Lexham English Bible

Genesis 29:6-25 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

6. And he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. Now look, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep.”

7. And he said, “Look, it is still broad daylight; it is not the time for the livestock to be gathered. Give water to the sheep and go, pasture them.”

8. And they said, “We are not able, until all the flocks are gathered. Then the stone is rolled away from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep.”

9. While he was speaking with them, Rachel came with the sheep which belonged to her father, for she was pasturing them.

10. And it happened that, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob drew near and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother.

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

12. And Jacob told Rachel that he was the relative of her father, and that he was the son of Rebekah. And she ran and told her father.

13. And it happened that when Laban heard the message about Jacob, the son of his sister, he ran to meet him. And he embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

14. And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my flesh and my bone!” And he stayed with him a month.

15. Then Laban said to Jacob, “Just because you are my brother should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wage should be.”

16. Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17. Now the eyes of Leah were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

18. And Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

19. Then Laban said, “Better that I give her to you than I give her to another man. Stay with me.”

20. And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they were as a few days in his eyes because he loved her.

21. And Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”

22. So Laban gathered all the men of the place and prepared a feast.

23. And it happened that in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her.

24. And Laban gave Zilpah his female servant to her, to Leah his daughter as a female servant.

25. And it happened that in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Now why did you deceive me?”