Genesis 30

1 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."

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

2 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?"

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 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."

And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain sons by her.

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

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

5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a son.

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

And Leah said, Fortunate! And she called his name Gad.

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

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

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

And Leah said, Happy am I! For the daughters will call me happy. And she called his name Asher.

14 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."

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

15 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."

And she said to her, Is it a small matter that thou have taken away my husband? And would thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes.

16 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 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.

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

21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah adds another son to me.

25 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.

And it came to pass, 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 you, and let me go; for you know the service I have given you."

Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go, for thou know my service with which I have served thee.

27 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."

And Laban said to him, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry, for I have learned by experience that Jehovah has blessed me for thy sake.

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

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

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

And he said to him, Thou know how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have fared with me.

30 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?"

For it was little which thou had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude, and Jehovah has blessed thee wherever I turned. And now when shall I provide for my own house also?

31 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.

And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shall not give me anything. If thou will do this thing for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it.

32 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.

I will pass through all thy 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, and of such shall be my hire.

33 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."

So shall my righteousness answer for me after this, when thou shall come concerning my hire that is before thee. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that is with me, shall be considered stolen.

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

And Laban said, Behold, O that it might be according to thy word.

35 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.

And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and all the she-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 He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flocks.

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

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

And Jacob took for him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane tree, and peeled white streaks in them, and made the white which was in the rods appear.

38 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,

And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. And they conceived when they came to drink.

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

And the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 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.

And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all the black in the flock of Laban. And he put his own herds apart, and did not put them near Laban's flock.

41 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;

And it came to pass, whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods,

42 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.

but when the flock were weak, he did not put them in. So the weaker were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

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

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