the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Hebrew Names Version
Genesis 29
1 Then Ya`akov went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. 2 He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was great. 3 There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well's mouth in its place. 4 Ya`akov said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran." 5 He said to them, "Do you know Lavan, the son of Nachor?" They said, "We know him." 6 He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep." 7 He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the cattle together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them." 8 They said, We can't, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep."
9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them. 10 It happened, when Ya`akov saw Rachel the daughter of Lavan, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Lavan, his mother's brother, that Ya`akov went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Lavan his mother's brother. 11 Ya`akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 12 Ya`akov told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rivka's son. She ran and told her father. 13 It happened, when Lavan heard the news of Ya`akov, his sister's son, that he ran to meet Ya`akov, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Ya`akov told Lavan all these things. 14 Lavan said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for a month.
15 Lavan said to Ya`akov, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?" 16 Lavan had two daughters. The name of the elder was Le'ah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Le'ah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. 18 Ya`akov loved Rachel. He said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter." 19 Lavan said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me." 20 Ya`akov served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. 21 Ya`akov said to Lavan, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her." 22 Lavan gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 It happened in the evening, that he took Le'ah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her. 24 Lavan gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Le'ah for a handmaid. 25 It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Le'ah. He said to Lavan, "What is this you have done to me? Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" 26 Lavan said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the first born. 27 Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years." 28 Ya`akov did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. 29 Lavan gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid. 30 He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Le'ah, and served with him yet seven other years.
31 The LORD saw that Le'ah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Le'ah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Re'uven. For she said, "Because the LORD has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me." 33 She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Shim`on. 34 She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi. 35 She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, "This time will I praise the LORD." Therefore she named him Yehudah. Then she stopped bearing.
