Genesis 30

1 When Rachel realized she was unable to give Jacob any children she was jealous of her sister. She complained to Jacob, “I'll die if you don't give me children!”

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.

2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and told her, “Am I God? Do you think I'm the one stopping you having children?”

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

3 “Here's my personal maid Bilhah,” Rachel replied. “Sleep with her and she can have children for me so I'll have a family too.”

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.

4 She gave her personal maid Bilhah to him as a wife and Jacob slept with her.

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

5 Bilhah became pregnant and had a son for Jacob.

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

6 Rachel said, “God has judged in my favor! He listened to me and gave me a son.” So she named him Dan.

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.

7 Rachel's personal maid Bilhah became pregnant again and had second son for Jacob.

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

8 Rachel said, “I've had a hard struggle with my sister, but I've won.” So she named him Naphtali.

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.

9 Leah realized she wasn't having any more children, so she gave her personal maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

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.

10 Zilpah had a son for Jacob.

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

11 Leah said, “I'm really fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

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

12 Leah's personal maid Zilpah became pregnant again and had a second son for Jacob.

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

13 Leah said, “I'm so happy, and the other women will say I'm happy too!” So she named him Asher.

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

14 At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben found some mandrake plants when he was out in the fields. He took them back to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah, “Please give me some of the mandrakes your son found.”

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.

15 “Aren't you satisfied with stealing my husband?” Leah replied. “Are you going to take my son's mandrakes too?” “Fine, he can sleep with you tonight if you give me some mandrakes in return,” Rachel responded.

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.

16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You have to sleep with me because I've paid for you with my son's mandrakes,” she told him. So he slept with her that night.

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.

17 God heard Leah's request, and she became pregnant and had a fifth son for Jacob.

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

18 Leah said, “The Lord has rewarded me for giving my personal maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

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.

19 Then Leah became pregnant again and had a sixth son for Jacob.

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

20 Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I've given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

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.

21 Later she had a daughter she named Dinah.

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

22 Then God paid attention to Rachel and listened to her appeals, and helped her to have children.

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

23 She became pregnant and had a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said.

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

24 She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me an additional son.”

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

25 Once Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me leave so I can return to my home and my own country.

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

26 Give me my wives and children because I worked for you to have them. Let me go now because you know very well how much work I've done for you.”

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.

27 “Please be so kind as to stay,” Laban replied, “because I have discovered that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”

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.

28 Then Laban continued, “Tell me how much to pay you and I'll give it to you.”

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

29 “You certainly know how much work I've done for you, and how well your flocks have done under my care.

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

30 You hardly had anything before I arrived, but now you have so much! The Lord has blessed you through what I've done. When am I going to be able to provide for my own family?”

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?

31 “Well, what do you propose I give you?” Laban asked again. “You don't have to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you want to do something for me, then how about this: I'll go on looking after your flocks, making sure they're fed.

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:

32 Let me go through your flocks today and take all the sheep that are speckled or spotted, and all the dark ones, as well as all the speckled and spotted goats. They'll be my wages.

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.

33 In the future you'll be able to prove that I've been honest. When you check my flock, any goats that don't have speckles or spots, or any sheep that aren't dark will be considered stolen from you.”

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.

34 “Very good,” Laban agreed. “We'll do as you say.”

And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

35 However, the same day Laban went and removed all the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats, and all the dark sheep. He had his sons look after them and sent them away—

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;

36 a three day journey between them and Jacob, while Jacob was looking after the rest of Laban's flocks.

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

37 Then Jacob cut some sticks from poplar, almond, and plane trees that had white wood under the bark. He peeled off some of the bark, making the sticks look streaked with white.

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

38 He put the sticks he'd peeled in the water troughs where the flocks came to drink because that's where they mated.

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.

39 The flocks mated in front of the sticks and gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

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

40 Jacob separated all these ones out. Then he made his flock face towards those in Laban's flock that were streaked and dark. This is the way he kept his flocks apart from Laban's flock.

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

41 When the strong females were ready to breed, Jacob put the sticks in the troughs where the flocks could see them when they mated.

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.

42 He didn't do this for the weaker females. The weaker ones went to Laban, and the strong ones went to Jacob.

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.

43 In this way Jacob became an extremely rich man with large flocks, and many male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.

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