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Genesis 30
New Catholic Bible
Genesis 30
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 30
1 Rachel, seeing that it had not been granted to her to bear sons to Jacob, became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob, “Give me sons, or I shall die!”
2 Jacob was irritated with Rachel and said, “Am I God? He is the one who did not grant you the fruit of the womb.”
3 She answered, “Here is my servant Bilhah; sleep with her so that she may give birth upon my knees[a] and I also may have offspring through her.”
4 She gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore a son to Jacob. 6 Rachel said, “God has been just to me and has also listened to my voice, giving me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.
7 Bilhah, the slave of Rachel, conceived a second time and bore another son to Jacob. 8 Rachel said, “I have undergone a great struggle with my sister and I have won.” Because of this she named him Naphtali.
9 Leah, seeing that she had ceased bearing children, took her slave Zilpah and gave her as a wife to Jacob. 10 Zilpah, the slave of Leah, bore Jacob a son. 11 Leah said, “What good luck!” And she named him Gad.
12 Zilpah, the slave of Leah, bore a second son to Jacob. 13 Leah said, “What joy! The women shall call me truly happy.” Therefore, she named him Asher.
14 Around the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes,[b] and he brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me a little of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But Leah answered, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Why do you want to take away my son’s mandrakes as well?” Rachel answered, “Then he can lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 That night, when Jacob arrived from the fields, Leah went out to him and said to him, “You must sleep with me because I paid for the right to have you with my son’s mandrakes.” Thus, he slept with her that night. 17 God heard Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for having given my slave to my husband.” This is why she named him Issachar.
19 Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Leah said, “God gave me a beautiful gift. This time my husband will prefer me because I have borne him six sons.” She therefore named him Zebulun.
21 She then bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 God also remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has removed my dishonor.” 24 She named him Joseph saying, “May the Lord grant me another son.”
25 Jacob’s Means of Becoming Prosperous.[c] After Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me go and return to my homeland. 26 Give me my wives, for whom I have served you, and my children, so that I can leave. You know how I served you.”
27 Laban said to him, “If I have found favor with you, please stay, for through divination I have come to know that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 He added, “Establish your salary and I will give it to you.”
29 He answered, “You know how I served you and how your possessions have multiplied through my work. 30 What little you had before I arrived has grown beyond measure, and the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. But now, when will I be able to work for myself as well?”
31 Laban then said, “What must I do for you?” Jacob answered, “You do not have to do anything if you will do the following for me. I will return to pasture your flock and watch over it. 32 Today I will pass through all the animals. I will separate every dark animal from among the sheep and every goat that is spotted or speckled. This will be my salary. 33 In the future, let my honesty answer for me. When you come to verify my salary, every animal that is not speckled or spotted from among the goats and those that are not dark from among the sheep, if you find them with me, will be considered to have been robbed.”
34 Laban said, “Good, let it be as you have said.” 35 That day he removed the speckled and spotted he-goats and the speckled and spotted she-goats, all of those that had some white on them, and every sheep that was a dark color. He placed the flock in the care of his sons, 36 and he determined that there should be a distance of a three days’ journey by camel from Jacob’s flock. Jacob cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
37 But Jacob took fresh shoots of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and he made white[d] stripes in them by peeling the bark back down to the white core of the shoots. 38 He then took the shoots from which he had peeled the bark and he placed them in the channels, that is, in the watering troughs where the animals came to drink. They were placed where the animals could see them, and the animals mated when they came to drink. 39 Thus, the animals mated in the sight of the shoots, and the goats had kids that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.[e]
40 As for the sheep, Jacob separated them and had them face the animals that were streaked or fully dark of the flock of Laban. He put his own flock in a separate place; he did not put them together with Laban’s flock. 41 Every once in a while, the healthier animals mated, and Jacob would put the shoots in the trough where the animals could see them, so that they would mate in the sight of the shoots. 42 When the animals were weak, he did not put them there. Thus, the weak animals belonged to Laban, and those that were healthy belonged to Jacob. 43 He grew rich beyond measure and possessed great numbers of flocks, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.
Footnotes
- Genesis 30:3 Upon my knees: after birth a father customarily took a child on his lap to indicate it was his. Rachel appeals to this custom to show that Bilhah’s child is hers.
- Genesis 30:14 Mandrakes: the ancients regarded the mandrake or mandragora as an aphrodisiac and capable of promoting pregnancy.
- Genesis 30:25 For a long time, Laban has exploited the services of his nephew; now, despite their agreement, he deprives him of the speckled sheep and dark-colored goats to prevent him from obtaining a flock for himself. But Jacob has a trick or two up his sleeve.
