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

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

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

3 S he 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, 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.

4 S he gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

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

5 B ilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

And Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.

6 R achel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore called she his name Dan.

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

7 B ilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.

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

8 R achel said, “With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.

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

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

10 Z ilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.

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

11 L eah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.

Then Leah said, Victory and good fortune have come; and she named him Gad.

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

Zilpah, Leah’s maid, bore Jacob second son.

13 L eah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.

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

14 R euben 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.”

Now 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.

15 S he 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.”

But 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.

16 J acob 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 sleep with me, for I have certainly paid your hire with my son’s mandrakes. So he slept with her that night.

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

And God heeded Leah’s, and she conceived and bore Jacob fifth son.

18 L eah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.

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

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

And Leah became pregnant again and bore Jacob sixth son.

20 L eah 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.

Then 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.

21 A fterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

Afterwards she bore a daughter and called her Dinah.

22 G od remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

Then God remembered Rachel and answered her pleading and made it possible for her to have children.

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

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

24 S he named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”

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

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

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

26 G ive 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 the work which I have done for you.

27 L aban 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 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.

28 H e said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”

He said, State your salary and I will give it.

29 H e said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.

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

30 F or 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 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?

31 H e 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.

said, 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.

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.

Let 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.

33 S o 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 counted stolen.”

So 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.

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

And Laban said, Good; let it be done as you say.

35 T hat 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.

But 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.

36 H e 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 was then left in care of the rest of Laban’s flock.

37 J acob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

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

38 H e set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.

Then 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,

39 T he flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.

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

40 J acob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.

Jacob 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.

41 W henever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;

And 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.

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

43 T he man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

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