Genesis 30

1 Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2 But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

And she said, Behold, there is my maid, Bilhah: go in to her, in order that she may bear on my knees, and I may also be built up by her.

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

And she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.

And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

6 Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.

And Rachel said, God has done me justice, and has also heard my voice, and given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan.

7 And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.

And Bilhah Rachel's maidservant again conceived, and bore Jacob a second son.

8 And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

And Rachel said, Wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali.

9 When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.

And when Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she took Zilpah her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as wife.

10 And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.

And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a son.

11 And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.

And Leah said, Fortunately! and she called his name Gad.

12 And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.

And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a second son.

13 And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.

And Leah said, Happy am I; for the daughters will call me blessed! and she called his name Asher.

14 Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

And Reuben went out in the days of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the fields; and he brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15 But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

And she said to her, Is it [too] little that thou hast taken my husband, that thou wilt take my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.

And when Jacob came from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me, for indeed I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.

And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.

18 Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.

And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maidservant to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.

19 And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

And Leah again conceived, and bore Jacob a sixth son;

20 And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.

and Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; this time will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun.

21 After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.

And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22 Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.

And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

23 And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.

And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, God has taken away my reproach.

24 And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.

And she called his name Joseph; and said, Jehovah will add to me another son.

25 Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

Give [me] my wives for whom I have served thee, and my children; that I may go away, for thou knowest my service which I have served thee.

27 And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.

And Laban said to him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes — I have discovered that Jehovah has blessed me for thy sake.

28 Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.

And he said, Appoint to me thy wages, and I will give it.

29 Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.

And he said to him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and what thy cattle has become with me.

30 For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?

For it was little that thou hadst before me, and it is increased to a multitude, and Jehovah has blessed thee from the time I came; and now, when shall I also provide for my house?

31 And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:

And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything. If thou doest this for me, I will again feed [and] keep thy flock:

32 Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.

I will pass through all thy flock to-day, to remove thence all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and [that] shall be my hire.

33 And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.

And my righteousness shall answer for me hereafter, when thou comest about my hire, before thy face: all that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, let that be stolen with me.

34 And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

And Laban said, Well, let it be according to thy word.

35 So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the brown among the lambs, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons.

36 And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.

And Jacob took fresh rods of white poplar, almond-tree, and maple; and peeled off white stripes in them, uncovering the white which was on the rods.

38 And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flock, in the troughs at the watering-places where the flock came to drink, and they were ardent when they came to drink.

39 And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

And the flock was ardent before the rods; and the flock brought forth ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40 These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he made himself separate flocks, and did not put them with Laban's flock.

41 And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

And it came to pass whensoever the strong cattle were ardent, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might become ardent among the rods;

42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

but when the sheep were feeble, he put [them] not in; so the feeble were Laban's, and the strong Jacob's.

43 So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.

And the man increased very, very much, and had much cattle, and bondwomen, and bondmen, and camels, and asses.