jacob was in love with rachel, the daughter of laban and asked to marry her. laban said he would let jacob marry her if he worked for him as a shepherd for seven years. jacob worked for those years but they felt like they were only seven days because of how much he loved rachel. but then, laban tricked jacob into marrying rachel’s older sister leah instead of marrying her and said he didn’t believe in the younger daughter marrying before her older sister married so jacob had to work for laban for another seven years so that laban would let him marry rachel. jacob loved rachel but he did not love leah so leah prayed to the lord saying “give me children, for i am despised”. so the lord had mercy on her and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. and leah said “now my husband shall love me” and named her son reuben.