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30 But Rachel had not borne Jacob any children, and so she became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die.”

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “I can't take the place of God. He is the one who keeps you from having children.”

She said, “Here is my slave Bilhah; sleep with her, so that she can have a child for me. In this way I can become a mother through her.” So she gave Bilhah to her husband, and he had intercourse with her. Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, “God has judged in my favor. He has heard my prayer and has given me a son”; so she named him Dan.[a] Bilhah became pregnant again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, but I have won”; so she named him Naphtali.[b]

When Leah realized that she had stopped having children, she gave her slave Zilpah to Jacob as his wife. 10 Then Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Leah said, “I have been lucky”; so she named him Gad.[c] 12 Zilpah bore Jacob another son, 13 and Leah said, “How happy I am! Now women will call me happy”; so she named him Asher.[d]

14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the fields and found mandrakes,[e] which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.”

15 Leah answered, “Isn't it enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you are even trying to take away my son's mandrakes.”

Rachel said, “If you will give me your son's mandrakes, you can sleep with Jacob tonight.”

16 When Jacob came in from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are going to sleep with me tonight, because I have paid for you with my son's mandrakes.” So he had intercourse with her that night.

17 God answered Leah's prayer, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my reward, because I gave my slave to my husband”; so she named her son Issachar.[f] 19 Leah became pregnant again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 She said, “God has given me a fine gift. Now my husband will accept me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she named him Zebulun.[g] 21 Later she bore a daughter, whom she named Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel; he answered her prayer and made it possible for her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has taken away my disgrace by giving me a son. 24 May the Lord give me another son”; so she named him Joseph.[h]

Jacob's Bargain with Laban

25 After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me go, so that I can return home. 26 Give me my wives and children that I have earned by working for you, and I will leave. You know how well I have served you.”

27 Laban said to him, “Let me say this: I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob answered, “You know how I have worked for you and how your flocks have prospered under my care. 30 The little you had before I came has grown enormously, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I went.[i] Now it is time for me to look out for my own interests.”

31 “What shall I pay you?” Laban asked.

Jacob answered, “I don't want any wages. I will continue to take care of your flocks if you agree to this suggestion: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and take every black lamb[j] and every spotted or speckled young goat. That is all the wages I want. 33 In the future you can easily find out if I have been honest. When you come to check up on my wages, if I have any goat that isn't speckled or spotted or any sheep that isn't black, you will know that it has been stolen.”

34 Laban answered, “Agreed. We will do as you suggest.” 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that had stripes or spots and all the females that were speckled and spotted or which had white on them; he also removed all the black sheep. He put his sons in charge of them, 36 and then went away from Jacob with this flock as far as he could travel in three days. Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 Jacob got green branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. 38 He placed these branches in front of the flocks at their drinking troughs. He put them there, because the animals mated when they came to drink. 39 So when the goats bred in front of the branches, they produced young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 Jacob kept the sheep separate from the goats and made them face in the direction of the streaked and black animals of Laban's flock. In this way he built up his own flock and kept it apart from Laban's.

41 When the healthy animals were mating, Jacob put the branches in front of them at the drinking troughs, so that they would breed among the branches. 42 But he did not put the branches in front of the weak animals. Soon Laban had all the weak animals, and Jacob all the healthy ones. 43 In this way Jacob became very wealthy. He had many flocks, slaves, camels, and donkeys.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 30:6 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “judge in favor.”
  2. Genesis 30:8 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “fight.”
  3. Genesis 30:11 This name in Hebrew means “luck.”
  4. Genesis 30:13 This name in Hebrew means “happy.”
  5. Genesis 30:14 Plants which were believed to produce fertility and were used as love charms.
  6. Genesis 30:18 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “a man is hired” and “there is reward.”
  7. Genesis 30:20 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “accept” and “gift.”
  8. Genesis 30:24 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “may he give another” and “he has taken away.”
  9. Genesis 30:30 wherever I went; or because of me.
  10. Genesis 30:32 One ancient translation every black lamb; Hebrew every spotted and speckled lamb, and every black lamb.

30 Si Raquel ay hindi pa rin nagbubuntis, kaya nainggit siya kay Lea. Sinabi niya kay Jacob, “Bigyan mo ako ng anak dahil kung hindi, mamamatay talaga ako!”

Nagalit si Jacob sa kanya at sinabi, “Bakit, Dios ba ako? Siya ang nagpasya na hindi ka magkaanak.”

