Genesis 30

1And Rachel seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.

1And Rachel seeth that she hath not borne to Jacob, and Rachel is envious of her sister, and saith unto Jacob, `Give me sons, and if there is none--I die.'

1Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.

2And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?

2And Jacob's anger burneth against Rachel, and he saith, `Am I in stead of God who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?'

2But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

3But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.

3And she saith, `Lo, my handmaid Bilhah, go in unto her, and she doth bear on my knees, and I am built up, even I, from her;'

3Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

4And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,

4and she giveth to him Bilhah her maid-servant for a wife, and Jacob goeth in unto her;

4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son.

5and Bilhah conceiveth, and beareth to Jacob a son,

5And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.

6And Rachel said: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son; and therefore she called his name Dan.

6and Rachel saith, `God hath decided for me, and also hath hearkened to my voice, and giveth to me a son;' therefore hath she called his name Dan.

6Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.

7And again Bala conceived, and bore another,

7And Bilhah, Rachel's maid-servant, conceiveth again, and beareth a second son to Jacob,

7And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.

8For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephthali.

8and Rachel saith, `With wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, yea, I have prevailed;' and she calleth his name Napthali.

8And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

9Lia perceiving that she had left of bearing, gave Zelpha, her handmaid, to her husband.

9And Leah seeth that she hath ceased from bearing, and she taketh Zilpah her maid-servant, and giveth her to Jacob for a wife;

9When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.

10And when she had conceived, and brought forth a son,

10and Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant, beareth to Jacob a son,

10And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.

11She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.

11and Leah saith, `A troop is coming;' and she calleth his name Gad.

11And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.

12Zelpha also bore another.

12And Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant, beareth a second son to Jacob,

12And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.

13And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.

13and Leah saith, `Because of my happiness, for daughters have pronounced me happy;' and she calleth his name Asher.

13And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.

14And Ruben going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part of thy son's mandrakes.

14And Reuben goeth in the days of wheat-harvest, and findeth love-apples in the field, and bringeth them in unto Leah, his mother, and Rachel saith unto Leah, `Give to me, I pray thee, of the love-apples of thy son.'

14Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

15She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son's mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandrakes.

15And she saith to her, `Is thy taking my husband a little thing, that thou hast taken also the love-apples of my son?' and Rachel saith, `Therefore doth he lie with thee to-night, for thy son's love-apples.'

15But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

16And when Jacob returned at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for my son's mandrakes. And he slept with her that night.

16And Jacob cometh in from the field at evening; and Leah goeth to meet him, and saith, `Unto me dost thou come in, for hiring I have hired thee with my son's love-apples;' and he lieth with her during that night.

16In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.

17And God heard her prayers; and she conceived: and bore a fifth son:

17And God hearkeneth unto Leah, and she conceiveth, and beareth to Jacob a son, a fifth,

17And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.

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

18and Leah saith, `God hath given my hire, because I have given my maid-servant to my husband;' and she calleth his name Issachar.

18Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.

19And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son,

19And conceive again doth Leah, and she beareth a sixth son to Jacob,

19And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

20And said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry; this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.

20and Leah saith, `God hath endowed me--a good dowry; this time doth my husband dwell with me, for I have borne to him six sons;' and she calleth his name Zebulun;

20And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.

21After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.

21and afterwards hath she born a daughter, and calleth her name Dinah.

21After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.

22The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb.

22And God remembereth Rachel, and God hearkeneth unto her, and openeth her womb,

22Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.

23And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach.

23and she conceiveth and beareth a son, and saith, `God hath gathered up my reproach;'

23And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.

24And she called his name Joseph: saying: The Lord give me also another son.

24and she calleth his name Joseph, saying, `Jehovah is adding to me another son.'

24And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.

25And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: Send me away, that I may return into my country, and to my land.

25And it cometh to pass, when Rachel hath borne Joseph, that Jacob saith unto Laban, `Send me away, and I go unto my place, and to my land;

25Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

26Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee.

26give up my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and I go; for thou--thou hast known my service which I have served thee.'

26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

27Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned, by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.

27And Laban saith unto him, `If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes--I have observed diligently that Jehovah doth bless me for thy sake.'

27And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.

28Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.

28He saith also, `Define thy hire to me, and I give.'

28Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.

29But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands.

29And he saith unto him, `Thou--thou hast known that which I have served thee <FI>in<Fi> , and that which thy substance was with me;

29Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.

30Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable, therefore, that I should now provide also for my own house.

30for <FI>it is<Fi> little which thou hast had at my appearance, and it breaketh forth into a multitude, and Jehovah blesseth thee at my coming; and now, when do I make, I also, for mine own house?'

30For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?

31And Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require nothing; but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed and keep thy sheep again.

31And he saith, `What do I give to thee?' And Jacob saith, `Thou dost not give me anything; if thou do for me this thing, I turn back; I have delight; thy flock I watch;

31And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:

32Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled; and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall be my wages.

32I pass through all thy flock to-day to turn aside from thence every sheep speckled and spotted, and every brown sheep among the lambs, and speckled and spotted among the goats--and it hath been my hire;

32Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.

33And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.

33and my righteousness hath answered for me in the day to come, when it cometh in for my hire before thy face; --every one which is not speckled and spotted among <FI>my<Fi> goats, and brown among <FI>my<Fi> lambs--it is stolen with me.'

33And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.

34And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.

34And Laban saith, `Lo, O that it were according to thy word;'

34And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

35And he separated the same day the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted; and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.

35and he turneth aside during that day the ring-streaked and the spotted he-goats, and all the speckled and the spotted she-goats, every one that <FI>hath<Fi> white in it, and every brown one among the lambs, and he giveth into the hand of his sons,

35So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

36And he set the space of three days journey betwixt himself and his son-in-law, who fed the rest of his flock.

36and setteth a journey of three days between himself and Jacob; and Jacob is feeding the rest of the flock of Laban.

36And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

37And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane-trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole, remained green: and by this means the colour was divers.

37And Jacob taketh to himself a rod of fresh poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut, and doth peel in them white peelings, making bare the white that <FI>is<Fi> on the rods,

37Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.

38And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out; that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive.

38and setteth up the rods which he hath peeled in the gutters in the watering troughs (when the flock cometh in to drink), over-against the flock, that they may conceive in their coming in to drink;

38And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

39And it came to pass, that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.

39and the flocks conceive at the rods, and the flock beareth ring-streaked, speckled, and spotted ones.

39And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

40And Jacob separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams; and all the white and the black were Laban's, and the rest were Jacob's, when the flocks were separated one from the other.

40And the lambs hath Jacob parted, and he putteth the face of the flock towards the ring-streaked, also all the brown in the flock of Laban, and he setteth his own droves by themselves, and hath not set them near Laban's flock.

40These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

41So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them.

41And it hath come to pass whenever the strong ones of the flock conceive, that Jacob set the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, to cause them to conceive by the rods,

41And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

42But when the later coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban's; and they of the first time, Jacob's.

42and when the flock is feeble, he doth not set <FI>them<Fi> ; and the feeble ones have been Laban's, and the strong ones Jacob's.

42But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

43And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid-servants and men-servants, camels and asses.

43And the man increaseth very exceedingly, and hath many flocks, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and camels, and asses.

43So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.