Genesis 29:5

He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”

Genesis 29:6

He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.”

Genesis 29:7

He said, “Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

Genesis 29:8

They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”

Genesis 29:9

While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.

Genesis 29:10

It happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

Genesis 29:11

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

Genesis 29:12

Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.

Genesis 29:13

It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.

Genesis 29:14

Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month.

Genesis 29:15

Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”

Genesis 29:16

Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

Genesis 29:17

Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.

Genesis 29:18

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

Genesis 29:19

Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”

Genesis 29:20

Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

Genesis 29:21

Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.”

Genesis 29:22

Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

Genesis 29:23

It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.

Genesis 29:24

Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid.

Genesis 29:25

It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

Genesis 29:26

Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Genesis 29:27

Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.”

Genesis 29:28

Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.

Genesis 29:29

Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid.

Genesis 29:30

He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

Genesis 29:31

Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Genesis 29:32

Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”

Genesis 29:33

She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon.

Genesis 29:34

She conceived again, and bore a son. Said, “Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore was his name called Levi.

Genesis 29:35

She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

Genesis 30:1

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”

Genesis 30:2

Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

Genesis 30:3

She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”

Genesis 30:4

She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

Genesis 30:5

Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:6

Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore called she his name Dan.

Genesis 30:7

Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:8

Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.

Genesis 30:9

When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

Genesis 30:10

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:11

Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.

Genesis 30:12

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:13

Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.

Genesis 30:14

Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

Genesis 30:15

She said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes, also?” Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

Genesis 30:16

Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.

Genesis 30:17

God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.

Genesis 30:18

Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” She named him Issachar.

Genesis 30:19

Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

Genesis 30:20

Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun.

Genesis 30:21

Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

Genesis 30:22

God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

Genesis 30:23

She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”

Genesis 30:24

She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”

Genesis 30:25

It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.

Genesis 30:26

Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”

Genesis 30:27

Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”

Genesis 30:28

He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”

Genesis 30:29

He said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.

Genesis 30:30

For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”

Genesis 30:31

He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.

Genesis 30:32

I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.

Genesis 30:33

So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be counted stolen.”

Genesis 30:34

Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”

Genesis 30:35

That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

Genesis 30:36

He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Genesis 30:37

Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

Genesis 30:38

He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.

Genesis 30:39

The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.

Genesis 30:40

Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.

Genesis 30:41

It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;

Genesis 30:42

but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.

Genesis 30:43

The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 31:1

He heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. From that which was our father’s, has he gotten all this wealth.”

Genesis 31:2

Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Genesis 31:3

Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 31:4

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,

Genesis 31:5

and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

Genesis 31:6

You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

Genesis 31:7

Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.

Genesis 31:8

If he said this, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.

Genesis 31:9

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.

Genesis 31:10

It happened during mating season that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

Genesis 31:11

The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

Genesis 31:12

He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

Genesis 31:13

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

Genesis 31:14

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Genesis 31:15

Aren’t we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.

Genesis 31:16

For all the riches which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

Genesis 31:17

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

Genesis 31:18

and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 31:19

Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

Genesis 31:20

Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.

Genesis 31:21

So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

Genesis 31:22

Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

Genesis 31:23

He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

Genesis 31:24

God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Take heed to yourself that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

Genesis 31:25

Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

Genesis 31:26

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?