Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 52
46
Genesis 30
PG 40
DIRECT
PG 44
SCENIC
29:14–30:43
29:14–30:43
16
21
JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL
After betraying Esau, Jacob flees his homeland to escape his brother’s anger.
His mother, Rebekah, sends him to take refuge at her brother Laban’s house in
Paddan-aram. On the way, God appears to Jacob in a dream, promising to bless
him. After a short time at his uncle’s house, Jacob falls in love with Laban’s
daughter Rachel and agrees to work for Laban in order to marry her. Laban,
however, is not true to the agreement.
JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL
28
So Jacob agreed to work seven more years.
A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban
gave him Rachel, too. 29 (Laban gave Rachel a
servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob
slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much
more than Leah. He then stayed and worked
for Laban the additional seven years.
PG 8
a | WEDDINGS | 29:14-30
PG 304
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about
a month, 15 Laban said to him, “You s houldn’t
work for me without pay just because we
are relatives. Tell me how much your wages
should be.”
16
Now Laban had two daughters. The older
daughter was named Leah, and the younger
one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in
Leah’s eyes,* but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 18 Since Jacob was in love
with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for
you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel,
your younger daughter, as my wife.”
19
“Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give
her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work
with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay
for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong
that it seemed to him but a few days.
21
Finally, the time came for him to marry her.
“I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to
Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep
with her.”
22
So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But
that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah
to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had
given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
25
But when Jacob woke up in the morning—
it was Leah! “What have you done to me?”
Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years
for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
26
“It’s not our custom here to marry off a
younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” La
ban replied. 27 “But wait until the bridal week
is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years
for me.”
JACOB’S MANY CHILDREN
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved,
he enabled her to have children, but Rachel
could not conceive. 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him
Reuben,* for she said, “The Lord has noticed
my misery, and now my husband will love me.”
33
She soon became pregnant again and gave
birth to another son. She named him Simeon,*
for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”
34
Then she became pregnant a third time
and gave birth to another son. He was named
Levi,* for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have
given him three sons!”
35
Once again Leah became pregnant and
gave birth to another son. She named him
Judah,* for she said, “Now I will praise the
Lord!” And then she stopped having children.
31
30
When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became
jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob,
“Give me children, or I’ll die!”
29:17 Or Leah had dull eyes, or Leah had soft eyes. The meaning
of the Hebrew is uncertain. 29:32 Reuben means “Look, a son!”
It also sounds like the Hebrew for “He has seen my misery.”
29:33 Simeon probably means “one who hears.” 29:34 Levi sounds
like a Hebrew term that means “being attached” or “feeling affection
for.” 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term for “praise.”
