¹ Jakov nastavi put i dođe u zemlju istočnu.

² Najednom opazi studenac u polju. Tri su stada ovaca oko njega plandovala, jer se na tome studencu napajahu. Velik se kamen nalazio studencu na otvoru.

³ Jedino kad bi se svi pastiri ondje skupili, mogli bi odvaliti kamen s otvora i ovce napojiti; tada bi opet prevalili kamen na njegovo mjesto, na otvor studenca.

⁴ "Odakle ste, braćo moja?" - zapita ih Jakov. "Iz Harana", odgovore.

⁵ "Poznajete li", pitaše ih dalje, "Nahorova sina Labana?" "Poznajemo", odgovore.

⁶ "Je li zdravo?" - opet ih upita. "Zdravo je; a evo mu dolazi kći Rahela sa stadom", odgovore.

⁷ "Još ima mnogo dana", nastavi on, "nije vrijeme spraćati blago. Zašto ga ne napojite i ne otjerate na pašu?"

⁸ "Ne možemo dok se ne skupe svi pastiri", odgovoriše, "da odvale kamen s otvora studenca, tako da mognemo napojiti ovce."

⁹ Dok je on još s njima govorio, dođe Rahela s ovcama svoga oca. Bila je, naime, pastirica.

¹⁰ Kako Jakov ugleda Rahelu, kćer Labana, brata svoje majke, sa stadom svoga ujaka Labana, Jakov se primače i odvali kamen s otvora studenca te napoji stado svoga ujaka Labana.

¹¹ Zatim Jakov poljubi Rahelu, a onda briznu u plač.

¹² Potom Jakov kaza Raheli da je on sestrić njezina oca, sin Rebekin. Nato ona otrča i obavijesti oca.

¹³ Kad je Laban čuo vijest o Jakovu, sinu svoje sestre, potrča mu u susret. Zagrli ga i poljubi te dovede u svoju kuću. Ispriča Labanu sve što mu se dogodilo.

¹⁴ A onda Laban reče. "Zbilja si ti moja kost i moje meso!" Pošto je Jakov proboravio s Labanom mjesec dana,

¹⁵ Laban reče Jakovu: "Zar ćeš me zato što si mi sestrić badava služiti! Kaži mi koliko ćeš tražiti za najam?"

¹⁶ A Laban imaše dvije kćeri. Starijoj bijaše ime Lea, a mlađoj Rahela.

¹⁷ Lea imala slabe oči, a Rahela bila stasita i lijepa.

¹⁸ Kako je Jakov volio Rahelu, reče: "Služit ću ti sedam godina za tvoju mlađu kćer Rahelu."

¹⁹ Laban odvrati: "Bolje je da je tebi dam nego kakvu strancu. Ostani sa mnom!"

²⁰ Tako je Jakov služio za Rahelu sedam godina, ali mu se učinile, zbog ljubavi prema njoj, kao nekoliko dana.

²¹ Poslije toga Jakov reče Labanu: "Daj mi moju ženu, jer se moje vrijeme navršilo pa bih htio k njoj."

²² Laban sabra sav svijet onog mjesta i priredi gozbu.

²³ Ali navečer uzme svoju kćer Leu pa nju uvede k Jakovu, i on priđe k njoj.

²⁴ Laban dade svoju sluškinju Zilpu svojoj kćeri Lei za sluškinju.

²⁵ Kad bi ujutro, a to, gle, Lea! Tada Jakov reče Labanu: "Zašto si mi to učinio! Zar te ja nisam služio za Rahelu? Zašto si me prevario?"

²⁶ Laban odgovori: "U našem mjestu nije običaj da se mlađa udaje prije starije.

²⁷ Završi s njom ovu ženidbenu sedmicu, a onda ću ti dati i drugu, za drugih sedam godina službe kod mene." Jakov pristane: navrši onu ženidbenu sedmicu.

²⁸ Onda mu Laban dade i svoju kćer Rahelu za ženu.

²⁹ Laban dade svoju sluškinju Bilhu svojoj kćeri Raheli za sluškinju.

³⁰ Jakov nato priđe Raheli. Rahelu je više volio nego Leu. I tako je služio Labana još sedam godina.

³¹ Jahve je vidio da Lea nije voljena, te je učini plodnom, dok Rahela ostade nerotkinja.

³² Lea zače i rodi sina; nadjenu mu ime Ruben, a to znači, kako je ona protumačila: "Jahve je vidio moju nevolju i stoga će me sada muž moj ljubiti."

³³ Opet zače i rodi sina te izjavi: "Jahve je čuo da nisam voljena, stoga mi je dao i ovoga." Zato mu nadjenu ime Šimun.

³⁴ Opet zače i rodi sina te izjavi: "Sad će se moj muž meni prikloniti: tri sam mu sina rodila." Zato mu nadjenu ime Levi.

³⁵ A kad je još jednom začela i sina rodila, izjavi: "Ovaj put hvalit ću Jahvu." Stoga sinu nadjenu ime Juda. Potom prestade rađati.

¹ Then Jacob 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 large.

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

⁵ He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" 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 livestock 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 Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

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

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

¹³ It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.

¹⁴ Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." He lived with him for a month.

¹⁵ Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?"

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

¹⁷ Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.

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

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

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

²¹ Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."

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

²³ It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.

²⁴ Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid.

²⁵ It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?"

²⁶ Laban said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.

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 Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.

²⁹ Laban 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 Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

³¹ Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

³² Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."

³³ She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon.

³⁴ She conceived again, and bore 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 bore a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.