- Genesis 30:37 Poplar . . . white: the Hebrew terms for these words are puns on the name Laban. As Jacob had gotten the best of Esau (whose other name, Edom, means “red”) by means of red stew (Gen 25:30), so he now tries to get the best of Laban (whose name means “white”) by means of white branches. In effect, Jacob is using Laban’s own tactic (deception) against him.
- Genesis 30:39 Jacob’s scheme works—but only because of God’s intervention (see Jacob’s own admission in Gen 31:9), not because of Jacob’s superstition.
Fyrsta bók Móse 30
Icelandic Bible
Fyrsta bók Móse 30
Icelandic Bible
30 En er Rakel sá, að hún ól Jakob ekki börn, öfundaði hún systur sína og sagði við Jakob: "Láttu mig eignast börn, ella mun ég deyja."
2 Jakob reiddist þá við Rakel og sagði: "Er ég þá Guð? Það er hann sem hefir synjað þér lífsafkvæmis."
3 Þá sagði hún: "Þarna er Bíla ambátt mín. Gakk þú inn til hennar, að hún megi fæða á skaut mitt og afla mér afkvæmis."
4 Og hún gaf honum Bílu ambátt sína fyrir konu, og Jakob gekk inn til hennar.
5 Og Bíla varð þunguð og ól Jakob son.
6 Þá sagði Rakel: "Guð hefir rétt hluta minn og einnig bænheyrt mig og gefið mér son." Fyrir því nefndi hún hann Dan.
7 Og Bíla, ambátt Rakelar, varð þunguð í annað sinn og ól Jakob annan son.
8 Þá sagði Rakel: "Mikið stríð hefi ég þreytt við systur mína og unnið sigur." Og hún nefndi hann Naftalí.
9 Er Lea sá, að hún lét af að eiga börn, tók hún Silpu ambátt sína og gaf Jakob hana fyrir konu.
10 Og Silpa, ambátt Leu, ól Jakob son.
11 Þá sagði Lea: "Til heilla!" Og hún nefndi hann Gað.
12 Og Silpa, ambátt Leu, ól Jakob annan son.
13 Þá sagði Lea: "Sæl er ég, því að allar konur munu mig sæla segja." Og hún nefndi hann Asser.
14 Rúben gekk eitt sinn út um hveitiskurðartímann og fann ástarepli á akrinum og færði þau Leu móður sinni. Þá sagði Rakel við Leu: "Gef þú mér nokkuð af ástareplum sonar þíns."
15 En hún svaraði: "Er það ekki nóg, að þú tekur bónda minn frá mér, viltu nú einnig taka ástarepli sonar míns?" Og Rakel mælti: "Hann má þá sofa hjá þér í nótt fyrir ástarepli sonar þíns."
16 Er Jakob kom heim um kveldið af akrinum, gekk Lea út á móti honum og sagði: "Þú átt að ganga inn til mín, því að ég hefi keypt þig fyrir ástarepli sonar míns." Og hann svaf hjá henni þá nótt.
17 En Guð bænheyrði Leu, og hún varð þunguð og ól Jakob hinn fimmta son og sagði:
18 "Guð hefir launað mér það, að ég gaf bónda mínum ambátt mína." Og hún nefndi hann Íssakar.
19 Og Lea varð enn þunguð og ól Jakob hinn sjötta son.
20 Þá sagði Lea: "Guð hefir gefið mér góða gjöf. Nú mun bóndi minn búa við mig, því að ég hefi alið honum sex sonu." Og hún nefndi hann Sebúlon.
21 Eftir það ól hún dóttur og nefndi hana Dínu.
22 Þá minntist Guð Rakelar og bænheyrði hana og opnaði móðurlíf hennar.
23 Og hún varð þunguð og ól son og sagði: "Guð hefir numið burt smán mína."
24 Og hún nefndi hann Jósef og sagði: "Guð bæti við mig öðrum syni!"
25 Er Rakel hafði alið Jósef, sagði Jakob við Laban: "Leyf þú mér nú að fara, að ég megi halda heim til átthaga minna og ættlands míns.
26 Fá mér konur mínar og börn mín, sem ég hefi þjónað þér fyrir, að ég megi fara, því að þú veist, hvernig ég hefi þjónað þér."
27 Þá sagði Laban við hann: "Hafi ég fundið náð í augum þínum, þá vertu kyrr. Ég hefi tekið eftir því, að Drottinn hefir blessað mig fyrir þínar sakir."
28 Og hann mælti: "Set sjálfur upp kaup þitt við mig, og skal ég gjalda það."
29 Jakob sagði við hann: "Þú veist sjálfur, hvernig ég hefi þjónað þér og hvað fénaður þinn er orðinn hjá mér.
30 Því að lítið var það, sem þú áttir, áður en ég kom, en það hefir aukist margfaldlega, og Drottinn hefir blessað þig við hvert mitt fótmál. Og auk þess, hvenær á ég þá að veita forsjá húsi sjálfs mín?"
