Jubilees 28

Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the east, to Laban the brother of Rebekah. He stayed with him and served him one week of years for his daughter Rachel.

REF And Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the east, to Laban, the brother of Rebecca, and he was with him, and served him for Rachel his daughter one week.

In the first year of the third week, he said to Laban: Give me my wife, for whom I have served you seven years. Laban said to Jacob: I will give you your wife.

REF And in the first year of the third week he said unto him: 'Give me my wife, for whom I have served thee seven years'; and Laban said to Jacob: 'I will give thee thy wife.'

Laban prepared a feast. He took his elder daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob as a wife, and he gave her his servant Zilpah as her maidservant. Jacob did not realize it, because he thought she was Rachel.

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

He went in to her, and when morning came — it was Leah! Jacob was furious with Laban and said: Why have you treated me this way? Did I not serve you for Rachel, not Leah? Why have you cheated me? Take your daughter back — I am leaving! You have done me wrong.

REF And Jacob went in unto her, and behold, it was Leah; and Jacob was angry with Laban, and said to him: 'Why hast thou dealt thus with me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel and not for Leah? Why hast thou wronged me? Take thy daughter, and I will go; for thou hast done evil to me.'

For Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Leah's eyes were soft, but Rachel was beautiful in form and lovely to look at.

REF For Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah; for Leah's eyes were weak; but the form of Rachel was beautiful and very comely.

Laban said to Jacob: It is not the custom in our land to give the younger daughter before the elder. This is not right to do, for it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets that no one should give his younger daughter before his firstborn. The right of the elder comes first, and so it is written concerning her.

REF And Laban said to Jacob: 'It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the elder.' And it is not right to do this; for thus it is ordained and written in the heavenly tablets, that no one should give his younger daughter before the elder; for the right of the elder is first, and thus it is written concerning her.

Do not let this upset you. I will give you Rachel as well, in return for another seven years of service.

REF And let not this thing be an evil thing in thine eyes; I will give thee Rachel also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet for another seven years.'

Jacob agreed and completed the wedding week for Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

REF And Jacob did so, and he fulfilled the week of this one also, and he gave him Rachel his daughter as a wife.

Laban gave Rachel his servant Bilhah as her maidservant.

REF And he gave to Rachel, Bilhah, the handmaid of Laban her father, as her handmaid.

Jacob served another seven years for Rachel, since Leah had been given to him without his consent.

REF And he served yet other seven years for Rachel, for Leah had been given to him for nothing.

The Lord opened Leah's womb, and she conceived and bore Jacob a son. He named him Reuben, on the fourteenth of the ninth month, in the first year of the third week.

REF And the Lord opened the womb of Leah, and she conceived and bare Jacob a son, and he called his name Reuben, on the fourteenth of the ninth month, in the first year of the third week.

But Rachel's womb was closed, for the Lord saw that Leah was unloved while Rachel was loved.

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

Jacob went in to Leah again, and she conceived and bore him a second son. He named him Simeon, on the twenty-first of the tenth month, in the third year of this week.

REF And again Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a second son, and he called his name Simeon, on the twenty-first of the tenth month, and in the third year of this week.

Again Jacob went in to Leah, and she conceived and bore him a third son. He named him Levi, at the new moon of the first month, in the sixth year of this week.

REF And again Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare him a third son, and he called his name Levi, in the new moon of the first month in the sixth year of this week.

Again he went in to her, and she conceived and bore him a fourth son. He named him Judah, on the fifteenth of the third month, in the first year of the fourth week.

REF And again Jacob went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a fourth son, and he called his name Judah, on the fifteenth of the third month, in the first year of the fourth week.

Leah said: This time I will praise the Lord, for he has given me four sons. So she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing children.

REF And Leah said: 'Now will I praise the Lord, for He hath given me four sons, and I will call his name Judah.' And she ceased bearing.

Rachel envied Leah because she herself had not given birth, and she said to Jacob: Give me children, or I will die!

REF And Rachel envied Leah because she did not bear, and she said to Jacob: 'Give me children; and if not, I shall die.'

Jacob said: Have I kept you from bearing? Have I abandoned you?

REF And Jacob said: 'Have I withheld from thee the fruit of thy womb? Have I forsaken thee?'

When Rachel saw that Leah had borne Jacob four sons — Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah — she said to him: Go in to my maidservant Bilhah. She will conceive and bear a son on my behalf.

REF And when Rachel saw that Leah had borne four sons to Jacob, Reuben and Simeon and Levi and Judah, she said unto him: 'Go in unto Bilhah my handmaid, and she will conceive and bear a son unto me.'

She gave him her maidservant Bilhah as a wife. He went in to her, and she conceived and bore him a son. He named him Dan, on the ninth of the sixth month, in the sixth year of the third week.

REF And she gave him Bilhah, her handmaid, as a wife. And he went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a son, and he called his name Dan, on the ninth of the sixth month, in the sixth year of the third week.

Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naphtali, on the fifth of the seventh month, in the second year of the fourth week.

REF And again she conceived and bare Jacob a second son; and Rachel called his name Naphtali, on the fifth of the seventh month, in the second year of the fourth week.

When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she gave her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah conceived and bore a son, and Leah named him Gad, on the twelfth of the eighth month, in the third year of the fourth week.

REF And when Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife, and she conceived, and bare a son, and Leah called his name Gad, on the twelfth of the eighth month, in the third year of the fourth week.

She conceived again and bore him a second son. Leah named him Asher, on the second of the eleventh month, in the fifth year of the fourth week.

REF And again she conceived and bare 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.

Jacob went in to Leah, and she conceived and bore a son. She named him Issachar, on the fourth of the fifth month, in the fourth year of the fourth week. She gave him to a wet nurse.

REF And Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Issachar, on the fourth of the fifth month, in the fourth year of the fourth week, and she gave him to a nurse.

She conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Zebulun, on the seventh of the seventh month, in the seventh year of the fourth week. She said: God has given me a fine gift. Now my husband will honor me. Therefore she named him Zebulun.

REF And again she conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Zebulun, on the seventh of the seventh month, in the seventh year of the fourth week. And she said: 'God hath endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me.' And therefore she called his name Zebulun.