Genesis 29:31-30:24

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

³¹ When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ³² And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben;^[a] for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” ³³ She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard^[b] that I am hated, he has given me this son also”; and she called his name Simeon. ³⁴ Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined^[c] to me, because I have borne him three sons”; therefore his name was called Levi. ³⁵ And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise^[d] the Lord”; therefore she called his name Judah; then she ceased bearing.

30 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” ² Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” ³ Then she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and even I may have children through her.” ⁴ So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife; and Jacob went in to her. ⁵ And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son”; therefore she called his name Dan.^{[e] 7} Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled^[f] with my sister, and have prevailed”; so she called his name Naph′tali.

⁹ When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Then Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. ¹¹ And Leah said, “Good fortune!” so she called his name Gad.^{[g] 12} Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. ¹³ And Leah said, “Happy am I! For the women will call me happy”; so she called his name Asher.^[h]

¹⁴ In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me, I pray, some of your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁵ But she 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, “Then he may lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁶ When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. ¹⁷ And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. ¹⁸ Leah said, “God has given me my hire^[i] because I gave my maid to my husband”; so she called his name Is′sachar. ¹⁹ And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry; now my husband will honor^[j] me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she called his name Zeb′ulun. ²¹ Afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. ²² Then God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. ²³ She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach”; ²⁴ and she called his name Joseph,^[k] saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!”