The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock.

And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed.

They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well's mouth, that we may water the flocks.

They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she fed the flock.

And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed.

And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice wept.

And he told her that he was her father's brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father.

Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister's son was come, ran forth to meet him: and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey,

He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired,

He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.

Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia; and the younger was called Rachel.

But Lia was blear-eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance.

And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter.

Laban answered: It is better that I give her to thee than to another man; stay with me.

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love.

And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage.

And at night he brought in Lia, his daughter, to him,

Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom, when morning was come he saw it was Lia.

And he said to his father-in-law: What is it that thou didst mean to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?

Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first.

Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years.

He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel:

To whom her father gave Bala, for her servant.

And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years.

And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.

And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me.

And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.

And she conceived the third time, and bore another son, and said: Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name Levi.

The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: Now will I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left bearing.

And Rachel seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.

And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?

But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.

And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,

When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son.

And Rachel said: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son; and therefore she called his name Dan.

And again Bala conceived, and bore another,

For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephthali.

Lia perceiving that she had left of bearing, gave Zelpha, her handmaid, to her husband.

And when she had conceived, and brought forth a son,

She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.

Zelpha also bore another.

And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.

And Ruben going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part of thy son's mandrakes.

She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son's mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandrakes.

And when Jacob returned at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for my son's mandrakes. And he slept with her that night.

And God heard her prayers; and she conceived: and bore a fifth son:

And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.

And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son,

And said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry; this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.

After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.

The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb.

And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach.

And she called his name Joseph: saying: The Lord give me also another son.

And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: Send me away, that I may return into my country, and to my land.

Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee.

Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned, by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.

Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.

But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands.

Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable, therefore, that I should now provide also for my own house.

And Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require nothing; but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed and keep thy sheep again.

Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled; and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall be my wages.

And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.

And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.

And he separated the same day the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted; and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.

And he set the space of three days journey betwixt himself and his son-in-law, who fed the rest of his flock.

And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane- trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole, remained green: and by this means the colour was divers.

And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out; that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive.

And it came to pass, that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.

And Jacob separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams; and all the white and the black were Laban's, and the rest were Jacob's, when the flocks were separated one from the other.

So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them.

But when the later coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban's; and they of the first time, Jacob's.

And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid-servants and men-servants, camels and asses.

But after that he had heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's, and being enriched by his substance is become great.

And perceiving also, that Laban's countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day.

Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.

He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks,

And said to them: I see your father's countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been with me.

And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power.

Yea your father hath also overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me.

If at any time, he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white one for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.

And God hath taken your father's substance, and given it to me.

For after the time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep, that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled.

And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob. And I answered: Here I am.

And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee.

I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country.

And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father's house?

Hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?

But God hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that God hath commanded thee.

Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way.

And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the land of Chanaan.

At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.

And Jacob would not confess to his father-in-law that he was flying away.

And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,

It was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob fled.

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad.

And he saw in a dream God, saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he, with his brethren, had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.

And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

Why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps?