¹ I stalo se, když již všecken národ přešel Jordán, (nebo byl řekl Hospodin k Jozue, řka:

² Vezměte sobě z lidu dvanácte mužů, po jednom muži z každého pokolení,

³ A přikažte jim, řkouce: Vezměte sobě odsud z prostřed Jordánu, s místa, na němž stály nohy kněžské nepohnutě, dvanácte kamenů, a vyneste je s sebou, a sklaďte v ležení, v kterémž přes tuto noc pozůstanete),

⁴ Že povolav Jozue dvanácti mužů, kteréž k tomu zřídil z synů Izraelských, po jednom muži z každého pokolení,

⁵ I řekl jim Jozue: Jděte před truhlou Hospodina Boha svého do prostřed Jordánu a vezměte sobě každý kámen jeden na rameno své, vedlé počtu pokolení synů Izraelských,

⁶ Aby to bylo na znamení mezi vámi. Když by potom tázali se synové otců svých, řkouce: K čemu jsou vám ti kamenové?

⁷ Odpovíte jim, že se rozdělily vody Jordánské před truhlou smlouvy Hospodinovy, (když, pravím, šla přes Jordán, rozdělily se vody Jordánské), i zůstávají kamenové tito na památku synům Izraelským až na věky.

⁸ I učinili synové Izraelští tak, jakž přikázal Jozue, a vzali dvanácte kamenů z prostředku Jordánu, jakož mluvil Hospodin k Jozue, vedlé počtu pokolení synů Izraelských, a přinesli je s sebou na první stanoviště, a tu je složili.

⁹ Jozue také vyzdvihl dvanácte kamenů u prostřed Jordánu na místě, kdež stály nohy kněží nesoucích truhlu smlouvy, a byli tam až do tohoto dne.

¹⁰ Kněží pak, jenž nesli truhlu, stáli u prostřed Jordánu, dokudž se nevyplnilo všeliké slovo, kteréž přikázal Hospodin Jozue, aby oznámil lidu podlé všeho, jakž byl přikázal Mojžíš Jozue. I pospíšil lid a přešli.

¹¹ Když pak již přešel všecken lid, přešla také truhla Hospodinova i kněží, an lid na to hledí.

¹² Přešli i synové Rubenovi a synové Gádovi, a polovice pokolení Manassesova, vojensky zpořádaní před syny Izraelskými, jakož byl mluvil k nim Mojžíš.

¹³ Okolo čtyřidcíti tisíců oděných bojovníků šlo před Hospodinem k boji na roviny Jericha.

¹⁴ V ten den zvelebil Hospodin Jozue před očima všeho Izraele. I báli se ho, jako se báli Mojžíše po všecky dny života jeho.

¹⁵ Mluvil pak Hospodin k Jozue, řka:

¹⁶ Přikaž kněžím, kteříž nesou truhlu svědectví, ať vystoupí z Jordánu.

¹⁷ I přikázal Jozue kněžím, řka: Vystupte z Jordánu.

¹⁸ Když pak vystupovali kněží, jenž nesli truhlu smlouvy Hospodinovy, z prostřed Jordánu, jakž jen vytrhli kněží nohy na sucho, navrátily se vody Jordánské k místu svému, a tekly předce jako i prvé ve všech březích svých.

¹⁹ Vyšed pak lid z Jordánu desátého dne měsíce prvního, položili se v Galgala k straně východní Jericha;

²⁰ A dvanácte kamenů těch, kteréž vynesli z Jordánu, postavil Jozue v Galgala.

²¹ A mluvil k synům Izraelským takto: Když by se otázali potom synové vaši otců svých, řkouce: Co ti kamenové znamenají?

²² Oznámíte synům svým a díte: Po suše přešel Izrael Jordán tento.

²³ Nebo vysušil Hospodin Bůh váš vody Jordánské před tváří vaší, až jste přešli, jakož učinil Hospodin Bůh váš moři Rudému, kteréž vysušil před tváří naší, až jsme přešli,

²⁴ Aby poznali všickni národové země ruku Hospodinovu, že silná jest, a abyste se báli Hospodina Boha vašeho po všecky dny.

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.