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 burnt 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 she called 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 .”

¹⁵Leah 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 the LORD add another son to me .”[#30:24 Joseph means “may he add”.]

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 favour in your eyes , stay here , for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake .”

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

²⁹Jacob 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 . The LORD has blessed you wherever I turned . Now when will I provide for my own house also ?”

³¹Laban 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 amongst the sheep , and the spotted and speckled amongst 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 amongst the goats , and black amongst 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 amongst 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 , and 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 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 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 .

⁴¹Whenever 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 ;

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 .