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 had not given birth to any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to 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?”

Then Jacob became angry with Rachel. He said, “Am I taking God’s place, Who has kept you from giving birth?”

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.”

Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, the woman who serves me. Go in to her, and let her give birth for me. Even I may have children through her.”

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

So she gave Bilhah to him for a wife, the woman who served her. And Jacob went in to her.

5 B ilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

Bilhah was going to have a child and she gave birth to 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.

Then Rachel said, “God has done the right thing for me. He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” So she gave him the name Dan.

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

Bilhah, the woman who served Rachel, was going to have another child. And she gave birth to another son for Jacob.

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

So Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, and I have won.” She gave him the name Naphtali.

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

Leah saw that she had stopped giving birth. So she took Zilpah, the woman who served her, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

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

And a son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah.

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

Then Leah said, “Good things have happened to me!” So she gave him the name Gad.

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

A second son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah.

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

Then Leah said, “I am happy! For women will say that I am happy.” So she gave him the name 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.”

During the time of gathering grain, Reuben went out in the field and found some fruit. He brought it to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s fruit.”

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 Leah said, “Is it not enough to take my husband? Would you take my son’s fruit also?” So Rachel said, “Jacob may lie with you tonight if you give me your son’s fruit.”

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.

When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight. For I have paid for you with my son’s fruit.” So he lay with her that night.

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

And God heard Leah and she gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob.

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 pay because I gave my husband the woman who serves me.” So she gave him the name Issachar.

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

Leah was going to have another child and she gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob.

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 given me a good gift. Now my husband will live with me, because I have given birth to six sons.” So she gave him the name of Zebulun.

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

Later she gave birth to a daughter, and gave her the name Dinah.

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

Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her, and made her able to have a child,

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

and she gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.”

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

She gave him the name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give 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 given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so I may go to my own place and my own 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. Let me leave, for you know how much I have served 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.”

But Laban said to him, “If now it pleases you, stay with me. I have learned that the Lord has brought good to me because of you.”

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

Then he said, “Tell me what you want to be paid, and I will pay it.”

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

Jacob said to him, “You know how much I have served you and how I have cared for your cattle.

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. But now it has become very much. The Lord has brought good to you everywhere I turned. But when will I be able to give much to those of 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.

Laban said, “What should I pay you?” Jacob said, “Do not pay me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, 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 go through your whole flock today. Let me take out of it every sheep and every goat that has spots, and every black lamb. These will be my pay.

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 my fair actions will answer for me later, when you come to look at what I have been paid. If you find any sheep or goat without spots or any lamb that is not black, you may think of them 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.

That day Laban took out all the male goats with spots and all the female goats with spots, every one with white on it, and every black sheep. And he put them into the care of his sons.

36 H e set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Then he traveled three days away from Jacob. And Jacob was left to care for the rest of Laban’s flocks.

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.

Then Jacob took green sticks of three kinds of trees. And he cut white marks in them, showing the white which was in the sticks.

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.

He took these sticks which he had cut and set them in front of the flocks, in the place where the flocks came to drink. And the animals mated when they came to drink.

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

So the flocks mated in front of the sticks. And the young that were born had spots.

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.

Then Jacob divided the lambs. He made the flocks look toward Laban’s flock of the animals which were black or with spots. And he put his own flocks by themselves. He did not put them 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;

When the stronger animals of the flock were mating, Jacob would put the sticks in the water in front of the flock so they would mate by the sticks.

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 flock was weak, Jacob did not put the sticks in. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones went to Jacob.

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

Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks and camels and donkeys, and men and women servants.