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."

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I will 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?"

Jacob's anger burned against Rachel. He said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

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."

She said, “See, there is my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her, so she might give birth to children on my knees, and I will have children by her.”

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

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

5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

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.

Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and he has heard my voice and given me a son.” For this reason she called his name Dan.

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

Bilhah, Rachel's servant, 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.

Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” 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 stopped having children, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

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

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

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

Leah said, “This is fortunate!” so she called his name Gad.

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

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

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

Leah said, “I am happy! For the daughters will call me happy.” So 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."

Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field. He brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your 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."

Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter to you, that you have taken away my husband? Do you now want to take away my son's mandrakes, too?” Rachel said, “Then he will sleep with you tonight, in exchange for your 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.

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

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

God listened 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.

Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I gave my servant woman to my husband.” She called his name Issachar.

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

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.

Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” She called his name Zebulun.

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

Afterwards she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

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

God called Rachel to mind and listened to her. He caused her to become pregnant.

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

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

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

She called his name Joseph, saying, “Yahweh has added to me another son.”

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.

After Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so that I may go to my own home 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 you, and let me go, for you know the service I have given you.”

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."

Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, wait, because I have learned by using divination that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”

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

Then he said, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

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

Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock 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 you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I worked. Now when will I provide for my own household 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.

So Laban said, “What will I pay you?” Jacob said, “You will 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 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.

Let me walk through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. These will be my wages.

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."

My integrity will testify for me later on, when you come to check on my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, if any are found with me, will be considered to be stolen.”

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

Laban said, “Agreed. Let it be according to your 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.

That day Laban removed the male goats that were striped 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 He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban's flocks.

Laban also put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. So Jacob kept tending 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.

Jacob took fresh cut branches of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane tree, and peeled white streaks in them, and made the white inner wood appear that was in the sticks.

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,

Then he set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks, in front of the watering troughs where they came to drink. 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.

The flocks bred in front of the sticks; and the flocks produced striped, speckled, and spotted young.

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.

Jacob separated out these lambs, but made the rest of them face toward the striped animals and all the black sheep in the flock of Laban. Then he separated out his flocks for himself alone and did not put them together with Laban's flocks.

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;

Whenever the stronger sheep in the flock were breeding, then Jacob would lay the sticks in the watering troughs before the eyes of the flock, so that they might conceive among the sticks.

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 feebler animals in the flock came, he did not put the sticks in front of them. So the feebler animals were Laban's, and the stronger were Jacob's.

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

The man became very prosperous. He had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.