| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. | 1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of 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. | 2He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. |
| 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. | 3When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well. |
| 4Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Harran," they replied. | 4Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran." |
| 5He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered. | 5He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him." |
| 6Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep." | 6And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the 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." | 7He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them." |
| 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 said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep." |
| 9While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherd. | 9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for 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, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. |
| 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. | 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept. |
| 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 a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and 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. | 13So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. |
| 14Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, | 14Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him 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." | 15Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" |
| 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. | 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. |
| 17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. | 17And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. |
| 18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." | 18Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." |
| 19Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." | 19Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; 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. | 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but 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." | 21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her." |
| 22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. | 22Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. |
| 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. | 23Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. |
| 24And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant. | 24Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. |
| 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?" | 25So it came about 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 with you? Why then have you deceived me?" |
| 26Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. | 26But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger 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." | 27"Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for 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. | 28Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. |
| 29Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. | 29Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. |
| 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. | 30So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. |
| 31When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. | 31Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. |
| 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 and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely 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. | 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." 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. | 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 he was named 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. | 35And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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