Genesis 29
Open in the reader1Heel-Grabber resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4“My brothers,” Heel-Grabber asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Parched,” they answered.
5“Do you know White the grandson of Snorter?” Heel-Grabber asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6“Is he well?” Heel-Grabber inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Ewe with his sheep.”
7“Look,” said Heel-Grabber, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
8But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
9While he was still speaking with them, Ewe arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10As soon as Heel-Grabber saw Ewe, the daughter of his mother’s brother White, with White’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
11Then Heel-Grabber kissed Ewe and wept aloud.
12He told Ewe that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13When White heard the news about his sister’s son Heel-Grabber, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Heel-Grabber told him all that had happened.
14Then White declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Heel-Grabber had stayed with him a month,
15White said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16Now White had two daughters; the older was named Weary-One, and the younger was named Ewe.
17Weary-One had weak eyes, but Ewe was shapely and beautiful.
18Since Heel-Grabber loved Ewe, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Ewe.”
19White replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
20So Heel-Grabber served seven years for Ewe, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
21Finally Heel-Grabber said to White, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
22So White invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
23But when evening came, White took his daughter Weary-One and gave her to Heel-Grabber, and he slept with her.
24And White gave his servant girl To-Drop to his daughter Weary-One as her maidservant.
25When morning came, there was Weary-One! “What have you done to me?” Heel-Grabber said to White. “Wasn’t it for Ewe that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
26White replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
27Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
28And Heel-Grabber did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and White gave him his daughter Ewe as his wife.
29White also gave his servant girl Faint to his daughter Ewe as her maidservant.
30Heel-Grabber slept with Ewe as well, and indeed, he loved Ewe more than Weary-One. So he worked for White another seven years.
31When He-Who-Is saw that Weary-One was unloved, He opened her womb; but Ewe was barren.
32And Weary-One conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him See-a-Son, for she said, “He-Who-Is has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because He-Who-Is has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Heard.
34Once again Weary-One conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Joined.
35And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise He-Who-Is.” So she named him Praised. Then Weary-One stopped having children.