Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29

1 So Jacob went on his journey a and came to the land of the people of the East. 2 And he looked, and saw a b well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well's mouth. 3 Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth.

4 And Jacob said to them, "My brethren, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from c Haran." 5 Then he said to them, "Do you know d Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him." 6 So he said to them, e "Is he well?" And they said, "He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel f is coming with the sheep." 7 Then he said, "Look, it is still 1 high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them." 8 But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep."

9 Now while he was still speaking with them, g Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 And it came to pass, 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 h rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 11 Then Jacob i kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was j her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. k So she ran and told her father.

13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister's son, that l he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, m "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month.

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, n what should 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 2 delicate, but Rachel was o beautiful of form and appearance. 18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, p "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter." 19 And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me." 20 So Jacob q served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may r go in to her." 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and s made a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave his maid t Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you u deceived me?" 26 And Laban said, "It must not be done so in our 3 country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 v "Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years." 28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid w Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. 30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also x loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban y still another seven years.

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 25:6
    But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
    Numbers 23:7
    And he took up his oracle and said: "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. 'Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!
    Judges 6:3
    So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.
    Judges 6:33
    Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.
    Hosea 12:12
    Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 24:10
    Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
    Genesis 24:11
    And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
    Exodus 2:15
    When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
    Exodus 2:16
    Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 11:31
    And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
    Genesis 28:10
    Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 24:24
    So she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor.
    Genesis 24:29
    Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well.
    Genesis 28:2
    Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 43:27
    Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, " Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 24:11
    And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
    Exodus 2:16
    Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
    Exodus 2:17
    Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 2:16
    Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
  8. Cross References
    Exodus 2:17
    Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 33:4
    But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
    Genesis 45:14
    Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
    Genesis 45:15
    Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 13:8
    So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.
    Genesis 14:14
    Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
    Genesis 14:16
    So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
    Genesis 28:5
    So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 24:28
    So the young woman ran and told her mother's household these things.
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 24:29 - 31
    Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well.
    Luke 15:20
    And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 2:23
    And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones And...
    Genesis 37:27
    Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, an...
    Judges 9:2
    "Please speak in the hearing of all the men of ...
    2 Samuel 5:1
    Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at ...
    2 Samuel 19:12
    'You are my brethren, you are my bone and my fl...
    2 Samuel 19:13
    "And say to Amasa, ' Are you not my bone and my...
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 30:28
    Then he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it.
    Genesis 31:41
    Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 12:11
    And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.
    Genesis 12:14
    So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.
    Genesis 26:7
    And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, " She is my wife," because he thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 31:41
    Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
    2 Samuel 3:14
    So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
    Hosea 12:12
    Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.
  17. Cross References
    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 which I have done for you."
    Hosea 12:12
    Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.
  18. Cross References
    Judges 15:1
    After a while, in the time of wheat harvest, it happened that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, "Let me go in to my wife, into her room." But her father would not permit him to go in.
  19. Cross References
    Judges 14:10
    So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.
    John 2:1
    On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
    John 2:2
    Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
  20. Cross References
    Genesis 30:9
    When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.
    Genesis 30:10
    And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 27:35
    But he said, "Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.
    Genesis 31:7
    Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.
    1 Samuel 28:12
    When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 31:41
    Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
    Judges 14:2
    So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 30:3 - 5
    So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.
  24. Cross References
    Genesis 29:17 - 20
    Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.
    Deuteronomy 21:15 - 17
    If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved.
  25. Cross References
    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 which I have done for you."
    Genesis 31:41
    Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
    Hosea 12:12
    Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Next Book Next Book