< Genesis 30 >

1 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.”
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
2 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?”
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's position, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?
3 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.”
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
4 She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
And Bilhah conceived, and bare 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.
And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
8 Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
10 Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.
And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.
And Leah said, A troop comes: and she called his name Gad.
12 Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.
And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.
13 Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.
And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
14 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.”
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray you, of your son's mandrakes.
15 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.”
And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? and would you take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with you to night 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 come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, You must come in unto me; for surely I have hired you with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
18 Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.
And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
19 Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
20 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.
And Leah said, God has imbued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
22 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God has taken away my reproach:
24 She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.
25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, 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 my service with which I have served you.”
Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service which I have done you.
27 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.”
And Laban said unto him, I pray you, if I have found favour in your eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake.
28 He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
And he said, Appoint me your wages, 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.
And he said unto him, You know how I have served you, and how your cattle was with me.
30 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?”
For it was little which you had before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD has blessed you since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
31 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.
And he said, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me any thing: if you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flock.
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 hire.
I will pass through all your flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
33 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.”
So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before your face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
34 Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
And Laban said, Behold, I would it might 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 gave them into the hand of his sons.
And he removed that day the he goats that were striped with bands and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 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.
And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and stripped white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 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.
And he set the rods which he had stripped before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle striped with bands, speckled, and spotted.
40 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.
And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped with bands, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
41 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;
And it came to pass, whenever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and male servants, and camels, and asses.

< Genesis 30 >