Genesis 29:31-30:24

New International Reader's Version

Jacob Becomes the Father of Many Children

³¹ The Lord saw that Jacob didn’t love Leah as much as he loved Rachel. So he let Leah have children. But Rachel wasn’t able to have children. ³² Leah became pregnant. She had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, “The Lord has seen me suffer. Surely my husband will love me now.”

³³ She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “The Lord heard that Jacob doesn’t love me very much. That’s why the Lord gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.

³⁴ She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “Now at last my husband will value me. I have had three sons by him.” So the boy was named Levi.

³⁵ She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, “This time I’ll praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

30 Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children by Jacob. So she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

² Jacob became angry with her. He said, “Do you think I’m God? He’s the one who has kept you from having children.”

³ Then she said, “Here’s my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she can have children for me. Then I too can have a family through her.”

⁴ So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her. ⁵ And Bilhah became pregnant. She had a son by him. ⁶ Then Rachel said, “God has stood up for my rights. He has listened to my prayer and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

⁷ Rachel’s servant Bilhah became pregnant again. She had a second son by Jacob. ⁸ Then Rachel said, “I’ve had a great struggle with my sister. Now I’ve won.” So she named him Naphtali.

⁹ Leah saw that she had stopped having children. So she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰ Leah’s servant Zilpah had a son by Jacob. ¹¹ Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad.

¹² Leah’s servant Zilpah had a second son by Jacob. ¹³ Then Leah said, “I’m so happy! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

¹⁴ While the wheat harvest was being gathered, Reuben went out into the fields. He found some mandrake plants. He brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵ But Leah said to her, “Isn’t it enough that you took my husband away? Are you going to take my son’s mandrakes too?”

Rachel said, “All right. Jacob can sleep with you tonight if you give me your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁶ Jacob came in from the fields that evening. Leah went out to meet him. “You have to sleep with me tonight,” she said. “I’ve traded my son’s mandrakes for that time with you.” So he slept with her that night.

¹⁷ God listened to Leah. She became pregnant and had a fifth son by Jacob. ¹⁸ Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me because I gave my female servant to my husband.” So she named the boy Issachar.

¹⁹ Leah became pregnant again. She had a sixth son by Jacob. ²⁰ Then Leah said, “God has given me a priceless gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor. I’ve had six sons by him.” So she named the boy Zebulun.

²¹ Some time later she had a daughter. She named her Dinah.

²² Then God listened to Rachel. He showed concern for her. He made it possible for her to have children. ²³ She became pregnant and had a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ²⁴ She said, “May the Lord give me another son.” So she named him Joseph.