Jacob’s Children

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,^(A) he enabled her to conceive,^(B) but Rachel remained childless. ³² Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(C) She named him Reuben,^[a](D) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.^(E) Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,^(F) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[b](G)

³⁴ Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,^(H) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^[c](I)

³⁵ She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.^[d](J) Then she stopped having children.^(K)

⁹ When Leah^(A) saw that she had stopped having children,^(B) she took her servant Zilpah^(C) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.^{(D) 10} Leah’s servant Zilpah^(E) bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”^[a] So she named him Gad.^[b](F)

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me^(G) happy.”^(H) So she named him Asher.^[c](I)

¹⁷ God listened to Leah,^(A) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”^(B) So she named him Issachar.^[a](C)

¹⁹ Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,^(D) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.^[b](E)

²¹ Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.^(F)