1 Iacov a pornit la drum, şi s'a dus în ţara celor ce locuiesc la Răsărit.
2 S'a uitat înainte, şi iată că pe cîmp era o fîntînă; şi lîngă ea erau trei turme de oi, cari se odihneau; căci la fîntîna aceasta obicinuiau ciobanii să-şi adape turmele. Şi piatra de pe gura fîntînii era mare.
3 Toate turmele se strîngeau acolo; ciobanii prăvăleau piatra de pe gura fîntînii, adăpau turmele, şi apoi puneau piatra iarăş la loc pe gura fîntînii.
4 Iacov a zis păstorilor: ,,Fraţilor, de unde sînteţi?`` ,,Din Haran,`` au răspuns ei.
5 El le -a zis: ,,Cunoaşteţi pe Laban, fiul lui Nahor?`` ,,Îl cunoaştem,`` i-au răspuns ei.
6 El le -a zis: ,,Este sănătos?`` ,,Sănătos``, au răspuns ei. Şi tocmai atunci venea Rahela, fata lui, cu oile.
7 El a zis: ,,Iată, soarele este încă sus, şi -i prea devreme ca să strîngeţi vitele: adăpaţi oile, apoi duceţi-vă şi paşteţi-le iarăş.``
8 Ei au răspuns: ,,Nu putem, pînă nu se vor strînge toate turmele; atunci se prăvăleşte piatra de pe gura fîntînii, şi vom adăpa oile.``
9 Pe cînd le vorbea el încă, vine Rahela cu oile tatălui său; căci ea le păzea.
10 Cînd a văzut Iacov pe Rahela, fata lui Laban, fratele mamei sale, şi turma lui Laban, fratele mamei sale, s'a apropiat, a prăvălit piatra de pe gura fîntînii, şi a adăpat turma lui Laban, fratele mamei sale.
11 Apoi Iacov a sărutat pe Rahela, şi a început să plîngă tare.
12 Iacov a spus Rahelei că este rudă cu tatăl ei, că este fiul Rebecii. Şi ea a dat fuga de a spus tatălui său.
13 Cum a auzit Laban de Iacov, fiul sorei sale, i -a alergat înainte, l -a îmbrăţişat, l -a sărutat, şi l -a adus în casă. Iacov a istorisit lui Laban toate cele întîmplate.
14 Şi Laban i -a zis: ,,Cu adevărat, tu eşti os din oasele mele, şi carne din carnea mea!`` Iacov a stat la Laban o lună.
15 Apoi Laban a zis lui Iacov: ,,Fiindcă eşti rudă cu mine, să-mi slujeşti oare degeaba? Spune-mi ce simbrie vrei?``
16 Laban însă avea două fete: cea mai mare se numea Lea, şi cea mai mică Rahela.
17 Lea avea ochii slabi; dar Rahela era frumoasă la statură şi mîndră la faţă.
18 Iacov iubea pe Rahela, şi a zis: ,,Îţi voi sluji şapte ani pentru Rahela, fata ta cea mai mică.``
19 Şi Laban a răspuns: ,,Mai bine să ţi -o dau ţie, decît s'o dau altuia. Rămîi la mine!``
20 Astfel Iacov a slujit şapte ani pentru Rahela; şi anii aceştia i s'au părut ca vreo cîteva zile, pentrucă o iubea.
21 În urmă Iacov a zis lui Laban: ,,Dă-mi nevasta, căci mi s -a împlinit sorocul, ca să intru la ea.``
22 Laban a adunat pe toţi oamenii locului şi a făcut un ospăţ.
23 Seara, a luat pe fiică-sa Lea, şi a adus -o la Iacov, care s -a culcat cu ea.
24 Şi Laban a dat ca roabă fetei sale Lea pe roaba sa Zilpa.
25 A doua zi dimineaţă, iată că era Lea. Atunci Iacov a zis lui Laban: ,,Ce mi-ai făcut? Nu ţi-am slujit oare pentru Rahela? Pentru ce m'ai înşelat?``
26 Laban a răspuns: ,,În locul acesta nu -i obicei să se dea cea mai tînără înaintea celei mai mari.
27 Isprăveşte săptămîna cu aceasta, şi-ţi vom da şi pe cealaltă pentru slujba, pe care o vei mai face la mine alţi şapte ani.``
28 Iacov a făcut aşa, şi a isprăvit săptămîna cu Lea; apoi Laban i -a dat de nevastă pe fiică-sa Rahela.
29 Şi Laban a dat ca roabă fetei sale Rahela, pe roaba sa Bilha.
30 Iacov a intrat şi la Rahela, pe care o iubea mai mult decît pe Lea; şi a mai slujit la Laban alţi şapte ani.
31 Domnul a văzut că Lea nu era iubită; şi a făcut -o să aibă copii, pe cînd Rahela era stearpă.
32 Lea a rămas însărcinată, şi a născut un fiu, căruia i -a pus numele Ruben (Vedeţi fiu); ,,căci``, a zis ea, ,,Domnul a văzut mîhnirea mea, şi acum bărbatul meu are să mă iubească negreşit.``
33 A rămas iarăş însărcinată, şi a născut un fiu; şi a zis: ,,Domnul a auzit că nu eram iubită, şi mi -a dat şi pe acesta.`` De aceea, i -a pus numele Simeon (Ascultare).
34 Iar a rămas însărcinată, şi a născut un fiu; şi a zis: ,,De data aceasta, bărbatul meu se va alipi de mine, căci i-am născut trei fii.`` De aceea i -a pus numele Levi (Alipire).
35 A rămas iarăş însărcinată, şi a născut un fiu; şi a zis: ,,De data aceasta, voi lăuda pe Domnul.`` Deaceea i -a pus numele Iuda (Lăudat fie Domnul). Şi a încetat să mai nască.
1 Then Jacob went on his journey till he came to the land of the children of the East.
2 And there he saw a water-hole in a field, and by the side of it three flocks of sheep, for there they got water for the sheep: and on the mouth of the water-hole there was a great stone.
3 And all the flocks would come together there, and when the stone had been rolled away, they would give the sheep water, and put the stone back again in its place on the mouth of the water-hole.
4 Then Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran.
5 And he said to them, Have you any knowledge of Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, We have.
6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.
7 Then Jacob said, The sun is still high and it is not time to get the cattle together: get water for the sheep and go and give them their food.
8 And they said, We are not able to do so till all the flocks have come together and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the water-hole; then we will get water for the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them.
10 Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock.
11 And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss.
12 And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it.
13 And Laban, hearing news of Jacob, his sister's son, came running, and took Jacob in his arms, and kissing him, made him come into his house. And Jacob gave him news of everything.
14 And Laban said to him, Truly, you are my bone and my flesh. And he kept Jacob with him for the space of a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be?
16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form.
18 And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.
19 And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me.
20 And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended.
22 And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast.
23 And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her.
24 And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman.
25 And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me?
26 And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older.
27 Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years.
28 And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife.
29 And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman.
30 Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.
31 Now the Lord, seeing that Leah was not loved, gave her a child; while Rachel had no children.
32 And Leah was with child, and gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name Reuben: for she said, The Lord has seen my sorrow; now my husband will have love for me.
33 Then she became with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Because it has come to the Lord's ears that I am not loved, he has given me this son in addition: and she gave him the name Simeon.
34 And she was with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Now at last my husband will be united to me, because I have given him three sons: so he was named Levi.
35 And she was with child again, and gave birth to a son: and she said, This time I will give praise to the Lord: so he was named Judah; after this she had no more children for a time.