31 Og Laban mælti: "Hvað skal ég gefa þér?" En Jakob sagði: "Þú skalt ekkert gefa mér, en viljir þú gjöra þetta, sem ég nú segi, þá vil ég enn þá halda fé þínu til haga og gæta þess.
32 Ég ætla í dag að ganga innan um allt fé þitt og skilja úr því hverja flekkótta og spreklótta kind. Og hver svört kind meðal sauðanna og hið spreklótta og flekkótta meðal geitanna, það skal vera kaup mitt.
33 Og ráðvendni mín skal eftirleiðis bera mér vitni, er þú kemur að skoða kaup mitt: Allt sem ekki er flekkótt og spreklótt meðal minna geita og svart meðal minna sauða, skal teljast stolið."
34 Og Laban sagði: "Svo skal þá vera sem þú hefir sagt."
35 Á þeim degi skildi Laban frá alla rílóttu og spreklóttu hafrana, og allar flekkóttu og spreklóttu geiturnar _ allt það, sem hafði á sér einhvern hvítan díla, _ og allt hið svarta meðal sauðanna og fékk sonum sínum.
36 Og hann lét vera þriggja daga leið milli sín og Jakobs. En Jakob gætti þeirrar hjarðar Labans, sem eftir varð.
37 Jakob tók sér stafi af grænni ösp, möndluviði og hlyni og skóf á þá hvítar rákir með því að nekja hið hvíta á stöfunum.
38 Því næst lagði hann stafina, sem hann hafði birkt, í þrærnar, í vatnsrennurnar, sem féð kom að drekka úr, beint fyrir framan féð. En ærnar fengu, er þær komu að drekka.
39 Þannig fengu ærnar uppi yfir stöfunum, og ærnar áttu rílótt, flekkótt og spreklótt lömb.
40 Jakob skildi lömbin úr og lét féð horfa á hið rílótta og allt hið svarta í fé Labans. Þannig kom hann sér upp sérstökum fjárhópum og lét þá ekki saman við hjörð Labans.
41 Og um allan göngutíma vænu ánna lagði Jakob stafina í þrærnar fyrir framan féð, svo að þær skyldu fá uppi yfir stöfunum.
42 En er rýru ærnar gengu, lagði hann þá þar ekki. Þannig fékk Laban rýra féð, en Jakob hið væna.
43 Og maðurinn varð stórauðugur og eignaðist mikinn fénað, ambáttir og þræla, úlfalda og asna.
Genesis 30
New International Version
Genesis 30
New International Version
30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(A) she became jealous of her sister.(B) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(C) who has kept you from having children?”(D)
3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(E) my servant.(F) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(G)
4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(H) Jacob slept with her,(I) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(J) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(K) Because of this she named him Dan.[a](L)
7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah(M) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(N) So she named him Naphtali.[b](O)
9 When Leah(P) saw that she had stopped having children,(Q) she took her servant Zilpah(R) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(S) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(T) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[c] So she named him Gad.[d](U)
12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(V) happy.”(W) So she named him Asher.[e](X)
14 During wheat harvest,(Y) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(Z) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough(AA) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”
“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”(AB)
16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”(AC) So he slept with her that night.
17 God listened to Leah,(AD) 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.”(AE) So she named him Issachar.[f](AF)
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,(AG) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[g](AH)
21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(AI)
22 Then God remembered Rachel;(AJ) he listened to her(AK) and enabled her to conceive.(AL) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(AM) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(AN) 24 She named him Joseph,[h](AO) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(AP)
Jacob’s Flocks Increase
25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way(AQ) so I can go back to my own homeland.(AR) 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you,(AS) and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”
27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(AT) please stay. I have learned by divination(AU) that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”(AV) 28 He added, “Name your wages,(AW) and I will pay them.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you(AX) and how your livestock has fared under my care.(AY) 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been.(AZ) But now, when may I do something for my own household?(BA)”
31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.
“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let 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.(BB) They will be my wages.(BC) 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored,(BD) will be considered stolen.(BE)”
34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs,(BF) and he placed them in the care of his sons.(BG) 36 Then he put a three-day journey(BH) between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond(BI) and plane trees(BJ) and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.(BK) 38 Then he placed the peeled branches(BL) in all the watering troughs,(BM) so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat(BN) and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches.(BO) And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.(BP) 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals(BQ) that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat,(BR) Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,(BS) 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.(BT) 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.(BU)
Footnotes
- Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
- Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
- Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
- Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
- Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
- Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
- Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
- Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.
Icelandic Bible (ICELAND)
by Icelandic Bible Society
New International Version (NIV) 
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