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 Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall 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 being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy 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.

But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.

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

And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,

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

When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore 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: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son, and therefore she called his name Dan.

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

And again Bala conceived and bore another,

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.

For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephtali.

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.

Lia, perceiving that she had left off bearing, gave Zelpha her handmaid to her husband.

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

And when she had conceived and brought forth a son,

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

She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.

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

Zelpha also bore another.

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

And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.

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 Ruben, going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part 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.

She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son’s mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this 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 returned at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for my son’s mandrakes. And he slept with her that night.

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

And God heard her prayers: and she conceived and bore the 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 said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.

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

And Lia conceived again, and bore the 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 said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry: this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.

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

After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.

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

The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard 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, saying: God hath 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, saying: The Lord give me also another son.

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

And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father in law: Send me away that I may return into my country, and to my land.

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, and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered 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.

Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.

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

Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.

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

But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands.

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?

Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable therefore that I should now provide also for my own 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 Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require nothing: but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed, and keep thy sheep again.

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.

Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled: and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep, as among the goats, shall be my wages.

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 justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee when the time of the bargain shall come: and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.

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

And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.

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 separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted: and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.

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

And he set the space of three days’ journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest of his 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 green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole remained green: and by this means the colour was divers.

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 put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out: that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive.

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

And it came to pass that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.

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 flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams: and all the white and the black were Laban’s: and the rest were Jacob’s, when the flocks were separated one from the other.

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.

So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them:

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 latter coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban’s: and they of the first time, 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 was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid servants and men servants, camels and asses.