So Lâ•vânꞋ said to Ya•a•qovꞋ, "You're my closest brother. Should you work for free? Tell me, what's your usual wage?"

Now Lâ•vânꞋ had two daughters: Lei•âhꞋ was the older daughter, who had soft eyes, and the younger daughter was Râ•kheilꞋ, who was fine-looking and had a curvaceous figure—and Ya•a•qovꞋ loved Râ•kheilꞋ.

Then he told Lâ•vânꞋ, "I'll work for you seven years as the bride-price to marry your younger daughter, Râ•kheilꞋ.

"Better you than a stranger," Lâ•vânꞋ retorted, "So dwell with me."

Then Ya•a•qovꞋ worked as a ranch hand for Lâ•vânꞋ for 7 years, and they passed as if a few days because of his love for Râ•kheilꞋ.

Ya•a•qovꞋ said to Lâ•vânꞋ, "I've fulfilled the term of our contract. Bring my woman so that I may come in to her."

Lâ•vânꞋ invited all of the locals for a winefest. During the evening, Lâ•vânꞋ took his eldest daughter LeiꞋâh (instead of Râ•kheilꞋ), dressed LeiꞋâh in wedding attire (with her face hidden behind a veil),and brought her to Ya•a•qovꞋ. So Lâ•vânꞋ tricked¹ Ya•a•qovꞋ into marrying LeiꞋâh instead of Râ•kheilꞋ.

Observing the prevailing Middle Eastern custom as father of the bride, immediately after the wedding on the wedding night, uncle Lâ•vânꞋ delivered the dowry to his daughter, LeiꞋâh: one of his maids, named Zi•lᵊp•âhꞋ.²

Next morning — Wha?!? Ya•a•qovꞋ discovered he was lying next to Râ•kheilꞋ's sister – LeiꞋâh!!!

Ya•a•qovꞋ dressed in a panic and raced to his uncle Lâ•vânꞋ's tent.

"What have you done to me?" Ya•a•qovꞋ raged. "I worked for you 7 years and you defraud me?"

"Here, we must abide by the local custom," Lâ•vânꞋ replied. "Here, we don't marry off the younger daughter before the firstborn daughter. Complete another 7 years working for me and we will give you the other daughter too."

So Ya•a•qovꞋ worked another 7-year contract to Lâ•vânꞋ. Then Lâ•vânꞋ gave to Ya•a•qovꞋ his daughter Râ•kheilꞋ to be his woman. For a dowry, Lâ•vânꞋ gave to Râ•kheilꞋ his maid, Bi•lᵊh•âhꞋ.

So, because Ya•a•qovꞋ loved Râ•kheilꞋ more than LeiꞋâh, he worked the additional 7 years and, finally, came in to Râ•kheilꞋ.

Births Of The 12 Tribal Eponyms Of Israel

Heraldry of the 12 Tribes of Israel

וָיַּרְא י‑‑ה that LeiꞋâh was eschewed, He enabled her to become pregnant while leaving Râ•kheilꞋ barren. So LeiꞋâh conceived and gave birth to a son and named him רְאוּבֵן saying, "For רָאָה י‑‑ה my disadvantage; for now my man³ will love me."

She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, saying, "Because שָׁמַע י‑‑ה that I'm eschewed, He has given me this one too." So she named him שִׁמְעוׂן.

Then she became pregnant yet again, and gave birth to yet another son, saying, "Now, this time, my man³ יִלָּוֶה me, because I have borne him three sons." So she named him לֵוִי.

Finally, she became pregnant once again, and gave birth to another son, saying, "This time אוֹדֶה to י‑‑ה." So she named him יְהוּדָה. Then, being the older sister, she reached the time of her menopause.

As Râ•kheilꞋ could only look on, bearing no children, she envied her older sister, demanding of Ya•a•qovꞋ, "If you don't come to me for children I'll die!"

That made Ya•a•qovꞋ defensive and angry. "What am I, the pelvis⁴ of the gods withholding the fruit of the womb from you?"

"Ok," retorted Râ•kheilꞋ, "Here's my maid, Bi•lᵊh•âhꞋ. Come in to her so she may give birth to a son to be raised on my knees. Thus, from her I shall be built-up." So she gave Bi•lᵊh•âhꞋ to him to be a woman. So Ya•a•qovꞋ came in to her and Bi•lᵊh•âhꞋ conceived and gave birth to a son by Ya•a•qovꞋ.

"The gods דָּנַנִּי," concluded Râ•kheilꞋ, "and hearkened to my voice, as well, having given me a son." Therefore, she named him דָּן.

Then Bi•lᵊh•âhꞋ, Râ•kheilꞋ's maid, conceived again and gave birth to a second son by Ya•a•qovꞋ, after which Râ•kheilꞋ mused, "With נַפְתּוּלֵי of the gods נִפְתַּלְתִּי with my sister. Yet, I was able to prevail." So she called him נַפְתָּלִי.

When LeiꞋâh saw that she had experienced the onset of menopause, she took Zi•lᵊp•âhꞋ, her maid, and gave her to Ya•a•qovꞋ to be a woman. Then Zi•lᵊp•âhꞋ, LeiꞋâh's maid, gave birth to a son by Ya•a•qovꞋ. And LeiꞋâh said, "!בְּגָּד‎" ⁵ and she named him גָּד.

Then Zi•lᵊp•âhꞋ, LeiꞋâh's maid, gave birth to her second son by Ya•a•qovꞋ. And LeiꞋâh said, "!בְּאָשְׁרִי, for daughters אִשְּׁרוּנִי." And she named him אָשֵׁר.