Jacob Serves Laban for Rachel and Leah

291 Then Jacob went on his journey , and came to the land of the sons of the east . 2 He 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 . 3 When 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 . 4 Jacob said to them, "My brothers , where are you from?" And they said , "We are from Haran ." 5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor ?" And they said , "We know him." 6 And 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 He 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 But they said , "We cannot e , until e all the flocks are gathered , and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well ; then we water the sheep ."

9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep , for she was a shepherdess . 10 When 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 . 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel , and lifted his voice and wept . 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son , and she ran and told her father . 13 So 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 . 14 Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh ." And he stayed with him a month .

15 Then Laban said to Jacob , "Because you are my relative , should you therefore serve me for nothing ? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" 16 Now Laban had two daughters ; the name of the older was Leah , and the name of the younger was Rachel . 17 And Leah's eyes were weak , but Rachel was beautiful of form and face . 18 Now 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 give her to another man ; stay with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed e to him but a few days because of his love for her. 21 Then Jacob said to Laban , "Give me my wife , for my time is completed , that I may go in to her." 22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast . 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah , and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid . 25 So 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?" 26 But Laban said , "It is not the practice e in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn . 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 ." 28 Jacob did so and completed her week , and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife . 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid . 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also , and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah , and he served with Laban for another seven years .

The Children Born to Jacob

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved , and He opened her womb , but Rachel was barren . 32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named e him Reuben , for she said , "Because the Lord has seen my affliction ; surely now my husband will love me." 33 Then 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 e him Simeon . 34 She 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 e he was named e Levi . 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said , "This time I will praise the Lord ." Therefore e she named e him Judah . Then she stopped bearing .