Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
1Then Jacob continued on his journey. He came to the land where the eastern tribes lived. 2There he saw a well in the open country. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it. The flocks were given water from the well. The stone over the opening of the well was large. 3All the flocks would gather there. The shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s opening. They would give water to the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the opening of the well.
4Jacob asked the shepherds, “My friends, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran,” they replied.
5He said to them, “Do you know Nahor’s grandson Laban?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6Then Jacob asked them, “How is he?”
“He’s fine,” they said. “Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7“Look,” he said, “the sun is still high in the sky. It’s not time for the flocks to be brought together. Give water to the sheep and take them back to the grasslands.”
8“We can’t,” they replied. “We have to wait until all the flocks are brought together. The stone has to be rolled away from the opening of the well. Then we’ll give water to the sheep.”
9He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father’s sheep. It was her job to take care of the flock. 10Rachel was the daughter of Laban, Jacob’s uncle. When Jacob saw Rachel with Laban’s sheep, he went over to the well. He rolled the stone away from the opening. He gave water to his uncle’s sheep. 11Jacob kissed Rachel. Then he began to cry because he was so happy. 12He had told Rachel he was a relative of her father. He had also said he was Rebekah’s son. Rachel ran and told her father what Jacob had said.
13As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he hurried to meet him. Laban hugged Jacob and kissed him. Then Laban brought him to his home. There Jacob told him everything. 14Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
Jacob stayed with Laban for a whole month. 15Then Laban said to him, “You are one of my relatives. But is that any reason for you to work for me for nothing? Tell me what your pay should be.”
16Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah. And the name of the younger one was Rachel. 17Leah was plain, but Rachel was beautiful. She had a nice figure. 18Jacob was in love with Rachel. He said to Laban, “I’ll work for you for seven years so I can marry your younger daughter Rachel.”
19Laban said, “It’s better for me to give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20So Jacob worked for seven years so he could marry Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her so much.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. I’ve completed my time. I want to sleep with her.”
22So Laban brought all the people of the place together and had a feast prepared. 23But when evening came, he gave his daughter Leah to Jacob. And Jacob slept with her. 24Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter as her servant.
25When Jacob woke up the next morning, there was Leah next to him! So he said to Laban, “What have you done to me? I worked for you so I could marry Rachel, didn’t I? Why did you trick me?”
26Laban replied, “It isn’t our practice here to give the younger daughter to be married before the older one. 27Complete this daughter’s wedding week. Then we’ll give you the younger one also. But you will have to work for another seven years.”
28So Jacob completed the week with Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her servant. 30Jacob slept with Rachel also. He loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And he worked for Laban for another seven years.
Jacob Becomes the Father of Many Children
31The Lord saw that Jacob didn’t love Leah as much as he loved Rachel. So he let Leah have children. But Rachel wasn’t able to have children. 32Leah became pregnant. She had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, “The Lord has seen me suffer. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “The Lord heard that Jacob doesn’t love me very much. That’s why the Lord gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
34She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “Now at last my husband will value me. I have had three sons by him.” So the boy was named Levi.
35She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “This time I’ll praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
雅各到達舅父家
1雅各繼續前行，來到東方人住的地方， 2看見田間有一口井，有三群羊臥在井邊，因為當地人用那口井的水飲羊。井口蓋著一塊大石頭。 3羊群聚集在井旁的時候，牧人就把石頭挪開飲羊，隨後再把石頭挪回原處。
4雅各問牧人：「弟兄們，你們是從哪裡來的？」他們說：「我們是從哈蘭來的。」 5雅各問道：「你們認識拿鶴的孫子拉班嗎？」他們說：「我們認識。」 6雅各又問：「他好嗎？」他們回答說：「很好。你看，他的女兒拉結帶著羊群來了。」 7雅各對他們說：「太陽還高，不到把羊關起來的時候，你們飲了羊，再放牠們去吃草吧！」 8他們說：「不行，要等所有的羊群到齊，有人挪開井口的石頭後，才能飲羊。」
9他們還在說話的時候，拉結就帶著她父親的羊群來到井邊，她是個牧羊女。 10雅各看見表妹拉結和舅父拉班的羊群來了，就上前把井口的石頭挪開，飲他舅父的羊。 11他親吻拉結，並放聲大哭。 12雅各告訴拉結自己是她父親的外甥，是利百加的兒子。拉結便跑去告訴她父親。
13拉班聽見外甥雅各來了，就跑去迎接他，擁抱他，親吻他，然後把他接到自己家裡。雅各把事情的經過告訴他。 14拉班高興地說：「你真是我的骨肉之親啊！」雅各在拉班家裡住了一個月。
雅各娶妻
15一天，拉班對他說：「雖然我們是親戚，也不能讓你白白地替我工作。告訴我，你希望得到什麼報酬？」 16拉班有兩個女兒，大的叫利亞，小的叫拉結。 17利亞兩眼無神29·17 「兩眼無神」或譯「兩眼很美麗」。，而拉結長得美麗出眾。 18雅各愛上了拉結，於是對拉班說：「我願意為你工作七年，請你把拉結許配給我。」 19拉班說：「把她嫁給你比嫁給外人好，你就留下來吧！」 20雅各為了拉結給拉班工作了七年。因為他深愛拉結，所以這七年在他眼中就像短短的幾天。
21一天，雅各對拉班說：「期限已經滿了，現在請把我妻子給我，我好和她同房。」 22於是，拉班就擺設宴席款待當地的人。 23到了晚上，拉班卻把女兒利亞送給雅各，雅各和她同房。 24拉班又把自己的婢女悉帕送給女兒利亞做婢女。
25第二天早上，雅各才發現娶的是利亞，就對拉班說：「你對我做的是什麼事啊！我服侍你不就是為了拉結嗎？你為什麼騙我？」 26拉班說：「依照本地的習俗，妹妹不能比姐姐先出嫁。 27等這七天的婚期過了，我就把拉結也許配給你，你再替我工作七年。」
28雅各同意了。過了七天，拉班把女兒拉結嫁給雅各， 29又把自己的婢女辟拉送給拉結。 30雅各也和拉結同房，他深愛拉結，勝過愛利亞。他又替拉班工作了七年。
雅各的兒女
31耶和華看見利亞失寵，就使利亞生育，但拉結卻不生育。 32利亞懷孕生了一個兒子，給孩子取名叫呂便29·32 「呂便」意思是「看，一個兒子」，此詞發音像希伯來文「他看見了我的痛苦」一詞的發音。。她說：「耶和華看見了我的痛苦，現在我丈夫一定會愛我。」 33她又懷孕生了一個兒子，就說：「耶和華聽見了我丈夫不愛我，所以又給我這個兒子。」於是，她給孩子取名叫西緬29·33 「西緬」意思是「聽見」。。 34她又再度懷孕，生了一個兒子，就說：「這次我丈夫一定會依戀我，因為我給他生了三個兒子。」於是，他給孩子取名叫利未29·34 「利未」意思是「聯合」。。 35後來，利亞再次懷孕，生了一個兒子，她說：「這次我要讚美耶和華！」於是，她給孩子取名叫猶大29·35 「猶大」意思是「讚美」。。之後，利亞停止了生育。
