Then Jacob traveled on until he arrived in the east. And he looked around and saw a well in the open country, and three flocks of sheep were lying beside it. And the stone over the mouth of the well was very large: only when all the shepherds had gathered there could they roll the stone off the well and water the sheep and put the stone back.
And Jacob said to them, “Friends, where do you come from?”
And they said, “We are from Haran.”
And he said, “Do you know Laban, son of Nahor?”
And they said, “Yes.”
And he said, “Is he well?”
And they said, “Yes. And here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
And he said, “It is still broad daylight, not yet time to gather the flocks. Why don’t you water them and let them go on grazing?”
And they said, “We can’t do that until all the shepherds are here to roll the stone off the well.”
And while they were talking, Rachel came with her father’s sheep (she was the one who took care of them). And when Jacob saw Rachel, he went up and rolled the stone off the well and watered Laban’s sheep. And he kissed Rachel and burst into tears. And he told her that he was her father’s kinsman — Rebecca’s son. And she ran and told her father.
And when Laban heard that his sister’s son Jacob had arrived, he ran to meet him, and he embraced him and kissed him again and again and took him home. And Jacob told Laban everything that had happened. And Laban said to him, “Truly, you are my flesh and blood.”
And after Jacob had stayed with him for a month, Laban said, “Why should you serve me for nothing, just because you are my kinsman? Tell me what wages I should pay you.”
Now Laban had two daughters: Rachel was the younger, and the elder was named Leah. And Leah had dull eyes, but Rachel was beautiful in face and body. And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
And Laban said, “All right. I would rather give her to you than to an outsider.”
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him just a few days, so great was his love for her.
Then Jacob said to Laban, “My term is finished. Give me my wife now, so that I can sleep with her.”
And Laban prepared a wedding feast, and all his neighbors came to celebrate. And in the evening, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her. And when morning came, he saw that it was Leah.
And he said to Laban, “How could you do this to me? Isn’t Rachel the one I served you for? Why have you cheated me?”
And Laban said, “It is not our custom here to marry off the younger daughter before the firstborn. Wait a week, until the girl’s wedding feast is over; then I will give you the other one too, if you will serve me for seven more years.”
And Jacob agreed, and he waited until the week was over; then Laban gave him Rachel as his wife. And Jacob slept with Rachel too. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served Laban for seven more years.