Genesis 30

1 And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob: 'Give me children, or else I die.'

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "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 hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?'

Then Jacob became very angry with Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

3 And she said: 'Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may be builded up through her.'

She said, "Look, my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her, so that she will bear children for me, that I too may have children through her."

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife; and Jacob went in unto her.

So she gave him Bilhah her servant as a wife, and Jacob slept with her.

5 And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

6 And Rachel said: 'God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son.' Therefore called she his name Dan.

Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan.

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

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

8 And Rachel said: 'With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed.' And she called his name Naphtali.

Rachel said, "I have wrestled mightily with my sister, and have prevailed." So she named him Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife.

When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

10 And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a son.

Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.

11 And Leah said: 'Fortune is come!' And she called his name Gad.

Leah said, "How fortunate." So she named him Gad.

12 And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a second son.

Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore Jacob a second son.

13 And Leah said: 'Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy.' And she called his name Asher.

Leah said, "Happy am I, for the women will call me happy." So she named him Asher.

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah: 'Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.'

Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

15 And she said unto her: 'Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldest thou take away 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 said, "Therefore he may sleep with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."

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

Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must sleep with me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.

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

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

18 And Leah said: 'God hath given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.

Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I gave my servant to my husband." So she named him Issachar.

19 And Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20 And Leah said: 'God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.' And she called his name Zebulun.

Leah said, "God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

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 hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and made her fertile.

23 And she conceived, and bore a son, and said: 'God hath taken away my reproach.'

She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my shame."

24 And she called his name Joseph, saying: 'The LORD add to me another son.'

So she named him Joseph, saying, "May God add another son to me."

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

It happened, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go; for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee.'

Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the service I have given you."

27 And Laban said unto him: 'If now I have found favour in thine eyes — I have observed the signs, and the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.'

Laban said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have learned by divination that God has blessed me for your sake."

28 And he said: 'Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.'

He said, "Name your wages, and I will pay it."

29 And he said unto him: 'Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have fared with me.

He said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how well your livestock have done with me.

30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased abundantly; and the LORD hath blessed thee whithersoever I turned. And now when shall I provide for mine own house also?'

For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly. And God has blessed you wherever I worked. Now when will I also provide for my own household?"

31 And he said: 'What shall I give thee?' And Jacob said: 'Thou shalt not give me aught; if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it.

He said, "What should I give you?" Jacob said, "You do not need to give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture your flock and take care of it.

32 I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every dark one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and of such 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 wages.

33 So shall my righteousness witness against me hereafter, when thou shalt come to look over my hire that is before thee: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and dark among the sheep, that if found with me shall be counted stolen.'

So my honesty will testify for me later on, when the subject of my wages comes before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep that I have in my possession, will be counted as stolen."

34 And Laban said: 'Behold, would it might be according to thy word.'

Laban said, "Look, let it be as you have said."

35 And he removed that day the he-goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the dark ones among the sheep, 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 put them in the care of his sons.

36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 And Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane-tree; and peeled white streaks in them, making the white appear which was in the rods.

Jacob took fresh branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white streaks by peeling them, exposing white stripes on the branches.

38 And he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink; and they conceived when they came to drink.

He set up the peeled branches which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink,

39 And the flocks conceived at the sight of the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.

the flocks bred in front of the branches, and the flocks brought bore streaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 And Jacob separated the lambs — he also set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark in the flock of Laban — and put his own droves apart, and put them not unto Laban's flock.

Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban. So he kept his own flocks separate, and did not put them into Laban's flock.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;

It happened, whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, that Jacob would set up the branches in front of the flock in the troughs, so that they would breed near the branches;

42 but when the flock were feeble, he put them not in; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

but for the weaker of the flock, he did not put them there. So the weaker would be Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and asses.

Thus the man became very rich, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.