Nakarating si Jacob sa Bahay ni Laban
1Nagpatuloy si Jacob sa paglalakbay niya hanggang sa nakarating siya sa lupain ng mga taga-silangan. 2May nakita siya roon na isang balon at sa tabi nito ay may tatlong pulutong ng tupa na nagpapahinga, dahil doon kumukuha ang mga tao ng tubig na ipinapainom sa mga tupa. Ang balon na ito ay tinatakpan ng malaking bato. 3Iniipon muna ng mga pastol ang lahat ng tupa bago nila pagulungin ang batong nakatakip sa balon. Pagkatapos nilang painumin ang mga tupa, muli nilang tinatakpan ang balon.
4Ngayon, nagtanong si Jacob sa mga pastol ng tupa, “Mga kaibigan, taga-saan kayo?”
Sumagot sila, “Taga-Haran.”
5Muling nagtanong si Jacob, “Kilala ba ninyo si Laban na apo ni Nahor?”
Sumagot sila, “Oo, kilala namin.”
6Nagpatuloy sa pagtatanong si Jacob, “Kumusta na ba siya?”
Sumagot sila, “Mabuti naman. Tingnan mo, paparating ang anak niyang si Raquel dito kasama ang kanilang mga tupa.”
7Sinabi ni Jacob sa kanila, “Napakaaga pa at hindi pa oras para ipunin ang mga tupa, mabuti sigurong painumin ninyo sila at muling ipastol.”
8Sumagot sila, “Hindi namin iyan magagawa kung hindi muna maiipon ang lahat ng tupa. Kung nandito na ang lahat, doon pa lamang namin pagugulungin ang takip na bato para silaʼy painumin.”
9Nagsasalita pa si Jacob sa kanila nang dumating si Raquel na dala ang mga tupa ng kanyang ama, dahil siya ang nagbabantay sa mga ito. 10Pagkakita ni Jacob kay Raquel na anak ng tiyuhin niyang si Laban, na kasama ang mga tupa, pumunta siya sa balon at pinagulong ang bato at pinainom ang mga tupa ng tiyuhin niyang si Laban. 11Pagkatapos, hinagkan niya si Raquel at napaiyak siya sa tuwa. 12Sinabi niya kay Raquel, “Anak ako ni Rebeka, kaya pamangkin ako ng iyong ama.” Patakbong umuwi si Raquel at sinabi sa kanyang ama.
13Nang marinig ni Laban na nariyan si Jacob na pamangkin niya kay Rebeka, agad niya itong sinalubong. Hinagkan niya si Jacob at dinala sa bahay niya. At doon sinabi ni Jacob kay Laban ang lahat ng nangyari. 14Sinabi ni Laban sa kanya, “Tunay na magkadugo tayo.”
Naglingkod si Jacob kay Laban dahil kina Raquel at Lea
Pagkalipas ng isang buwan na pananatili ni Jacob kina Laban, 15sinabi ni Laban sa kanya, “Hindi mabuti na magtrabaho ka para sa akin na walang bayad dahil pamangkin kita. Sabihin mo sa akin kung ano ang gusto mong ibayad ko sa iyo.”
16May dalawang anak na dalaga si Laban. Si Lea ang panganay at si Raquel ang nakababatang kapatid. 17Mapupungay29:17 Mapupungay: o, Magaganda. ang mata ni Lea, pero mas maganda ang hubog ng katawan ni Raquel. 18Dahil may gusto si Jacob kay Raquel, sinabi niya kay Laban, “Maglilingkod po ako sa inyo ng pitong taon kung ibibigay nʼyo sa akin ang kamay ni Raquel.”
19Sumagot si Laban, “Mas mabuti pang ikaw ang mapangasawa niya kaysa sa ibang lalaki. Manatili ka na lang dito.” 20Kaya naglingkod si Jacob kay Laban ng pitong taon para mapangasawa niya si Raquel. Dahil sa pagmamahal niya kay Raquel, parang ilang araw lang sa kanya ang pitong taon.
21Pagkalipas ng pitong taon, sinabi ni Jacob kay Laban, “Natapos na ang paglilingkod ko sa inyo, kaya ibigay nʼyo na sa akin si Raquel para magsama na kami.”
22Pumayag si Laban, kaya nagdaos siya ng handaan at inimbitahan niya ang lahat ng tao sa lugar na iyon. 23Pero kinagabihan, sa halip na si Raquel ang dalhin ni Laban kay Jacob, si Lea ang dinala niya. At sumiping si Jacob kay Lea. 24(Ibinigay ni Laban kay Lea ang alipin niyang babae na si Zilpa para maging alipin nito.)
25Kinabukasan, nalaman ni Jacob na si Lea pala ang kasiping niya. Kaya pinuntahan niya si Laban at sinabi, “Bakit ginawa mo ito sa akin? Naglingkod ako sa iyo para mapangasawa ko si Raquel. Ngayon, bakit niloko mo ako?”
26Sumagot si Laban, “Hindi kaugalian dito sa aming lugar na maunang makapag-asawa ang nakababatang kapatid kaysa sa nakatatandang kapatid. 27Hintayin mo lamang na matapos ang isang linggong pagdiriwang ng inyong kasal at ibibigay ko agad sa iyo si Raquel, iyan ay kung muli kang maglilingkod ng pitong taon pa.”
28Pumayag si Jacob sa sinabi ni Laban. Pagkatapos ng isang linggo na pagdiriwang ng kasal nila ni Lea, ibinigay ni Laban kay Jacob si Raquel. 29Ibinigay ni Laban kay Raquel ang alipin niyang babae na si Bilha para maging alipin nito. 30Kaya sumiping din si Jacob kay Raquel. Mas mahal niya si Raquel kaysa kay Lea. Naglingkod si Jacob kay Laban ng pitong taon pa.
Ang mga Anak ni Jacob
31Nakita ng Panginoon na hindi mahal ni Jacob si Lea, kaya niloob niyang magkaanak si Lea, pero si Raquel naman ay hindi. 32Nagbuntis si Lea at nanganak ng lalaki at pinangalanan niyang Reuben,29:32 Reuben: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, nakita niya ang paghihirap ko. dahil sinabi niya, “Nakita ng Panginoon ang paghihirap ko, at ngayoʼy tiyak na mamahalin na ako ng aking asawa.”
33Muli siyang nagbuntis at nanganak ng isa na namang lalaki. Sinabi niya, “Muli akong binigyan ng Panginoon ng isang anak na lalaki dahil narinig niya na hindi ako minamahal ng aking asawa.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Simeon.29:33 Simeon: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, narinig niya.
34Muling nagbuntis si Lea at nanganak ng isa pang lalaki. Sinabi niya, “Ngayon, magiging malapit na sa akin ang aking asawa dahil tatlo na ang anak naming lalaki.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Levi.29:34 Levi: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, pinalapit.
35Muling nagbuntis si Lea at nanganak ng isa na namang lalaki. Sinabi niya, “Ngayon, pupurihin ko ang Panginoon.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Juda.29:35 Juda: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, purihin siya. Mula noon, hindi na siya nagkaanak.
Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram
1Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2There he saw a well in the open country, 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. 3When 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.
4Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”
“We’re from Harran,” they replied.
5He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”
“Yes, we know him,” they answered.
6Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”
“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
7“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.”
8“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.”
9While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13As 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. 14Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15Laban 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.”
16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah had weak29:17 Or delicate eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25When 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?”
26Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Jacob’s Children
31When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son. for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33She 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.29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
34Again 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.29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
35She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise. Then she stopped having children.
