New Living Translation

King James Bible

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

4Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?” “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 a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked. “Yes, we do,” they replied.

5And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, 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.”

6And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the 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?”

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.

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.”

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.

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

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

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.

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 he wept aloud.

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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,

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, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much 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 daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.

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

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

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

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.”

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

19“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work 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 worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

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

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

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

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

23But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah 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.

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

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

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?”

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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!”

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.

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, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.