Chapter 30
1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children , Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob , " Give me children , or else I will die ."
2 Jacob ’s anger burnt against Rachel , and he said, "Am I in God’s place , who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3 She said, " Behold , my maid Bilhah . Go in to her , that she may bear on my knees , and I also may obtain children by her ."
4 She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her .
5 Bilhah conceived , and bore Jacob a son .
6 Rachel said , " God has judged me , and has also heard my voice , and has given me a son ." Therefore she called his name Dan .
7 Bilhah , Rachel ’s servant , conceived again , and bore Jacob a second son .
8 Rachel said , " I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings , and have prevailed ." She named him Naphtali .
9 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing , she took Zilpah , her servant , and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10 Zilpah , Leah ’s servant , bore Jacob a son .
11 Leah said , "How fortunate !" She named him Gad .
12 Zilpah , Leah ’s servant , bore Jacob a second son .
13 Leah said , "Happy am I , for the daughters will call me happy." She named him Asher.
14 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 Leah 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 ."
16 Jacob 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 .
17 God listened to Leah , and she conceived , and bore Jacob a fifth son .
18 Leah said , " God has given me my hire , because I gave my servant to my husband." She named him Issachar .
19 Leah conceived again , and bore a sixth son to Jacob .
20 Leah 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 .
21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter , and named her Dinah .
22 God remembered Rachel , and God listened to her , and opened her womb .
23 She conceived , bore a son , and said, "God has taken away my reproach ."
24 She named him Joseph , saying, " May the LORD add another son to me ."
25 When Rachel had borne Joseph , Jacob said to Laban , " Send me away , that I may go to my own place , and to my country .
26 Give 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 ."
27 Laban said to him , " If now I have found favour in your eyes , stay here , for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake ."
28 He said, " Appoint me your wages , and I will give it ."
29 Jacob said to him , " You know how I have served you , and how your livestock have fared with me .
30 For it was little which you had before I came , and it has increased to a multitude . The LORD has blessed you wherever I turned . Now when will I provide for my own house also ?"
31 Laban 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 .
32 I will pass through all your flock today , removing from there every speckled and spotted one , and every black one amongst the sheep , and the spotted and speckled amongst the goats . This will be my hire .
33 So 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 amongst the goats , and black amongst the sheep , that might be with me , will be considered stolen ."
34 Laban said , " Behold , let it be according to your word ."
35 That 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 amongst the sheep , and gave them into the hand of his sons .
36 He set three days ’ journey between himself and Jacob , and Jacob fed the rest of Laban ’s flocks .
37 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar , almond , and plane tree , peeled white streaks in them , and made the white appear which was in the rods .
38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink . They conceived when they came to drink .
39 The flocks conceived before the rods , and the flocks produced streaked, speckled , and spotted .
40 Jacob separated the lambs , and set the faces of the flocks towards the streaked and all the black in Laban ’s flock . He put his own droves apart , and didn’t put them into Laban ’s flock .
41 Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived , Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs , that they might conceive amongst the rods ;
42 but when the flock were feeble , he didn’t put them in . So the feebler were Laban ’s, and the stronger Jacob ’s.
43 The man increased exceedingly , and had large flocks , female servants and male servants , and camels and donkeys .