Genesis 30

1 cernens autem Rahel quod infecunda esset invidit sorori et ait marito suo da mihi liberos alioquin moriar

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

2 cui iratus respondit Iacob num pro Deo ego sum qui privavit te fructu ventris tui

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

3 at illa habeo inquit famulam Balam ingredere ad eam ut pariat super genua mea et habeam ex ea filios

Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

4 deditque illi Balam in coniugium quae

So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

5 ingresso ad se viro concepit et peperit filium

and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son.

6 dixitque Rahel iudicavit mihi Dominus et exaudivit vocem meam dans mihi filium et idcirco appellavit nomen illius Dan

Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

7 rursumque Bala concipiens peperit alterum

And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8 pro quo ait Rahel conparavit me Deus cum sorore mea et invalui vocavitque eum Nepthalim

Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9 sentiens Lia quod parere desisset Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

10 qua post conceptum edente filium

And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11 dixit feliciter et idcirco vocavit nomen eius Gad

Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

12 peperit quoque Zelpha alterum

When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,

13 dixitque Lia hoc pro beatitudine mea beatam quippe me dicent mulieres propterea appellavit eum Aser

Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14 egressus autem Ruben tempore messis triticeae in agro repperit mandragoras quos matri Liae detulit dixitque Rahel da mihi partem de mandragoris filii tui

Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 illa respondit parumne tibi videtur quod praeripueris maritum mihi nisi etiam mandragoras filii mei tuleris ait Rahel dormiat tecum hac nocte pro mandragoris filii tui

But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 redeuntique ad vesperam de agro Iacob egressa est in occursum Lia et ad me inquit intrabis quia mercede conduxi te pro mandragoris filii mei dormivit cum ea nocte illa

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

17 et exaudivit Deus preces eius concepitque et peperit filium quintum

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

18 et ait dedit Deus mercedem mihi quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo appellavitque nomen illius Isachar

Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19 rursum Lia concipiens peperit sextum filium

Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20 et ait ditavit me Deus dote bona etiam hac vice mecum erit maritus meus eo quod genuerim ei sex filios et idcirco appellavit nomen eius Zabulon

“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

21 post quem peperit filiam nomine Dinam

After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 recordatus quoque Dominus Rahelis exaudivit eam et aperuit vulvam illius

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

23 quae concepit et peperit filium dicens abstulit Deus obprobrium meum

and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

24 et vocavit nomen illius Ioseph dicens addat mihi Dominus filium alterum

She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

25 nato autem Ioseph dixit Iacob socero suo dimitte me ut revertar in patriam et ad terram meam

Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.

26 da mihi uxores et liberos meos pro quibus servivi tibi ut abeam tu nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi

Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

27 ait ei Laban inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo experimento didici quod benedixerit mihi Deus propter te

But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

28 constitue mercedem tuam quam dem tibi

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

29 at ille respondit tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua

Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.

30 modicum habuisti antequam venirem et nunc dives effectus es benedixitque tibi Dominus ad introitum meum iustum est igitur ut aliquando provideam etiam domui meae

Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

31 dixitque Laban quid dabo tibi at ille ait nihil volo sed si feceris quod postulo iterum pascam et custodiam pecora tua

“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.

32 gyra omnes greges tuos et separa cunctas oves varias et sparso vellere et quodcumque furvum et maculosum variumque fuerit tam in ovibus quam in capris erit merces mea

Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

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 arguent

So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

34 dixit Laban gratum habeo quod petis

“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”

35 et separavit in die illo capras et oves hircos et arietes varios atque maculosos cunctum autem gregem unicolorem id est albi et nigri velleris tradidit in manu filiorum suorum

That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.

36 et posuit spatium itineris inter se et generum dierum trium qui pascebat reliquos greges eius

Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.

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

Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches.

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

Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink,

39 factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus oves intuerentur virgas et parerent maculosa et varia et diverso colore respersa

they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

40 divisitque gregem Iacob et posuit virgas ante oculos arietum erant autem alba quaeque et nigra Laban cetera vero Iacob separatis inter se gregibus

Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

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 females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches.

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 if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

43 ditatusque est homo ultra modum et habuit greges multos ancillas et servos camelos et asinos

Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.