Genesis 29 - Names of God Bible (NOG)

Jacob’s Arrival in Haran

29 Jacob continued on his trip and came to the land in the east. 2 He looked around, and out in a field he saw a well with a large stone over the opening. Three flocks of sheep were lying down near it, because the flocks were watered from that well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the stone would be rolled off the opening of the well so that the sheep could be watered. Then the stone would be put back in place over the opening of the well.

4 Jacob asked some people, “My friends, where are you from?”

“We’re from Haran,” they replied.

5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”

They answered, “We do.”

6 “How is he doing?” Jacob asked them.

“He’s fine,” they answered. “Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

7 “It’s still the middle of the day,” he said. “It isn’t time yet to gather the livestock. Water the sheep. Then let them graze.”

8 They replied, “We can’t until all the flocks are gathered. When the stone is rolled off the opening of the well, we can water the sheep.”

9 While he was still talking to them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, because she was a shepherd. 10 Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of his uncle Laban, with his uncle Laban’s sheep. He came forward and rolled the stone off the opening of the well and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and sobbed loudly. 12 When Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s nephew and that he was Rebekah’s son, she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. He hugged and kissed him and brought him into his home. Then Jacob told Laban all that had happened. 14 Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

Jacob Obtains Wives

Jacob stayed with him for a whole month. 15 Then Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative doesn’t mean that you should work for nothing. Tell me what your wages should be.”

16 Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger one was Rachel. 17 Leah had attractive eyes,[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and beautiful features. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. So he offered, “I’ll work seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19 Laban responded, “It’s better that I give her to you than to any other man. Stay with me.” 20 Jacob worked seven years in return for Rachel, but the years seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her.

21 At the end of the seven years Jacob said to Laban, “The time is up; give me my wife! I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the people of that place and gave a wedding feast. 23 In the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob. Jacob slept with her. When morning came, he realized it was Leah.[b] 24 (Laban had given his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.)

25 “What have you done to me?” Jacob asked Laban. “Didn’t I work for you in return for Rachel? Why did you cheat me?”

26 Laban answered, “It’s not our custom to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish the week of wedding festivities with this daughter. Then we will give you the other one too. But you’ll have to work for me another seven years.”

28 That’s what Jacob did. He finished the week with Leah. Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to him as his wife. 29 (Laban had given his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.) 30 Jacob slept with Rachel too. He loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

Leah and Rachel Compete for Jacob’s Love

31 When Yahweh saw Leah was unloved, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel had none. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [Here’s My Son], because she said, “Certainly, Yahweh has seen my misery; now my husband will love me!” 33 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Certainly, Yahweh has heard that I’m unloved, and he also has given me this son.” So she named him Simeon [Hearing]. 34 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me because I’ve given him three sons.” So she named him Levi [Attached]. 35 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” So she named him Judah [Praise]. Then she stopped having children.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:17 Or “had no sparkle in her eyes.”
  2. Genesis 29:23 The first part of verse 25 (in Hebrew) has been placed in verse 23 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.

You Might Also Like:

Genesis 29 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

29 And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east; 2 and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves, and the great stone [is] on the mouth of the well. 3 (When thither hav...
Read More

Genesis 29 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

29 Therefore Jacob passed forth, and came into the east land; 2 and he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep resting beside it, for why (the) sheep were watered thereof, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone. 3 And the custom was that when all the sheep were gathered toget...
Read More

Genesis 29 - World English Bible (WEB)

29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. 2 He looked, and saw a well in the field, and saw three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large. 3 There all the flocks were gathere...
Read More

Genesis 29 - The Voice (VOICE)

29 Jacob continued on his journey until he came to the land of the people who lived in the east. 2 As he approached, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying beside it because the flocks were used to being watered from the well. The stone on the well’s mouth was large; 3 and when...
Read More

Genesis 29 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Jacob Loves Rachel29 Then Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the peoples of the east. 2 When he looked, suddenly, there was a well in the field, and there were three herds of sheep resting by it. (For from that well they would water the flocks. The stone on the mouth of the well was l...
Read More

Genesis 29 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Jacob Meets Rachel29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheep lying beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the ...
Read More

Genesis 29 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jacob Meets Rachel29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheep lying beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the ...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jacob Meets Rachel29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jacob Meets Rachel29 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.(A)2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the ...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram29 Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. 2 He 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. 3 It was the custom there to wait f...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jacob Finds Laban29 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 a...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jacob Meets Rachel29 So Jacob went on his journey (A)and came to the land of the people of the East. 2 And he looked, and saw a (B)well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. 3 Now...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jacob arrives in Paddan Aram29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 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. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New International Version (NIV)

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram29 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....
Read More

Genesis 29 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram29 Then Jacob continued on his journey. He came to the land where the eastern tribes lived. 2 There he saw a well in the open country. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it. The flocks were given water from the well. The stone over the opening of the well was large. ...
Read More

Genesis 29 - New English Translation (NET)

The Marriages of Jacob29 So Jacob moved on[a] and came to the land of the eastern people.[b] 2 He saw[c] in the field a well with[d] three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now[e] a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks were...
Read More