Genesis 30

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

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

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 So she gave him her servant Bilhah 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 conceived and bore Jacob a son.

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

6 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.

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

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

8 Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” She called his name 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 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her 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, Leah's servant, bore Jacob a son.

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

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

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

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

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

13 Leah said, “I am happy! For the daughters will call me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

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

14 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.”

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 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.”

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 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.

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

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

18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I gave my servant woman to my husband.” She called his name 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 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to 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 have borne him six sons.” She called his name 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 Afterwards she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 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.

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 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 been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

27 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.”

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

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

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.

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

30 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?”

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.”

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

And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

35 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.

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

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

38 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.

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

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

40 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.

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

41 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.

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 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.

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

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