Sinabi ni Raquel, “Kung ganoon, sumiping ka kay Bilha na alipin ko para kahit sa pamamagitan niya magkaroon din ako ng anak.”

Kaya ibinigay niya si Bilha kay Jacob bilang asawa, at sumiping si Jacob kay Bilha.

Dumating ang panahon, nabuntis si Bilha at nanganak ng lalaki. Sinabi ni Raquel, “Kinuha na ng Dios ang aking kahihiyan. Tinugon niya ang panalangin ko dahil binigyan niya ako ng isang anak na lalaki.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Dan.[a]

Muling nagbuntis si Bilha na alipin ni Raquel at nanganak ng lalaki na pangalawang anak nila ni Jacob. Sinabi ni Raquel, “Napakahigpit ng labanan namin bilang magkapatid, at nagtagumpay ako.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Naftali.[b]

Nang hindi na magkaanak si Lea, pinasipingan niya kay Jacob ang alipin niyang si Zilpa. 10 Nabuntis si Zilpa at nanganak ng lalaki. 11 Sinabi ni Lea, “Parang pinalad ako.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Gad.[c]

12 Muling nanganak si Zilpa ng lalaki na pangalawang anak nila ni Jacob. 13 Sinabi ni Lea, “Lubha akong nasisiyahan! Ngayon tatawagin ako ng mga babae na masiyahin.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Asher.[d]

14 Anihan ng trigo noon, pumunta si Reuben sa bukid at may nakita siyang tanim na mandragora. Kumuha siya ng bunga nito at dinala sa ina niyang si Lea. Pagkakita noon ni Raquel ay sinabi niya kay Lea, “Bigyan mo rin ako ng mandragora na dinala ng anak mo.”

15 Pero sumagot si Lea, “Hindi ka pa ba kontento na kinuha mo ang asawa ko? Ngayon, kukunin mo pa ang mandragora ng anak ko?”

Sinabi ni Raquel, “Kung bibigyan mo ako ng mandragora pasisipingin ko si Jacob sa iyo ngayong gabi.”

16 Mag-aagaw dilim na nang dumating si Jacob mula sa bukid, sinalubong siya ni Lea at sinabi, “Kailangang sa akin ka sumiping ngayong gabi, dahil binayaran na kita kay Raquel ng mandragora na dala ng anak ko.” Kaya sumiping si Jacob kay Lea nang gabing iyon.

17 Sinagot ng Dios ang panalangin ni Lea at siyaʼy nabuntis. Nanganak siya ng lalaki na ikalimang anak nila ni Jacob. 18 Sinabi ni Lea, “Ginantimpalaan ako ng Dios dahil ibinigay ko ang alipin ko sa aking asawa.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang kanyang anak na Isacar.[e]

19 Muling nabuntis si Lea at nanganak ng lalaki na ikaanim nilang anak ni Jacob. 20 Sinabi niya, “Binigyan ako ng Dios ng mabuting regalo. Pararangalan na ako nito ngayon ng asawa ko dahil nabigyan ko na siya ng anim na anak na puro lalaki.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Zebulun.[f]

21 Hindi nagtagal nanganak si Lea ng babae at pinangalanan niyang Dina.

22 Hindi rin kinalimutan ng Dios si Raquel. Sinagot niya ang kanyang panalangin na magkaanak din siya. 23 Nagbuntis siya at nanganak ng lalaki. Sinabi niya, “Inalis ng Dios ang aking kahihiyan.” Kaya pinangalanan niya ang sanggol na Jose[g] dahil sinabi niya, 24 “Nawaʼy bigyan ako ng Panginoon ng isa pang anak.”

Ang Kasunduan ni Jacob at ni Laban

25 Pagkatapos na ipanganak ni Raquel si Jose, sinabi ni Jacob kay Laban, “Pahintulutan nʼyo akong makauwi sa lugar namin. 26 Ibigay nʼyo sa akin ang mga asawa ko, na ipinaglingkod ko sa inyo, at ang mga anak ko, dahil babalik na ako sa amin. Nalalaman nʼyo kung paano ako naglingkod sa inyo.”

27 Sumagot si Laban, “Kung maaari huwag muna. Ayon sa pagpapahula ko, nalaman ko na pinagpala ako ng Panginoon dahil sa iyo. 28 Sabihin mo lang kung magkano ang ibabayad ko sa iyo at babayaran kita.”

