Genesis 30
Good News Translation
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.”
2 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.”
3 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.” 4 So she gave Bilhah to her husband, and he had intercourse with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and bore Jacob a son. 6 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] 7 Bilhah became pregnant again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, but I have won”; so she named him Naphtali.[b]
9 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
- Genesis 30:6 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “judge in favor.”
- Genesis 30:8 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “fight.”
- Genesis 30:11 This name in Hebrew means “luck.”
- Genesis 30:13 This name in Hebrew means “happy.”
- Genesis 30:14 Plants which were believed to produce fertility and were used as love charms.
- Genesis 30:18 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “a man is hired” and “there is reward.”
- Genesis 30:20 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “accept” and “gift.”
- Genesis 30:24 This name sounds like the Hebrew for “may he give another” and “he has taken away.”
- Genesis 30:30 wherever I went; or because of me.
- Genesis 30:32 One ancient translation every black lamb; Hebrew every spotted and speckled lamb, and every black lamb.
Genesis 30
New King James Version
Jacob’s Children
30 Now when Rachel saw that (A)she bore Jacob no children, Rachel (B)envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, (C)or else I die!”
2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, (D)“Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
3 So she said, “Here is (E)my maid Bilhah; go in to her, (F)and she will bear a child on my knees, (G)that I also may [a]have children by her.” 4 Then she gave him Bilhah her maid (H)as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has (I)judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name [b]Dan. 7 And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With [c]great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name [d]Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and (J)gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, [e]“A troop comes!” So she called his name [f]Gad. 12 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters (K)will call me blessed.” So she called his name [g]Asher.
14 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, (L)“Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But she said to her, (M)“Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?”
And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.
17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she called his name [h]Issachar. 19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name [i]Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a (N)daughter, and called her name [j]Dinah.
22 Then God (O)remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and (P)opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away (Q)my reproach.” 24 So she called his name [k]Joseph, and said, (R)“The Lord shall add to me another son.”
Jacob’s Agreement with Laban
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, (S)“Send me away, that I may go to (T)my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children (U)for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.”
27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for (V)I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” 28 Then he said, (W)“Name me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 So Jacob said to him, (X)“You know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with me. 30 For what you had before I came was little, and it has increased to a great amount; the Lord has blessed you [l]since my coming. And now, when shall I also (Y)provide for my own house?”
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?”
And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: 32 Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and (Z)these shall be my wages. 33 So my (AA)righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, will be considered stolen, if it is with me.”
34 And Laban said, “Oh, that it were according to your word!” 35 So he removed that day the male goats that were (AB)speckled and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Now (AC)Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees, peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. 38 And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; but he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 Thus the man (AD)became exceedingly prosperous, and (AE)had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Footnotes
- Genesis 30:3 Lit. be built up by her
- Genesis 30:6 Lit. Judge
- Genesis 30:8 Lit. wrestlings of God
- Genesis 30:8 Lit. My Wrestling
- Genesis 30:11 So with Qr., Syr., Tg.; Kt., LXX, Vg. in fortune
- Genesis 30:11 Lit. Troop or Fortune
- Genesis 30:13 Lit. Happy
- Genesis 30:18 Lit. Wages
- Genesis 30:20 Lit. Dwelling
- Genesis 30:21 Lit. Judgment
- Genesis 30:24 Lit. He Will Add
- Genesis 30:30 Lit. at my foot
Genesis 30
Darby Translation
30 And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, Behold, there is my maid, Bilhah: go in to her, in order that she may bear on my knees, and I may also be built up by her.
4 And she gave him Bilhah her maidservant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6 And Rachel said, God has done me justice, and has also heard my voice, and given me a son; therefore she called his name Dan.
7 And Bilhah Rachel's maidservant again conceived, and bore Jacob a second son.
8 And Rachel said, Wrestlings of God have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali.
9 And when Leah saw that she had ceased to bear, she took Zilpah her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as wife.
10 And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a son.
11 And Leah said, Fortunately! and she called his name Gad.
12 And Zilpah Leah's maidservant bore Jacob a second son.
13 And Leah said, Happy am I; for the daughters will call me blessed! and she called his name Asher.
14 And Reuben went out in the days of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the fields; and he brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
15 And she said to her, Is it [too] little that thou hast taken my husband, that thou wilt take my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.
16 And when Jacob came from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me, for indeed I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
17 And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maidservant to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.
19 And Leah again conceived, and bore Jacob a sixth son;
20 and Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry; this time will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun.
21 And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
22 And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bore a son, and said, God has taken away my reproach.
24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, Jehovah will add to me another son.
25 And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my country.
26 Give [me] my wives for whom I have served thee, and my children; that I may go away, for thou knowest my service which I have served thee.
27 And Laban said to him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes—I have discovered that Jehovah has blessed me for thy sake.
28 And he said, Appoint to me thy wages, and I will give it.
29 And he said to him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and what thy cattle has become with me.
30 For it was little that thou hadst before me, and it is increased to a multitude, and Jehovah has blessed thee from the time I came; and now, when shall I also provide for my house?
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything. If thou doest this for me, I will again feed [and] keep thy flock:
32 I will pass through all thy flock to-day, to remove thence all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and [that] shall be my hire.
33 And my righteousness shall answer for me hereafter, when thou comest about my hire, before thy face: all that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the lambs, let that be stolen with me.
34 And Laban said, Well, let it be according to thy word.
35 And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the brown among the lambs, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons.
36 And he put three days' journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock.
37 And Jacob took fresh rods of white poplar, almond-tree, and maple; and peeled off white stripes in them, uncovering the white which was on the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flock, in the troughs at the watering-places where the flock came to drink, and they were ardent when they came to drink.
39 And the flock was ardent before the rods; and the flock brought forth ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flock toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he made himself separate flocks, and did not put them with Laban's flock.
41 And it came to pass whensoever the strong cattle were ardent, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might become ardent among the rods;
42 but when the sheep were feeble, he put [them] not in; so the feeble were Laban's, and the strong Jacob's.
43 And the man increased very, very much, and had much cattle, and bondwomen, and bondmen, and camels, and asses.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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