< Genesis 30 >

1 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.
When Rachel [Ewe sheep] saw that she bore Jacob [Supplanter] no children, Rachel [Ewe sheep] envied her sister. She said to Jacob [Supplanter], “Give me children, or else I will die.”
2 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?
Jacob [Supplanter]’s anger burned against Rachel [Ewe sheep], and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
3 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.
She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah [Bashful]. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
4 And she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
She gave him Bilhah [Bashful] her servant as wife, and Jacob [Supplanter] went in to her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
Bilhah [Bashful] conceived, and bore Jacob [Supplanter] a son.
6 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.
Rachel [Ewe sheep] said, “God has judged me, and has also sh'ma ·heard obeyed· my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore called she his name Dan [He judged].
7 And Bilhah Rachel's maidservant again conceived, and bore Jacob a second son.
Bilhah [Bashful], Rachel [Ewe sheep]’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob [Supplanter] a second son.
8 And Rachel said, Wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali.
Rachel [Ewe sheep] said, “With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali [My wrestling].
9 And when Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she took Zilpah her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as wife.
When Leah [Weary] saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah [Frailty], her servant, and gave her to Jacob [Supplanter] as a wife.
10 And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a son.
Zilpah [Frailty], Leah [Weary]’s servant, bore Jacob [Supplanter] a son.
11 And Leah said, Fortunately! and she called his name Gad.
Leah [Weary] said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad [Good fortune].
12 And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a second son.
Zilpah [Frailty], Leah [Weary]’s servant, bore Jacob [Supplanter] a second son.
13 And Leah said, Happy am I; for the daughters will call me blessed! and she called his name Asher.
Leah [Weary] said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher [Happy].
14 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.
Reuben [See, a son!] went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah [Weary]. Then Rachel [Ewe sheep] said to Leah [Weary], “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 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.
She said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes, also?” Rachel [Ewe sheep] said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 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.
Jacob [Supplanter] came from the field in the evening, and Leah [Weary] went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
17 And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
God sh'ma ·heard obeyed· to Leah [Weary], and she conceived, and bore Jacob [Supplanter] a fifth son.
18 And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maidservant to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.
Leah [Weary] said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar [Hire, Reward].
19 And Leah again conceived, and bore Jacob a sixth son;
Leah [Weary] conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob [Supplanter].
20 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.
Leah [Weary] said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun [Living together].
21 And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
God remembered Rachel [Ewe sheep], and God sh'ma ·heard obeyed· to her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, God has taken away my reproach.
She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, Jehovah will add to me another son.
She named him Joseph [May he add], saying, “May Adonai add another son to me.”
25 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.
When Rachel [Ewe sheep] had borne Joseph [May he add], Jacob [Supplanter] said to Laban [White], “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
26 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.
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
27 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.
Laban [White] said to him, “If now I have found chen ·grace· in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Adonai has blessed me for your sake.”
28 And he said, Appoint to me thy wages, and I will give it.
He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 And he said to him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and what thy cattle has become with me.
He said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30 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?
For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Adonai has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31 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:
He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob [Supplanter] said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
32 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.
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.
33 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.
So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.”
34 And Laban said, Well, let it be according to thy word.
Laban [White] said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
35 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.
That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock.
He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob [Supplanter], and Jacob [Supplanter] fed the rest of Laban [White]’s flocks.
37 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.
Jacob [Supplanter] took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 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.
He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
39 And the flock was ardent before the rods; and the flock brought forth ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 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.
Jacob [Supplanter] separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban [White]: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban [White]’s flock.
41 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;
Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob [Supplanter] laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;
42 but when the sheep were feeble, he put [them] not in; so the feeble were Laban's, and the strong Jacob's.
but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the more feeble were Laban [White]’s, and the stronger Jacob [Supplanter]’s.
43 And the man increased very, very much, and had much cattle, and bondwomen, and bondmen, and camels, and asses.
The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

< Genesis 30 >