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- Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.
- There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
- When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
- Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied.
- He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.
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- Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east.
- He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.
- When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.
- Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."
- He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."
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- Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
- "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
- "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
- While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
- When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
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- And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep."
- He said, "Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them."
- But they said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep."
- While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
- When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
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- Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
- He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
- As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
- Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
- Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
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- Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept.
- Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.
- So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things.
- Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month.
- Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?"
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- Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
- Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
- Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
- Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
- So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
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- Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
- And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.
- Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
- Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me."
- So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
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- Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
- So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
- But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.
- And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
- When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
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- Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her."
- Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.
- Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.
- Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.
- So it came about 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 with you? Why then have you deceived me?"
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- Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
- Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
- And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
- Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
- Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
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- But Laban said, "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn.
- "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years."
- Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
- Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
- So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.
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- When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
- Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
- She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
- Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.
- She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
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- Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
- Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me."
- Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named him Simeon.
- She conceived again and bore a son and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi.
- And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
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