Genesis 29 - Simple English

1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east.

2He looked, and there was a well in the field. Three flocks of sheep were lying beside it, for the flocks were watered out of that well. A great stone lay over the mouth of the well.

3All the flocks used to be gathered there. Then the shepherds rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

4Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

5He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him."

6He said to them, "Is he well?" They said, "He is well. Look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep."

7He said, "Look, the sun is still high. It is not yet time for the animals to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them."

8They said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep."

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she looked after them.

10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went over and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

11Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up his voice and wept.

12Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative, and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

13When Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And Jacob told Laban all these things.

14Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And Jacob stayed with him for a month.

15Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?"

16Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17Leah was tender eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and lovely to look at.

18Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."

19Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me."

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him only a few days, because of the love he had for her.

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is finished, so that I may go in to her."

22So Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23In the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and Jacob went in to her.

24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah, to be her servant.

25In the morning, there she was: it was Leah. So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?"

26Laban said, "It is not done that way in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn."

27"Finish this one's week, and we will give you the other also, for the work you will do for me for another seven years."

28Jacob did so, and finished her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife also.

29And Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel, to be her servant.

30Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served Laban for another seven years.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel had no children.

32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, "Surely the LORD has looked on my suffering. Now therefore my husband will love me."

33She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I was hated, he has given me this son also." And she named him Simeon.

34She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.

35She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "Now I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.