Genesis 30
1 Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori suæ, et ait marito suo: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar.
When Rachel realized she was unable to give Jacob any children she was jealous of her sister. She complained to Jacob, “I'll die if you don't give me children!”
2 Cui iratus respondit Iacob: Num pro Deo ego sum, qui privavit te fructu ventris tui?
Jacob became angry with Rachel and told her, “Am I God? Do you think I'm the one stopping you having children?”
3 At illa: Habeo, inquit, famulam Balam: ingredere ad illam, ut pariat super genua mea, et habeam ex illa filios.
“Here's my personal maid Bilhah,” Rachel replied. “Sleep with her and she can have children for me so I'll have a family too.”
4 Deditque illi Balam in coniugium:
She gave her personal maid Bilhah to him as a wife and Jacob slept with her.
5 quæ, ingresso ad se viro, concepit, et peperit filium.
Bilhah became pregnant and had a son for Jacob.
6 Dixitque Rachel: Iudicavit mihi Dominus, et exaudivit vocem meam, dans mihi filium. Et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, Dan.
Rachel said, “God has judged in my favor! He listened to me and gave me a son.” So she named him Dan.
7 Rursumque Bala concipiens, peperit alterum,
Rachel's personal maid Bilhah became pregnant again and had second son for Jacob.
8 pro quo ait Rachel: Comparavit me Deus cum sorore mea, et invalui: vocavitque eum, Nephthali.
Rachel said, “I've had a hard struggle with my sister, but I've won.” So she named him Naphtali.
9 Sentiens Lia quod parere desiisset, Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit.
Leah realized she wasn't having any more children, so she gave her personal maid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
10 Qua post conceptum edente filium,
Zilpah had a son for Jacob.
11 dixit: Feliciter. Et idcirco vocavit nomen eius, Gad.
Leah said, “I'm really fortunate!” So she named him Gad.
12 Peperit quoque Zelpha alterum.
Leah's personal maid Zilpah became pregnant again and had a second son for Jacob.
13 Dixitque Lia: Hoc pro beatitudine mea: Beatam quippe me dicent mulieres. Propterea appellavit eum, Aser.
Leah said, “I'm so happy, and the other women will say I'm happy too!” So 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.
At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben found some mandrake plants when he was out in the fields. He took them back to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah, “Please give me some of the mandrakes your son found.”
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.
“Aren't you satisfied with stealing my husband?” Leah replied. “Are you going to take my son's mandrakes too?” “Fine, he can sleep with you tonight if you give me some mandrakes in return,” Rachel responded.
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.
When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You have to sleep with me because I've paid for you with my son's mandrakes,” she told him. So he slept with her that night.
17 Et exaudivit Deus preces eius: concepitque et peperit filium quintum,
God heard Leah's request, and she became pregnant and had a fifth son for Jacob.
18 et ait: Dedit Deus mercedem mihi, quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo. Appellavitque nomen eius, Issachar.
Leah said, “The Lord has rewarded me for giving my personal maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
19 Rursum Lia concipiens, peperit sextum filium,
Then Leah became pregnant again and had a sixth son for 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 given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I've given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.
21 Post quem peperit filiam, nomine Dinam.
Later she had a daughter she named Dinah.
22 Recordatus quoque Dominus Rachelis, exaudivit eam, et aperuit vulvam eius.
Then God paid attention to Rachel and listened to her appeals, and helped her to have children.
23 Quæ concepit, et peperit filium, dicens: Abstulit Deus opprobrium meum.
She became pregnant and had a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said.
24 Et vocavit nomen eius, Ioseph, dicens: Addat mihi Dominus filium alterum.
She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me an additional son.”
25 Nato autem Ioseph, dixit Iacob socero suo: Dimitte me ut revertar in patriam, et ad terram meam.
Once Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me leave so I can return to my home and my own 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 children because I worked for you to have them. Let me go now because you know very well how much work I've done for you.”
27 Ait illi Laban: Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo: experimento didici, quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te:
“Please be so kind as to stay,” Laban replied, “because I have discovered that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”
28 constitue mercedem tuam quam dem tibi.
Then Laban continued, “Tell me how much to pay you and I'll give it to you.”
29 At ille respondit: Tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi, et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua.
“You certainly know how much work I've done for you, and how well your flocks have done under my care.
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.
You hardly had anything before I arrived, but now you have so much! The Lord has blessed you through what I've done. When am I going to be able to provide for my own family?”
31 Dixitque Laban: Quid tibi dabo? At ille ait: Nihil volo: sed si feceris quod postulo, iterum pascam, et custodiam pecora tua.
“Well, what do you propose I give you?” Laban asked again. “You don't have to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you want to do something for me, then how about this: I'll go on looking after your flocks, making sure they're fed.
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 your flocks today and take all the sheep that are speckled or spotted, and all the dark ones, as well as all the speckled and spotted goats. They'll be my wages.
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.
In the future you'll be able to prove that I've been honest. When you check my flock, any goats that don't have speckles or spots, or any sheep that aren't dark will be considered stolen from you.”
34 Dixitque Laban: Gratum habeo quod petis.
“Very good,” Laban agreed. “We'll do 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.
However, the same day Laban went and removed all the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats, and all the dark sheep. He had his sons look after them and sent them away—
36 Et posuit spatium itineris trium dierum inter se et generum, qui pascebat reliquos greges eius.
a three day journey between them and Jacob, while Jacob was looking after 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.
Then Jacob cut some sticks from poplar, almond, and plane trees that had white wood under the bark. He peeled off some of the bark, making the sticks look streaked with white.
38 Posuitque eas in canalibus, ubi effundebatur aqua: ut cum venissent greges ad bibendum, ante oculos haberent virgas, et in aspectu earum conciperent.
He put the sticks he'd peeled in the water troughs where the flocks came to drink because that's where they mated.
39 Factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus, oves intuerentur virgas, et parerent maculosa, et varia, et diverso colore respersa.
The flocks mated in front of the sticks and gave birth to young that were 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 all these ones out. Then he made his flock face towards those in Laban's flock that were streaked and dark. This is the way he kept his flocks apart from 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:
When the strong females were ready to breed, Jacob put the sticks in the troughs where the flocks could see them when they mated.
42 quando vero serotina admissura erat, et conceptus extremus, non ponebat eas. Factaque sunt ea quæ erant serotina, Laban: et quæ primi temporis, Iacob.
He didn't do this for the weaker females. The weaker ones went to Laban, and the strong ones went to Jacob.
43 Ditatusque est homo ultra modum, et habuit greges multos, ancillas et servos, camelos et asinos.
In this way Jacob became an extremely rich man with large flocks, and many male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