29 Sinabi ni Jacob, “Alam mo kung paano ako naglingkod sa inyo at kung paano dumami ang mga hayop ninyo dahil sa pag-aalaga ko. 30 Nang dumating ako rito, kakaunti pa lang ang mga hayop nʼyo, pero ngayon ay napakarami na, dahil pinagpala kayo ng Panginoon dahil sa akin. Ngayon, dapat na sigurong magsumikap ako para sa sarili kong sambahayan.”

31 Nagtanong si Laban, “Ano ba ang gusto mong ibayad ko sa iyo?”

Sumagot si Jacob, “Huwag nʼyo na lang po akong bayaran. Ipagpapatuloy ko ang pag-aalaga sa mga hayop ninyo kung papayag kayo sa kundisyon ko: 32 Titingnan ko ngayon ang mga hayop nʼyo at kukunin ko ang itim na mga tupa at batik-batik na mga kambing. Iyon na lang ang pinakabayad nʼyo sa akin. 33 Darating ang araw, malalaman nʼyo kung maaasahan ako o hindi kung susuriin nʼyo ang mga hayop na ibinayad sa akin. Kung may makita po kayong kambing na hindi batik-batik o tupa na hindi itim, ituring nʼyo na ninakaw ko ito.”

34 Sumagot si Laban, “Kung ganyan ang gusto mo, payag ako.”

35 Pero nang araw ding iyon, ibinukod ni Laban ang mga batik-batik na kambing na lalaki at babae, pati ang mga itim na tupa. Pinaalagaan niya ito sa mga anak niyang lalaki. 36 Ibinukod niya ito kay Jacob sa layo na tatlong araw kung lalakarin. Ang naiwang mga hayop ay ang binabantayan ni Jacob.

37 Kumuha si Jacob ng mga sanga ng almendro, abilyano, at kastanyo, at binalat-balatan niya ito. Pero hindi niya lubos na binalatan, kaya may batik-batik na puti kapag tiningnan ang mga sanga. 38-39 Inilagay niya ang mga sangang iyon sa harapan ng painuman ng mga hayop para makita ng mga ito kapag iinom sila. Doon sa harapan ng mga sanga nagkakastahan[h] ang mga kambing kapag umiinom sila. Batik-batik ang mga anak nila kapag nanganganak sila. 40 Pero iba ang ginawa ni Jacob sa mga tupa: Habang nagkakastahan ang mga hayop na ito, pinapaharap niya sila sa mga batik-batik na kambing niya at sa itim na mga kambing ni Laban. Kaya nakaipon din si Jacob ng sarili niyang mga hayop at hindi niya ito isinama sa mga hayop ni Laban. 41 Kapag nagkakastahan na ang mga hayop na maganda ang katawan doon sa pinag-iinuman, inilalagay agad ni Jacob ang mga sangang iyon sa harapan ng mga ito. 42 Pero kapag ang mga hayop na matatamlay ang nagkakastahan, hindi niya inilalagay ang mga sanga, kaya ang mga matatamlay ay kay Laban at ang mga masisigla ang katawan ay kay Jacob. 43 Sa ganitong paraan, labis na yumaman si Jacob. Dumami ang hayop niya pati na ang mga kamelyo at asno. Dumami rin ang alipin niyang lalaki at babae.

Footnotes

  1. 30:6 Dan: Ang ibig sabihin, kinuha niya ang aking kahihiyan.
  2. 30:8 Naftali: Ang ibig sabihin, mahigpit ang labanan.
  3. 30:11 Gad: Ang ibig sabihin, pinalad.
  4. 30:13 Asher: Ang ibig sabihin, masiyahin.
  5. 30:18 Isacar: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, gantimpala.
  6. 30:20 Zebulun: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, karangalan.
  7. 30:23 Jose: Maaaring ang ibig sabihin, inalis niya; o, binigyan pa ng isa.
  8. 30:38-39 nagkakastahan: sa Ingles, “mating season.”

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!”

Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(C) who has kept you from having children?”(D)

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)

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(H) Jacob slept with her,(I) and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 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)

Rachel’s servant Bilhah(M) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(N) So she named him Naphtali.[b](O)

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

  1. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  2. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  3. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  4. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  5. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  6. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  7. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  8. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.