Genesis 29:31-30:24
Christian Standard Bible
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.
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God? He has withheld offspring[e] from you!”
3 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.” 4 So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, he has heard me and given me a son,” so she named him Dan.[g]
7 Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “In my wrestlings with God,[h] I have wrestled with my sister and won,” and she named him Naphtali.[i]
9 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
- 29:32 = See, a Son; in Hb, the name Reuben sounds like “has seen my affliction.”
- 29:33 In Hb, the name Simeon sounds like “has heard.”
- 29:34 In Hb, the name Levi sounds like “attached to.”
- 29:35 In Hb, the name Judah sounds like “praise.”
- 30:2 Lit the fruit of the womb
- 30:3 Lit bear on my knees
- 30:6 In Hb, the name Dan sounds like “has vindicated,” or “has judged.”
- 30:8 Or “With mighty wrestlings
- 30:8 In Hb, the name Naphtali sounds like “my wrestling.”
- 30:11 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Vg read “Good fortune has come!”
- 30:11 = Good Fortune
- 30:13 = Happy
- 30:18 In Hb, the name Issachar sounds like “reward.”
- 30:20 In Hb, the name Zebulun sounds like “honored.”
- 30:24 = He Adds
Genesis 29:31-30:24
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jacob’s Sons
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved,(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 unloved 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.
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld children[e] from you?”
3 Then she said, “Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me[f](G) so that through her I too can build a family.” 4 So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son,” and she named him Dan.[g]
7 Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “In my wrestlings with God,[h] I have wrestled with my sister and won,” and she named him Naphtali.[i]
9 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,” Rachel said, “you can sleep with him 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 said, “God has taken away my shame.”(K) 24 She named him Joseph:[o] “May the Lord add another son to me.”(L)
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:32 = See, a Son; in Hb, the name Reuben sounds like “has seen my affliction.”
- Genesis 29:33 In Hb, the name Simeon sounds like “has heard.”
- Genesis 29:34 In Hb, the name Levi sounds like “attached to.”
- Genesis 29:35 In Hb, the name Judah sounds like “praise.”
- Genesis 30:2 Lit the fruit of the womb
- Genesis 30:3 Lit bear on my knees
- Genesis 30:6 In Hb, the name Dan sounds like “has vindicated,” or “has judged.”
- Genesis 30:8 Or With mighty wrestlings
- Genesis 30:8 In Hb, the name Naphtali sounds like “my wrestling.”
- Genesis 30:11 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Vg read Good fortune has come
- Genesis 30:11 = Good Fortune
- Genesis 30:13 = Happy
- Genesis 30:18 In Hb, the name Issachar sounds like “reward.”
- Genesis 30:20 In Hb, the name Zebulun sounds like “honored.”
- Genesis 30:24 = He Adds
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