Genesis 29:19-20

29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ¹  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ²  But they seemed like only a few days to him ³  because his love for her was so great. ⁴ 

Genesis 29:30

29:30 Jacob ⁵  had marital relations ⁶  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ⁷  for seven more years. ⁸ 

Genesis 31:26

31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ⁹  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ¹⁰ 

Genesis 31:31

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ¹¹  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ¹²  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ¹³ 

Genesis 31:41

31:41 This was my lot ¹⁴  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ¹⁵  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times!

Hosea 12:12

Jacob in Aram, Israel in Egypt, and Ephraim in Trouble

12:12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram,

then Israel worked ¹⁶  to acquire a wife;

he tended sheep to pay for her.

¹ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

² tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

³ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

⁴ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

⁹ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

¹⁰ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹² tn Heb “for I said.”

¹³ tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “this to me.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “served” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “earned a wife.”