Study Desk

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

Laban said to him, "Just because you're my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."

So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her."

When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Wasn't it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?"

Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me."

Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now."

She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him." Therefore he was named Levi.

Then she said, "Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she'll bear children for me so that through her I too can build a family."

But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night.

Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar.

"God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne six sons for him," and she named him Zebulun.

Give me my wives and my children that I have worked for, and let me go. You know how hard I have worked for you."

So Jacob said to him, "You know what I have done for you and your herds.

For you had very little before I came, but now your wealth has increased. The Lord has blessed you because of me. And now, when will I also do something for my own family?"

Laban asked, "What should I give you?" And Jacob said, "You don't need to give me anything. If you do this one thing for me, I will continue to shepherd and keep your flock.

In the future when you come to check on my wages, my honesty will testify for me. If I have any female goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not black, they will be considered stolen."