< Genesis 30 >

1 Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori suæ, et ait marito suo: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar.
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”
2 Cui iratus respondit Iacob: Num pro Deo ego sum, qui privavit te fructu ventris tui?
Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
3 At illa: Habeo, inquit, famulam Balam: ingredere ad illam, ut pariat super genua mea, et habeam ex illa filios.
She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
4 Deditque illi Balam in coniugium:
She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5 quæ, ingresso ad se viro, concepit, et peperit filium.
Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6 Dixitque Rachel: Iudicavit mihi Dominus, et exaudivit vocem meam, dans mihi filium. Et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, 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 Rursumque Bala concipiens, peperit alterum,
Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8 pro quo ait Rachel: Comparavit me Deus cum sorore mea, et invalui: vocavitque eum, Nephthali.
Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
9 Sentiens Lia quod parere desiisset, Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit.
When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10 Qua post conceptum edente filium,
Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.
11 dixit: Feliciter. Et idcirco vocavit nomen eius, Gad.
Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.
12 Peperit quoque Zelpha alterum.
Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.
13 Dixitque Lia: Hoc pro beatitudine mea: Beatam quippe me dicent mulieres. Propterea appellavit eum, Aser.
Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.
14 Egressus autem Ruben tempore messis triticeæ in agrum, reperit mandragoras: quas matri Liæ detulit. Dixitque Rachel: Da mihi partem de mandragoris filii tui.
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, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Illa respondit: Parumne tibi videtur quod præripueris maritum mihi, nisi etiam mandragoras filii mei tuleris? Ait Rachel: Dormiat tecum hac nocte pro mandragoris filii tui.
Leah 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 will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 Redeuntique ad vesperam Iacob de agro, egressa est in occursum eius Lia, et ad me, inquit, intrabis: quia mercede conduxi te pro mandragoris filii mei. Dormivitque cum ea nocte illa.
Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
17 Et exaudivit Deus preces eius: concepitque et peperit filium quintum,
God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 et ait: Dedit Deus mercedem mihi, quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo. Appellavitque nomen eius, Issachar.
Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.
19 Rursum Lia concipiens, peperit sextum filium,
Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20 et ait: Dotavit me Deus dote bona: etiam hac vice mecum erit maritus meus, eo quod genuerim ei sex filios: et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, Zabulon.
Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun.
21 Post quem peperit filiam, nomine Dinam.
Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 Recordatus quoque Dominus Rachelis, exaudivit eam, et aperuit vulvam eius.
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23 Quæ concepit, et peperit filium, dicens: Abstulit Deus opprobrium meum.
She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Et vocavit nomen eius, Ioseph, dicens: Addat mihi Dominus filium alterum.
She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”
25 Nato autem Ioseph, dixit Iacob socero suo: Dimitte me ut revertar in patriam, et ad terram meam.
When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
26 Da mihi uxores, et liberos meos, pro quibus servivi tibi, ut abeam: tu nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi.
Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
27 Ait illi Laban: Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo: experimento didici, quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te:
Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”
28 constitue mercedem tuam quam dem tibi.
He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 At ille respondit: Tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi, et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua.
Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30 Modicum habuisti antequam venirem ad te, et nunc dives effectus es: benedixitque tibi Dominus ad introitum meum. Iustum est igitur ut aliquando provideam etiam domui meæ.
For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31 Dixitque Laban: Quid tibi dabo? At ille ait: Nihil volo: sed si feceris quod postulo, iterum pascam, et custodiam pecora tua.
Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
32 Gyra omnes greges tuos, et separa cunctas oves varias, et sparso vellere; quodcumque furvum, et maculosum, variumque fuerit, tam in ovibus quam in capris, erit merces mea.
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 hire.
33 Respondebitque mihi cras iustitia mea, quando placiti tempus advenerit coram te: et omnia quæ non fuerint varia, et maculosa, et furva, tam in ovibus quam in capris, furti me arguent.
So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.”
34 Dixitque Laban: Gratum habeo quod petis.
Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
35 Et separavit in die illa capras, et oves, et hircos, et arietes varios, atque maculosos: cunctum autem gregem unicolorem, id est albi, et nigri velleris, tradidit in manu filiorum suorum.
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 gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 Et posuit spatium itineris trium dierum inter se et generum, qui pascebat reliquos greges eius.
He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Tollens ergo Iacob virgas populeas virides, et amygdalinas, et ex platanis, ex parte decorticavit eas: detractisque corticibus, in his, quæ spoliata fuerant, candor apparuit: illa vero quæ integra fuerant, viridia permanserunt: atque in hunc modum color effectus est varius.
Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 Posuitque eas in canalibus, ubi effundebatur aqua: ut cum venissent greges ad bibendum, ante oculos haberent virgas, et in aspectu earum conciperent.
He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
39 Factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus, oves intuerentur virgas, et parerent maculosa, et varia, et diverso colore respersa.
The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
40 Divisitque gregem Iacob, et posuit virgas in canalibus ante oculos arietum: erant autem alba et nigra quæque, Laban: cetera vero, Iacob, separatis inter se gregibus.
Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in Laban’s flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.
41 Igitur quando primo tempore ascendebantur oves, ponebat Iacob virgas in canalibus aquarum ante oculos arietum et ovium, ut in earum contemplatione conciperent:
Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive among the rods;
42 quando vero serotina admissura erat, et conceptus extremus, non ponebat eas. Factaque sunt ea quæ erant serotina, Laban: et quæ primi temporis, Iacob.
but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43 Ditatusque est homo ultra modum, et habuit greges multos, ancillas et servos, camelos et asinos.
The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

< Genesis 30 >