Genesis 29

1  THEN JACOB went [briskly and cheerfully] on his way [400 miles] and came to the land of the people of the East.2  As he looked, he saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was a big one,3  And when all the flocks were gathered there, [the shepherds] would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and replace the stone on the well’s mouth.4  And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are from Haran.5  [Jacob] said to them, Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor? And they said, We know him.6  He said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, He is doing well; and behold, here comes his daughter Rachel with [his] sheep!7  He said, The sun is still high; it is a long time yet before the flocks need be gathered [in their folds]. [Why not] water the sheep and return them to their pasture?8  But they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together; then [the shepherds] roll the stone from the well’s mouth and we water the sheep.9  While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she shepherded them.10  When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his uncle, Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of his uncle Laban.11  Then Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept aloud.12  Jacob told Rachel he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father.13  When Laban heard of the arrival of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him and brought him to his house. And [Jacob] told Laban all these things.14  Then Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And [Jacob] stayed with him a month.15  Then Laban said to Jacob, Just because you are my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?16  Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel.17  Leah’s eyes were weak and dull looking, but Rachel was beautiful and attractive.18  And Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, I will work for you for seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.19  And Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than to another man. Stay and live with me.20  And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.21  Finally, Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, so that I may take her to me.22  And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast [with drinking].23  But when night came, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to [Jacob], who had intercourse with her.24  And Laban gave Zilpah his maid to his daughter Leah to be her maid.25  But in the morning [Jacob saw his wife, and] behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Did I not work for you [all those seven years] for Rachel? Why then have you deceived and cheated and thrown me down [like this]?26  And Laban said, It is not permitted in our country to give the younger [in marriage] before the elder.27  Finish the [wedding feast] week [for Leah]; then we will give you [Rachel] also, and you shall work for me yet seven more years in return.28  So Jacob complied and fulfilled [Leah’s] week; then [Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter as his wife.29  (And Laban gave Bilhah his maid to Rachel his daughter to be her maid.)30  And Jacob lived with Rachel also as his wife, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served [Laban] another seven years [for her].31  And when the Lord saw that Leah was despised, He made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren.32  And Leah became pregnant and bore a son and named him Reuben [See, a son!]; for she said, Because the Lord has seen my humiliation and affliction; now my husband will love me.33  [Leah] became pregnant again and bore a son and said, Because the Lord heard that I am despised, He has given me this son also; and she named him Simeon [God hears].34  And she became pregnant again and bore a son and said, Now this time will my husband be a companion to me, for I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi [companion].35  Again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, Now will I praise the Lord! So she called his name Judah [praise]; then [for a time] she ceased bearing.

1. Mosebok 29

Jakob kommer til Laban

1 Så gav Jakob seg på veien igjen og kom til østmennenes land. t 2 Da fikk han øye på en brønn ute i marken og tre saueflokker som roet seg like ved den; for av den brønnen gav de buskapen vann. Men over brønnåpningen lå det en stor stein. t 3 Når alle flokkene var samlet der, veltet de steinen fra brønnen og lot småfeet drikke. Så la de steinen på plass igjen. 4 Jakob spurte: «Hvor er dere fra, brødre?» «Vi er fra Karan,» sa de. 5 Så spurte han: «Kjenner dere Laban, sønn av Nakor?» De svarte: «Ja, det gjør vi.» t 6 «Står det vel til med ham?» spurte Jakob. «Ja, det gjør det,» svarte de. «Se, der kommer Rakel, datteren hans, med småfeet!» 7 Da sa han: «Det er jo ennå høylys dag. Det er for tidlig å samle buskapen. La småfeet få drikke, og gå så og gjet!»

8 De svarte: «Nei, det kan vi ikke gjøre før alle flokkene er samlet, og gjeterne har veltet steinen fra brønnen. Da skal vi gi småfeet vann.»
9 Mens han ennå stod og snakket med dem, kom Rakel med farens buskap; for det var hun som gjette. 10 Da Jakob fikk se Rakel, datter til morbroren Laban, og småfeet hans, gikk han fram, veltet steinen fra brønnåpningen og lot morbrorens buskap få drikke. 11 Så kysset Jakob Rakel og brast i gråt. 12 Han fortalte henne at han var i slekt med hennes far og at han var sønn av Rebekka. Da sprang Rakel hjem og fortalte dette til sin far. 13 Med det samme Laban fikk høre om Jakob, søstersønnen sin, sprang han imot ham, slo armene om ham, kysset ham og tok ham med seg hjem. Og Jakob fortalte ham alt det som hadde hendt.

14 Da sa Laban til ham: «Du er sannelig av samme kjøtt og blod som jeg!» Så ble Jakob hos ham en måneds tid.

Jakob og Rakel

20 Så tjente Jakob i sju år for Rakel, og de årene syntes han var som noen få dager; så glad var han i henne.t
21 Jakob sa til Laban: «La meg nå få min kone! For tiden er inne, og jeg vil flytte sammen med henne!» 22 Da bad Laban sammen alt folket på stedet og holdt gjestebud. 23 Men om kvelden tok han sin datter Lea og førte henne til Jakob; og han gikk inn til henne. 24 Laban lot henne få sin trellkvinne Silpa; hun skulle tjene hos datteren Lea. 25 Men da morgenen kom, se, da var det Lea! Jakob sa til Laban: «Hva er det du har gjort mot meg? Det var jo for Rakel jeg tjente hos deg. Hvorfor har du sveket meg?» 26 Laban svarte: «Det er ikke skikk hos oss å gifte bort den yngste før den eldste. 27 La hennes bryllupsuke gå til ende, så skal jeg gi deg den andre også, hvis du vil tjene hos meg i sju år til!» t 28 Jakob gjorde så. Han holdt bryllup med henne uken ut. Så gav Laban ham sin datter Rakel til kone. 29 Og Laban lot henne få sin trellkvinne Bilha; hun skulle tjene hos datteren Rakel.

30 Så gikk Jakob inn til Rakel også, og han holdt mer av Rakel enn av Lea. Siden tjente han hos Laban i sju år til.

Jakobs sønner