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Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 He looked and saw a well in a field, and there was three flocks of sheep lying beside it because the sheep were watered from that well. A large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob asked the men at the well, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We are from Haran,” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Do you know a man named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?”
“We know him,” they answered.
6 “Is he well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7 Then Jacob said, “Look, it is still broad daylight; it is not time for the animals to be gathered. Water the sheep, then take them back to graze on the pastures.”
8 But they replied, “We can’t until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9 While Jacob was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept loudly. 12 He told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him, and took him to his house, and Jacob told him all that had happened. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
After Jacob had been staying with him a month, 15 Laban 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.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely in form and beautiful in appearance. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I will work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed 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 and I want to lie with her.”
22 So Laban brought together all the men of the place and held a feast. 23 But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you. Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban replied, “It is not the custom here in our country to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. 27 Complete this daughter’s bridal week, and we will also give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week of celebration with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 And Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived 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.”
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son, she said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am not loved, He has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son, she said, “Now my husband will become attached to me at last, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi.
35 She 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 Leah stopped having children.