禧年書 第 28 章

And in the first year, in the third week, he said, Give me my wife, for whose sake I have served you seven years. And Laban said to Jacob, I will give you your wife.

And Laban made a feast, and took Leah his elder daughter, and gave her to Jacob as a wife, and gave her Zilpah his maidservant for a handmaid; but Jacob did not know, for he thought she was Rachel.

And he went in to her, and behold, it was Leah.

For Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, for Leah's eyes were weak, though her form was very lovely; but Rachel had beautiful eyes and a beautiful form, and was very lovely.

And Laban said to Jacob, It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the elder.

And you, command the children of Israel.

And Laban said to Jacob, Let the seven days of the feast for this one pass, and I will give you Rachel, that you may serve me another seven years, to tend my flocks, as you did in the first week.

And on the day when the seven days of the feast for Leah had passed, Laban gave Rachel to Jacob, that he might serve him another seven years; and he gave her Bilhah, the sister of Zilpah, for a handmaid.

And he served seven years a second time on account of Rachel, for Leah had been given to him in vain.

And the Lord opened the womb of Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a son, and he called his name Reuben.

But the womb of Rachel was closed, for the Lord saw that Leah was hated, while Rachel was loved.

And Jacob went in again to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a second son, and he called his name Simeon.

And Jacob went in again to Leah, and she conceived and bore him a third son, and he called his name Levi.

And he went in again to her, and she bore a fourth son.

And in all this Rachel was jealous of Leah, for she herself did not bear children.

And when Rachel saw that Leah had borne four sons to Jacob, Reuben and Simeon and Levi and Judah,

she gave her maid; and she went in, and she conceived and bore him a son.

And Jacob went in again to Bilhah, and she conceived and bore a second son to Jacob, and Rachel called his name Naphtali, on the fifth of the seventh month, in the second year of the fourth week.

And when Leah saw that she had become barren and did not bear, she too was jealous of Rachel, and she also gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and Leah called his name Gad, on the twelfth of the eighth month, in the third year of the fourth week.

And she went in again to her, and she conceived and bore him a second son, and Leah called his name Asher, on the second of the eleventh month, in the fifth year of the fourth week.

And Jacob went in to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a son, and he called his name Issachar, on the fourth of the fifth month, in the fourth year of the fourth week.

And Jacob went in again to her, and she conceived and bore two children, a son and a daughter, and she called the son's name Zebulun, and the daughter's name was Dinah.

And the Lord had mercy on Rachel, and opened her womb.

And in the days when Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wives and my children, that I may go to my father Isaac and make myself a house; for I have completed the years that I served you for your two daughters, and I will go to my father's house.

And Laban said to Jacob, Stay with me for your wages, and tend my flocks for me again, and take your wages.

And they agreed between themselves that he should give him as his wages all the lambs and kids that were born ash-coloured and spotted with white; these should be his wages.

And all the sheep brought forth spotted and speckled and ash-coloured of various marks, and the sheep again brought forth like themselves; and all that were marked were Jacob's, and those that were not marked were Laban's.

And Jacob's possessions increased exceedingly, and he acquired oxen and sheep and donkeys and camels and menservants and maidservants.

And Laban and his sons were jealous of Jacob; and Laban gathered his sheep from him, and watched him for evil.