Dual Panel1Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east.
2He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge.
3When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.
4Jacob said, "Hello friends. Where are you from?" They said, "We're from Haran."
5Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban son of Nahor?" "We do."
6"Are things well with him?" Jacob continued. "Very well," they said. "And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock."
7Jacob said, "There's a lot of daylight still left; it isn't time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?"
8"We can't," they said. "Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks."
9While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father's sheep. She was the shepherd.
10The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.
11Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears.
12He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.
13When Laban heard the news--Jacob, his sister's son!--he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.
14Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!" When Jacob had been with him for a month,
15Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"
16Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger.
17Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful.
18And it was Rachel that Jacob loved. So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
19"It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."
20So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage."
22Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast.
23At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her.
24(Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.)
25Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed! Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?"
26"We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older.
27Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work."
28Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
29(Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.)
30Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.
31When GOD realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.
32Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that GOD has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me."
33She became pregnant again and had another son. "GOD heard," she said, "that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also." She named this one Simeon (GOD-Heard).
34She became pregnant yet again--another son. She said, "Now maybe my husband will connect with me--I've given him three sons!" That's why she named him Levi (Connect).
35She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, "This time I'll praise GOD." So she named him Judah (Praise-GOD). Then she stopped having children.