Genesis 29
Jacob Finds Laban
Then Jacob continued his journey and reached the region where the eastern sons lived. When he got there he saw a well in the field with 3 flocks of sheep lying beside it. That was the well they used for watering their sheep, but it had a huge stone lid on it. When all the sheep were there, they would slide the stone off then slide it back when they were done.
Jacob went up to the shepherds and asked,
“Brothers! Where are you guys from?”
They said,
“Hello! We are from Haran. [Haran is where Abraham originally migrated when God called him.]”
Jacob asked,
“Do you know Nahor’s son, Laban?”
They said,
“Yeah, why?”
Jacob asked,
“How is he?”
They said,
“He is doing well, and here comes his daughter now with his sheep. Her name is Rachel.”
Jacob said,
“But it’s midday. It isn’t time to bring in the sheep yet, is it? Shouldn’t you water them and then let them graze?”
They said,
“We wait til all the flocks are here, and then we slide the stone over and water them all at once.”
While they were talking, Rachel showed up with her dad’s sheep. (Rachel’s name means “female sheep,” which was appropriate because she was a shepherdess.) She and Jacob were cousins, because Jacob’s mom was siblings with Rachel’s dad. When Jacob saw Rachel with her sheep, he went over and slid the stone off the mouth of the well and watered her sheep. Then he kissed Rachel, shouted for joy, and cried a little bit. When he told her that he was Rebekah’s son, she quickly went to tell her dad about it.
When Laban heard the news, he ran out to meet him. He gave Jacob a big hug, kissed him, and brought him to his house. After Jacob told him his story, Laban said,
“You really are my flesh and blood!”
Jacob Works 7 Years for Rachel
After Jacob had staying with them for a month, Laban asked him,
“Just because we’re related doesn’t mean you have to work here for free! How much do you charge?”
Now Laban had 2 daughters: the older one was Leah [whose name means “weary”], and the younger one was Rachel. Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel was stunning. Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered,
“I’ll work for you for 7 years if you let me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
Laban said,
“I’d rather give her to you than some other guy! So you should definitely stick around!”
So Jacob worked 7 years for Rachel, but it just seemed like a few days to him because of how much he loved her.
Jacob Tricked into Marrying Leah
At the end of the contract Jacob said,
“Ok, I finished my time. Let me have my wife now so I can be with her.”
So Laban invited a bunch of people over and prepared a feast. But that night Laban brought Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel, and they slept together. Laban gave her his maid Zilpah so she could have a maid. When morning came, Jacob looked at his wife, and sure enough, it was Leah! He went to Laban and said,
“Why’d you do that to me? Rachel was the one I was working for! Why’d you scam me like that?”
Laban answered,
“Our custom here is to marry off the oldest daughter before the younger ones. Finish your celebration week with Leah, and then we’ll give you Rachel. But you’ll need to work for me for another 7 years after the wedding.”
Jacob Marries Rachel
So Jacob finished the celebration week with Leah, and then Laban gave him Rachel to be his wife. Laban gave her his maid Bilhah so she could have a maid. So then Jacob finally got to sleep with Rachel, who he loved more than Leah, but he had to work for Laban another 7 years.
Leah Has Kids, but Rachel Doesn’t
The Existing One saw that Leah was hated, so he made her fertile while Rachel couldn’t have kids.
Leah got pregnant, gave birth to a son, and said “The Existing One has seen my misery. Now my husband will finally love me.” So she named him Reuben [which means “look, a son”].
Then Leah had another son and said, “The Existing One heard that I am hated, so he gave me this son too.” So she named him Simeon [which means “heard”].
She had another son and said, “Now this time my husband will join himself to me, because I’ve given him 3 sons.” So he was named Levi [which means “joined to”].
She had another son and said, “This time I’ll praise the Existing One,” so she named him Judah [which means “praised”].
Then she stopped having kids.