.(BI)

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(BJ) she became jealous of her sister.(BK) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(BL) who has kept you from having children?”(BM)

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(BN) my servant.(BO) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(BP)

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(BQ) Jacob slept with her,(BR) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(BS) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(BT) Because of this she named him Dan.[f](BU)

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah(BV) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(BW) So she named him Naphtali.[g](BX)

9 When Leah(BY) saw that she had stopped having children,(BZ) she took her servant Zilpah(CA) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(CB) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(CC) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[h] So she named him Gad.[i](CD)

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(CE) happy.”(CF) So she named him Asher.[j](CG)

14 During wheat harvest,(CH) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(CI) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough(CJ) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”(CK)

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”(CL) So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah,(CM) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”(CN) So she named him Issachar.[k](CO)

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,(CP) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[l](CQ)

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(CR)

22 Then God remembered Rachel;(CS) he listened to her(CT) and enabled her to conceive.(CU) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(CV) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(CW) 24 She named him Joseph,[m](CX) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(CY)

Jacob’s Flocks Increase

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way(CZ) so I can go back to my own homeland.(DA) 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you,(DB) and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(DC) please stay. I have learned by divination(DD) that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”(DE) 28 He added, “Name your wages,(DF) and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you(DG) and how your livestock has fared under my care.(DH) 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been.(DI) But now, when may I do something for my own household?(DJ)”

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat.(DK) They will be my wages.(DL) 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored,(DM) will be considered stolen.(DN)”

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs,(DO) and he placed them in the care of his sons.(DP) 36 Then he put a three-day journey(DQ) between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond(DR) and plane trees(DS) and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.(DT) 38 Then he placed the peeled branches(DU) in all the watering troughs,(DV) so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat(DW) and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches.(DX) And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.(DY) 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals(DZ) that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat,(EA) Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,(EB) 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.(EC) 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.(ED)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:17 Or delicate
  2. Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
  3. Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
  4. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
  5. Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  6. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  7. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  8. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  9. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  10. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  11. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  12. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  13. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.
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