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Jacob’s Many Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. 32 So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,[a] for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

33 She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon,[b] for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

34 Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi,[c] for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

35 Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah,[d] for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children.

30 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”

Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me,[e] and through her I can have a family, too.” So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. Rachel named him Dan,[f] for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naphtali,[g] for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. 11 Leah named him Gad,[h] for she said, “How fortunate I am!” 12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah named him Asher,[i] for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. 17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 She named him Issachar,[j] for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” 19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 She named him Zebulun,[k] for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 24 And she named him Joseph,[l] for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

Footnotes

  1. 29:32 Reuben means “Look, a son!” It also sounds like the Hebrew for “He has seen my misery.”
  2. 29:33 Simeon probably means “one who hears.”
  3. 29:34 Levi sounds like a Hebrew term that means “being attached” or “feeling affection for.”
  4. 29:35 Judah is related to the Hebrew term for “praise.”
  5. 30:3 Hebrew bear children on my knees.
  6. 30:6 Dan means “he judged” or “he vindicated.”
  7. 30:8 Naphtali means “my struggle.”
  8. 30:11 Gad means “good fortune.”
  9. 30:13 Asher means “happy.”
  10. 30:18 Issachar sounds like a Hebrew term that means “reward.”
  11. 30:20 Zebulun probably means “honor.”
  12. 30:24 Joseph means “may he add.”

Jacob’s Sons

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was neglected,(A) he opened her womb;(B) but Rachel was unable to conceive.(C) 32 Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben,[a] for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction;(D) surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “The Lord heard that I am neglected and has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.[b]

34 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.[c]

35 And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah.[d](E) Then Leah stopped having children.

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die!” (F) she said to Jacob.

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God? He has withheld offspring[e] from you!”

Then she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me[f](G) so that through her I too can build a family.” So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, he has heard me and given me a son,” so she named him Dan.[g]

Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, “In my wrestlings with God,[h] I have wrestled with my sister and won,” and she named him Naphtali.[i]

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” [j] and she named him Gad.[k]

12 When Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, 13 Leah said, “I am happy that the women call me happy,”(H) so she named him Asher.[l]

14 Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field.(I) When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But Leah replied to her, “Isn’t it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes?”

“Well then,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband,” and she named him Issachar.[m]

19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 “God has given me a good gift,” Leah said. “This time my husband will honor me because I have borne six sons for him,” and she named him Zebulun.[n] 21 Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.(J) 23 She conceived and bore a son, and she said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(K) 24 She named him Joseph[o] and said, “May the Lord add another son to me.”(L)

Footnotes

  1. 29:32 = See, a Son; in Hb, the name Reuben sounds like “has seen my affliction.”
  2. 29:33 In Hb, the name Simeon sounds like “has heard.”
  3. 29:34 In Hb, the name Levi sounds like “attached to.”
  4. 29:35 In Hb, the name Judah sounds like “praise.”
  5. 30:2 Lit the fruit of the womb
  6. 30:3 Lit bear on my knees
  7. 30:6 In Hb, the name Dan sounds like “has vindicated,” or “has judged.”
  8. 30:8 Or “With mighty wrestlings
  9. 30:8 In Hb, the name Naphtali sounds like “my wrestling.”
  10. 30:11 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Vg read “Good fortune has come!”
  11. 30:11 = Good Fortune
  12. 30:13 = Happy
  13. 30:18 In Hb, the name Issachar sounds like “reward.”
  14. 30:20 In Hb, the name Zebulun sounds like “honored.”
  15. 30:24 = He Adds