1 N ow when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “ Give me children, or else I die.”

And 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 T hen Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, 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 stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 S he said, “ Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children.”

And she said, Behold, there is my maid, Bilhah: go in to her, in order that she may bear on my knees, and I may also be built up by her.

4 S o she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

And she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 B ilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

6 T hen Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan.

And Rachel said, God has done me justice, and has also heard my voice, and given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan.

7 R achel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

And Bilhah Rachel's maidservant again conceived, and bore Jacob a second son.

8 S o Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.

And Rachel said, Wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali.

9 W hen Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

And when Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she took Zilpah her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as wife.

10 L eah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a son.

11 T hen Leah said, “ How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

And Leah said, Fortunately! and she called his name Gad.

12 L eah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a second son.

13 T hen Leah said, “ Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

And Leah said, Happy am I; for the daughters will call me blessed! and she called his name Asher.

14 N ow in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went 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 out in the days of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the fields; and he brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15 B ut she said to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

And she said to her, Is it little that thou hast taken my husband, that thou wilt take my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 W hen Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then 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.” So he lay with her that night.

And when Jacob came from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me, for indeed I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 G od gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.

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

18 T hen Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maidservant to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.

19 L eah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

And Leah again conceived, and bore Jacob a sixth son;

20 T hen Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

and Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; this time will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun.

21 A fterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.

And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22 T hen God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.

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

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

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

24 S he named him Joseph, saying, “ May the Lord give me another son.” Jacob Prospers

And she called his name Joseph; and said, Jehovah will add to me another son.

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

26 G ive me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you.”

Give my wives for whom I have served thee, and my children; that I may go away, for thou knowest my service which I have served thee.

27 B ut Laban said to him, “If now it pleases you, stay with me; I have divined that the Lord has blessed me on your account.”

And Laban said to him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes—I have discovered that Jehovah has blessed me for thy sake.

28 H e continued, “ Name me your wages, and I will give it.”

And he said, Appoint to me thy wages, and I will give it.

29 B ut he said to him, “ You yourself know how I have served you and how your cattle have fared with me.

And he said to him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and what thy cattle has become with me.

30 F or you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?”

For it was little that thou hadst before me, and it is increased to a multitude, and Jehovah has blessed thee from the time I came; and now, when shall I also provide for my house?

31 S o he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock:

And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything. If thou doest this for me, I will again feed keep thy flock:

32 l et me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

I will pass through all thy flock to-day, to remove thence all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and shall be my hire.

33 S o my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen.”

And my righteousness shall answer for me hereafter, when thou comest about my hire, before thy face: all that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, let that be stolen with me.

34 L aban said, “ Good, let it be according to your word.”

And Laban said, Well, let it be according to thy word.

35 S o he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons.

And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the brown among the lambs, and gave into the hand of his sons.

36 A nd he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock.

37 T hen Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods.

And Jacob took fresh rods of white poplar, almond-tree, and maple; and peeled off white stripes in them, uncovering the white which was on the rods.

38 H e set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink.

And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flock, in the troughs at the watering-places where the flock came to drink, and they were ardent when they came to drink.

39 S o the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted.

And the flock was ardent before the rods; and the flock brought forth ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40 J acob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock.

And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he made himself separate flocks, and did not put them with Laban's flock.

41 M oreover, whenever the stronger of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods;

And it came to pass whensoever the strong cattle were ardent, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might become ardent among the rods;

42 b ut when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s.

but when the sheep were feeble, he put not in; so the feeble were Laban's, and the strong Jacob's.

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

And the man increased very, very much, and had much cattle, and bondwomen, and bondmen, and camels, and asses.