Genesis 29:35 - Prayer Tents

29Jacob set out again on his way to the people of the east.H3290H5375H7272H3212H776H1121H6924 2He noticed a well out in an open field with three flocks of sheep bedded down around it. This was the common well from which the flocks were watered. The stone over the mouth of the well was huge.H7200H875H7704H7969H5739H6629H7257H875H8248H5739H1419H68H875H6310 3When all the flocks were gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone from the well and water the sheep; then they would return the stone, covering the well.H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H7725H68H7725H875H6310H4725 4Jacob said, "Hello friends. Where are you from?" They said, "We're from Haran."H3290H559H251H370H559H2771 5Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban son of Nahor?" "We do."H559H3045H3837H1121H5152H559H3045 6"Are things well with him?" Jacob continued. "Very well," they said. "And here is his daughter Rachel coming with the flock."H559H7965H559H7965H7354H1323H935H6629 7Jacob said, "There's a lot of daylight still left; it isn't time to round up the sheep yet, is it? So why not water the flocks and go back to grazing?"H559H2005H1419H3117H6256H4735H622H8248H6629H3212H7462 8"We can't," they said. "Not until all the shepherds get here. It takes all of us to roll the stone from the well. Not until then can we water the flocks."H559H3201H5739H622H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629 9While Jacob was in conversation with them, Rachel came up with her father's sheep. She was the shepherd.H5750H1696H7354H935H1H6629H7462 10The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.H3290H7200H7354H1323H3837H517H251H6629H3837H517H251H3290H5066H1556H68H875H6310H8248H6629H3837H517H251 11Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears.H3290H5401H7354H5375H6963H1058 12He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.H3290H5046H7354H1H251H7259H1121H7323H5046H1 13When Laban heard the news—Jacob, his sister's son!—he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.H3837H8085H8088H3290H269H1121H7323H7125H2263H5401H935H1004H5608H3837H1697 14Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!" When Jacob had been with him for a month,H3837H559H389H6106H1320H3427H3117H2320 15Laban said, "Just because you're my nephew, you shouldn't work for me for nothing. Tell me what you want to be paid. What's a fair wage?"H3837H559H3290H251H5647H2600H5046H4909 16Now Laban had two daughters; Leah was the older and Rachel the younger.H3837H8147H1323H8034H1419H3812H8034H6996H7354 17Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful.H3812H7390H5869H7354H3303H8389H3303H4758 18And it was Rachel that Jacob loved. So Jacob answered, "I will work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."H3290H157H7354H559H5647H7651H8141H7354H6996H1323 19"It is far better," said Laban, "that I give her to you than marry her to some outsider. Yes. Stay here with me."H3837H559H2896H5414H5414H312H376H3427 20So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.H3290H5647H7651H8141H7354H5869H259H3117H160 21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife; I've completed what we agreed I'd do. I'm ready to consummate my marriage."H3290H559H3837H3051H802H3117H4390H935 22Laban invited everyone around and threw a big feast.H3837H622H582H4725H6213H4960 23At evening, though, he got his daughter Leah and brought her to the marriage bed, and Jacob slept with her.H6153H3947H3812H1323H935H935 24(Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.)H3837H5414H1323H3812H2153H8198H8198 25Morning came: There was Leah in the marriage bed! Jacob confronted Laban, "What have you done to me? Didn't I work all this time for the hand of Rachel? Why did you cheat me?"H1242H3812H559H3837H6213H5647H7354H7411 26"We don't do it that way in our country," said Laban. "We don't marry off the younger daughter before the older.H3837H559H6213H4725H5414H6810H6440H1067 27Enjoy your week of honeymoon, and then we'll give you the other one also. But it will cost you another seven years of work."H4390H2063H7620H5414H5656H5647H7651H312H8141 28Jacob agreed. When he'd completed the honeymoon week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.H3290H6213H4390H7620H5414H7354H1323H802 29(Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.)H3837H5414H7354H1323H1090H8198H8198 30Jacob then slept with her. And he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years.H935H7354H157H7354H3812H5647H7651H312H8141 31When GOD realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.H3068H7200H3812H8130H6605H7358H7354H6135 32Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that GOD has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me."H3812H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H7205H3588H559H3588H3068H7200H6040H3588H376H157 33She became pregnant again and had another son. "GOD heard," she said, "that I was unloved and so he gave me this son also." She named this one Simeon (GOD-Heard).H2029H3205H1121H559H3068H8085H8130H5414H7121H8034H8095 34She became pregnant yet again—another son. She said, "Now maybe my husband will connect with me—I've given him three sons!" That's why she named him Levi (Connect).H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H376H3867H3205H7969H1121H8034H7121H3878 35She became pregnant a final time and had a fourth son. She said, "This time I'll praise GOD." So she named him Judah (Praise-GOD). Then she stopped having children.H2029H3205H1121H559H6471H3034H3068H7121H8034H3063H5975H3205