13/07/2025
Genesis Chapter 29:1-35
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.There he saw a well out in the open countryside. Three flocks of sheep were lying nearby because the flocks were watered from that well. A large stone covered the opening of the well.Whenever all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s opening and water the sheep. Afterward, they would place the stone back over the well.
Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
They replied, “We’re from Harran.”He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?”They said, “Yes, we know him.”
Jacob then asked, “How is he doing?”“He’s well,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
Jacob said, “Look, the sun is still high; it’s not time yet to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back out to graze.” But they replied, “We can’t until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled away from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”
While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd.When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over, rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well, and watered his uncle’s sheep.Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
He told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him. He embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his home. There Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.
Then Laban said, “Surely you are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for a month, Laban said to him, “Just because you're my relative, should you work for me without pay? Tell me what your wages should be.”
Now Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger was Rachel. Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”
Laban replied, “It’s better that I give her to you than to another man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but to him they seemed like only a few days because of his deep love for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is complete, and I want to be with her.”
So Laban gathered all the people of the area and held a feast.
But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her. Laban also gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.
When morning came, there was Leah! Jacob said to Laban, “What have you done to me? Didn’t I work for you to marry Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”
Laban answered, “It’s not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter’s bridal week, and then we’ll also give you the younger one, in exchange for another seven years of work.”
And Jacob agreed. He completed the bridal week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Laban also gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. Jacob also slept with Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Jacob’s Children
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel remained childless. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, saying, “Because the Lord has seen my misery, surely now my husband will love me.”
She conceived again, and when she gave birth to another son, she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am unloved, he has given me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
Again she conceived, and when she had another son, she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have given him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
She conceived yet 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.