Genesis 29:31-30:24
English Standard Version
Jacob's Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was (A)hated, (B)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 (C)has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[b] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be (D)attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[c] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name (E)Judah.[d] Then she ceased bearing.
30 When Rachel saw that (F)she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. 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, (G)who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant (H)Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth (I)on my behalf,[e] that even I may have children[f] through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant 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 (J)judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.[g] 7 Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings[h] I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name (K)Naphtali.[i]
9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and (L)gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, (M)“Good fortune has come!” so she called his name (N)Gad.[j] 12 Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women (O)have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.[k]
14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found (P)mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me 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 in exchange 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 listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.[l]
19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name (Q)Zebulun.[m] 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
22 Then God (R)remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and (S)opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away (T)my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph,[n] saying, (U)“May the Lord add to me another son!”
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:32 Reuben means See, a son
- Genesis 29:33 Simeon sounds like the Hebrew for heard
- Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like the Hebrew for attached
- Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like the Hebrew for praise
- Genesis 30:3 Hebrew on my knees
- Genesis 30:3 Hebrew be built up, which sounds like the Hebrew for children
- Genesis 30:6 Dan sounds like the Hebrew for judged
- Genesis 30:8 Hebrew With wrestlings of God
- Genesis 30:8 Naphtali sounds like the Hebrew for wrestling
- Genesis 30:11 Gad sounds like the Hebrew for good fortune
- Genesis 30:13 Asher sounds like the Hebrew for happy
- Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages, or hire
- Genesis 30:20 Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor
- Genesis 30:24 Joseph means May he add, and sounds like the Hebrew for taken away
Genesis 29:31-30:24
International Standard Version
Leah’s Children
31 Later, the Lord noticed that Leah was being neglected,[a] so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah conceived, bore a son, and named him Reuben,[b] because she was saying, “The Lord had looked on my torture, so now my husband will love me.”
33 Later, she conceived again, bore a son, and declared, “Because the Lord heard that I’m neglected, he gave me this one, too.” So she named him Simeon.[c]
34 Later, she conceived again and said, “This time my husband will become attached to me, now that I’ve borne him three sons.” So he named him Levi.[d]
35 Then she conceived yet again, bore a son, and said, “This time I’ll praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e]
Then she stopped bearing children.
Rachel’s Children by Bilhah
30 Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, “If you don’t give me sons, I’m going to die!”
2 That made Jacob angry with Rachel, so he asked her, “Can I take God’s place, who has not allowed you to conceive?”[f]
3 Rachel[g] responded, “Here’s my handmaid Bilhah. Go have sex with her. She can bear children[h] on my knees so I can have children through her.”
4 So Rachel[i] gave Jacob[j] her woman servant Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob had sex with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, she named him Dan.[k]
7 Rachel’s servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, 8 so Rachel said, “I’ve been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won.” She named him Naphtali.[l]
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a son to Jacob, 11 and Leah exclaimed, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.[m]
12 Later, Leah’s servant Zilpah bore a second son for Jacob. 13 She said, “How happy I am, because women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.[n]
Jacob and the Mandrakes
14 Some time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes[o] in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel[p] told Leah, “Please give me your son’s mandrakes.”
15 In response, Leah asked her, “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes!”
But Rachel replied, “Very well, let’s let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went to meet him and told him, “You’re having sex with me tonight. I traded my son’s mandrakes for you!” So he slept with her that night.
17 God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife.” So she named him Issachar.[q]
19 Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. This time my husband will exalt me, because I’ve borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[r]
21 After that, Leah conceived, bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
Rachel’s Son Joseph is Born
22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, 23 so she conceived, bore a son, and remarked, “God has removed my shame.” 24 Because she had been asking, “May God give me another son,” she named him Joseph.[s]
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:31 Lit. hated
- Genesis 29:32 The Heb. name Reuben means See, a son
- Genesis 29:33 The Heb. name Simeon means heard
- Genesis 29:34 The Heb. name Levi means joined
- Genesis 29:35 The Heb. name Judah means praise
- Genesis 30:2 Lit. has withheld from you fruit of the womb
- Genesis 30:3 Lit. She
- Genesis 30:3 Lit. them
- Genesis 30:4 Lit. she
- Genesis 30:4 Lit. him
- Genesis 30:6 The Heb. name Dan means judge
- Genesis 30:8 The Heb. name Naphtali means my struggle
- Genesis 30:11 The Heb. name Gad means lucky
- Genesis 30:13 The Heb. name Asher means happy
- Genesis 30:14 I.e. a plant native to Canaan thought to facilitate procreation
- Genesis 30:14 Lit. she
- Genesis 30:18 The Heb. name Issachar means wages
- Genesis 30:20 The Heb. name Zebulun means exalted
- Genesis 30:24 The Heb. name Joseph means added
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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