Genesis 30

1 Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori suae, et ait marito suo: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar.

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 Cui iratus respondit Iacob: Num pro Deo ego sum, qui privavit te fructu ventris tui?

But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

3 At illa: Habeo, inquit, famulam Balam: ingredere ad illam, ut pariat super genua mea, et habeam ex illa filios.

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 Deditque illi Balam in coniugium: quae,

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 ingresso ad se viro, concepit, et peperit filium.

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

6 Dixitque Rachel: Iudicavit mihi Dominus, et exaudivit vocem meam, dans mihi filium. et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, 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 Rursumque Bala concipiens, peperit alterum,

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

8 pro quo ait Rachel: Comparavit me Dominus cum sorore mea, et invalui: vocavitque eum, Nephthali.

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 Sentiens Lia quod parere desiisset, Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit.

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 Qua post conceptum edente filium,

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

11 dixit: Feliciter. et idcirco vocavit nomen eius, Gad.

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

12 Peperit quoque Zelpha alterum.

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

13 Dixitque Lia: Hoc pro beatitudine mea: Beatam quippe me dicent mulieres. propterea appellavit eum, Aser.

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

14 Egressus autem Ruben tempore messis triticeae in agrum, reperit mandragoras: quas matri Liae detulit. Dixitque Rachel: Da mihi partem de mandragoris filii tui.

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 Illa respondit: Parumne tibi videtur quod praeripueris maritum mihi, nisi etiam mandragoras filii mei tuleris? Ait Rachel: Dormiat tecum hac nocte pro mandragoris filii tui.

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 Redeuntique ad vesperam Iacob de agro, egressa est in occursum eius Lia, et ait: Ad me, inquit, intrabis: quia mercede conduxi te pro mandragoris filii mei. Dormivitque cum ea nocte illa.

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 Et exaudivit Deus preces eius: concepitque et peperit filium quintum,

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

18 et ait: Dedit Deus mercedem mihi, quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo. appellavitque nomen eius, 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 Rursum Lia concipiens, peperit sextum filium,

And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

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.

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 Post quem peperit filiam, nomine Dinam.

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

22 Recordatus quoque Dominus Rachelis, exaudivit eam, et aperuit vulvam eius.

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

23 Quae concepit, et peperit filium, dicens: Abstulit Deus opprobrium meum.

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

24 Et vocavit nomen eius, Ioseph, dicens: Addat mihi Dominus filium alterum.

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

25 Nato autem Ioseph, dixit Iacob socero suo: Dimitte me ut revertar in patriam meam, et ad terram meam.

Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

26 Da mihi uxores, et liberos meos, pro quibus servivi tibi, ut abeam: tu vero nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi.

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 Ait illi Laban: Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo: experimento didici, quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te:

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 constitue mercedem tuam quam dem tibi.

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

29 At ille respondit: Tu nosti quo modo servierim tibi, et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua.

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

30 Modicum habuisti antequam venirem ad te, et nunc dives effectus es: benedixitque tibi Deus ad introitum meum. iustum est igitur ut aliquando provideam etiam domui meae.

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 Dixitque Laban: Quid tibi dabo? At ille ait: Nihil volo: sed si feceris quod postulo, iterum pascam, et custodiam pecora tua.

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 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.

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 Respondebitque mihi cras iustitia mea, quando placiti tempus advenerit coram te: et omnia quae non fuerint varia, et maculosa, et furva, tam in ovibus quam in capris, furti me argues.

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 Dixitque Laban: Gratum habeo quod petis.

And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

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.

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 Et posuit spatium itineris trium dierum inter se et generum, qui pascebat reliquos greges eius.

And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Tollens ergo Iacob virgas populeas virides, et amygdalinas, et ex platanis, ex parte decorticavit eas: detractisque corticibus, in his, quae spoliata fuerant, candor apparuit: illa vero quae integra fuerant, viridia permanserunt: atque in hunc modum color effectus est varius.

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

38 Posuitque eas in canalibus, ubi effundebatur aqua: ut cum venissent greges ad bibendum, ante oculos haberent virgas, et in aspectu earum conciperent.

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 Factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus, oves intuerentur virgas, et parerent maculosa, et varia, et diverso colore respersa.

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

40 Divisitque gregem Iacob, et posuit virgas in canalibus ante oculos arietum: erant autem alba et nigra quaeque, Laban: cetera vero, Iacob, separatis inter se gregibus.

These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with 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:

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 quando vero serotina admissura erat, et conceptus extremus, non ponebat eas. Factaque sunt ea quae erant serotina, Laban: et quae primi temporis, Iacob.

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 Ditatusque est homo ultra modum, et habuit greges multos, ancillas et servos, camelos et asinos.

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