Genesis — Chapter 30

1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

3Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

4So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

5and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son.

6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

7And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

10And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

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

12When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,

13Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

17And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob.

18Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

21After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

23and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

24She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

25Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.

26Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

27But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

28And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.

30Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

31“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.

32Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

33So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

34“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”

35That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.

36Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches.

38Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink,

39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

40Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

41Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches.

42But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

43Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

1And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her.

4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

5And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

10And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.

11And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

12And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son.

13And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

14And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

15And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

16And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

18And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

19And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

20And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

21And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

23And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

24And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

25And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

27And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

28And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

29And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

30For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

31And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

32I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

33So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

34And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36And he set three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.

41And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.

43And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

1And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2And Jacob`s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God`s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.

4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

5And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7And Bilhah Rachel`s handmaid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8And Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife.

10And Zilpah Leah`s handmaid bare Jacob a son.

11And Leah said, Fortunate! and she called his name Gad.

12And Zilpah Leah`s handmaid bare Jacob a second son.

13And Leah said, Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: and she called his name Asher.

14And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son`s mandrakes.

15And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son`s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son`s mandrakes.

16And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for I have surely hired thee with my son`s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a fifth son.

18And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

19And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob.

20And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

21And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

23And she conceived, and bare a son: and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

24and she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me another son.

25And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

26Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service wherewith I have served thee.

27And Laban said unto him, If now I have found favor in thine eyes, [tarry]: [for] I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake.

28And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

29And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have fared with me.

30For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it hath increased unto a multitude; and Jehovah hath blessed thee whithersoever I turned: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

31And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me aught: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it.

32I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and [of such] shall be my hire.

33So shall my righteousness answer for me hereafter, when thou shalt come concerning my hire that is before thee: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that [if found] with me, shall be counted stolen.

34And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and all the she-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;

36and he set three days` journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban`s flocks.

37And Jacob took him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond and of the plane-tree. And peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38And he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink; and they conceived when they came to drink.

39And the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted.

40And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and put them not unto Laban`s flock.

41And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flock did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods;

42but when the flock were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban`s, and the stronger Jacob`s.

43And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and asses.

1When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children or I’ll die!”

2Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

3She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her.”

4So Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob slept with her.

5Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son.

6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son.” That is why she named him Dan.

7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son.

8Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

10Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son.

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

12Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son.

13Leah said, “How happy I am, for women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.

14At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15But Leah replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” Rachel said, “he may go to bed with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep with me because I have paid for your services with my son’s mandrakes.” So he went to bed with her that night.

17God paid attention to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time.

18Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” So she named him Issachar.

19Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time.

20Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.

21After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.

23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.”

24She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

25After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country.

26Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. Then I’ll depart, because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.”

27But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, for I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

28He added, “Just name your wages—I’ll pay whatever you want.”

29“You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, “and how well your livestock have fared under my care.

30Indeed, you had little before I arrived, but now your possessions have increased many times over. The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?”

31So Laban asked, “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” Jacob replied, “but if you agree to this one condition, I will continue to care for your flocks and protect them:

32Let me walk among all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and the spotted or speckled goats. These animals will be my wages.

33My integrity will testify for me later on. When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.”

34“Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.”

35So that day Laban removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care of his sons.

36Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, while Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.

38Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink.

39When the sheep mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

40Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks.

41When the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches.

42But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban and the stronger animals to Jacob.

43In this way Jacob became extremely prosperous. He owned large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

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

2Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

3She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”

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

5Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.

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

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

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

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

10Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.

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

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

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

14Reuben 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.”

15She 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.”

16Jacob 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.

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

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

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

20Leah 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.

21Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.

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

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

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

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

26Give 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.”

27Laban 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.”

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

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

30For 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?”

31He 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.

32I 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.

33So 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 considered stolen.”

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

35That 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.

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

37Jacob 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.

38He 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.

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

40Jacob 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.

41Whenever 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;

42but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.

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