1 W hen Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I will die!

Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”

2 A nd Jacob became very angry with Rachel and he said, Am I in God’s stead, Who has denied you children?

And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “ Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

3 A nd she said, See here, take my maid Bilhah and have intercourse with her; and she shall deliver it upon my knees, that I by her may also have children.

So she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.”

4 A nd she gave him Bilhah her maid as a wife, and Jacob had intercourse with her.

Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 A nd Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.

And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

6 A nd Rachel said, God has judged and vindicated me, and has heard my plea and has given me a son; so she named him Dan.

Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

7 A nd Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

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

8 A nd Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings I have struggled with my sister and have prevailed; so she named him Naphtali.

Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

9 W hen Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she gave Zilpah her maid to Jacob as a wife.

When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.

10 A nd Zilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Jacob a son.

And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11 T hen Leah said, Victory and good fortune have come; and she named him Gad.

Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad.

12 Z ilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Jacob second son.

And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

13 A nd Leah said, I am happy, for women will call me blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied); and she named him Asher.

Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher.

14 N ow Reuben went at the time of wheat harvest and found some mandrakes (love apples) in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray you, some of your son’s mandrakes.

Now 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 B ut answered, Is it not enough that you have taken my husband without your taking away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Jacob shall sleep with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.

But she said to her, “ Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 A nd Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, You must sleep with me, for I have certainly paid your hire with my son’s mandrakes. So he slept with her that night.

When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, 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.” And he lay with her that night.

17 A nd God heeded Leah’s, and she conceived and bore Jacob fifth son.

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

18 L eah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maid to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.

Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.

19 A nd Leah became pregnant again and bore Jacob sixth son.

Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.

20 T hen Leah said, God has endowed me with a good marriage gift; now will he dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she named him Zebulun.

And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.

21 A fterwards she bore a daughter and called her Dinah.

Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22 T hen God remembered Rachel and answered her pleading and made it possible for her to have children.

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

23 A nd she became pregnant and bore a son; and she said, God has taken away my reproach, disgrace, and humiliation.

And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”

24 A nd she called his name Joseph and said, May the Lord add to me another son.

So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” Jacob’s Agreement with Laban

25 W hen Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my own place and country.

And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.

26 G ive me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the work which I have done for 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 for you.”

27 A nd Laban said to him, If I have found favor in your sight, I pray you; for I have learned by experience and from the omens in divination that the Lord has favored me with blessings on your account.

And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.”

28 H e said, State your salary and I will give it.

Then he said, “Name me your wages, and I will give it. ”

29 J acob answered him, You know how I have served you, and how your possessions, your cattle and sheep and goats, have fared with me.

So Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me.

30 F or you had little before I came, and it has increased and multiplied abundantly; and the Lord has favored you with blessings wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own house also?

For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you since my coming. And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”

31 s aid, What shall I give you? And Jacob said, You shall not give me anything, if you will do this one thing for me, and I will again feed and take care of your flock.

So he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks:

32 L et me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted animal and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.

33 S o later when the matter of my wages is brought before you, my fair dealing will be evident and answer for me. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the sheep, if found with me, shall be counted as stolen.

So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”

34 A nd Laban said, Good; let it be done as you say.

And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!”

35 B ut that same day removed the he-goats that were streaked and spotted and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every black lamb, and put them in charge of his sons.

So he removed that day the male goats that were speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36 A nd he set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob was then left in care of the rest of Laban’s flock.

Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 B ut Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white in the rods.

Now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods.

38 T hen he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred and conceived when they came to drink,

And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39 T he flocks bred and conceived in sight of the rods and brought forth lambs and kids streaked, speckled, and spotted.

So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 J acob separated the lambs, and he also set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the dark in the flock of Laban; and he put his own droves by themselves and did not let them breed with Laban’s flock.

Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.

41 A nd whenever the stronger animals were breeding, Jacob laid the rods in the watering troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed and conceive among the rods.

And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42 B ut when the sheep and goats were feeble, he omitted putting the rods there; so the feebler animals were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.

But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.

43 T hus the man increased and became exceedingly rich, and had many sheep and goats, and maidservants, menservants, camels, and donkeys.

Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.