Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(A) he enabled her to conceive,(B) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(C) She named him Reuben,[a](D) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(E) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(F) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[b](G)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(H) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[c](I)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[d](J) Then she stopped having children.(K)

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(L) she became jealous of her sister.(M) 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,(N) who has kept you from having children?”(O)

Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(P) my servant.(Q) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(R)

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(S) Jacob slept with her,(T) and she became pregnant and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(U) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(V) Because of this she named him Dan.[e](W)

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

When Leah(AA) saw that she had stopped having children,(AB) she took her servant Zilpah(AC) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(AD) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(AE) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[g] So she named him Gad.[h](AF)

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(AG) happy.”(AH) So she named him Asher.[i](AI)

14 During wheat harvest,(AJ) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(AK) 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(AL) 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.”(AM)

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.”(AN) So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah,(AO) 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.”(AP) So she named him Issachar.[j](AQ)

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,(AR) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[k](AS)

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(AT)

22 Then God remembered Rachel;(AU) he listened to her(AV) and enabled her to conceive.(AW) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(AX) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(AY) 24 She named him Joseph,[l](AZ) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
  2. Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
  3. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
  4. Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  5. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  6. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  7. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  8. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  9. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  10. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  11. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  12. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was [a]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him [b]Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has [c](A)seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “(B)Because the Lord has [d]heard that I am [e]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become [f]attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named (C)Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will [g]praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him [h](D)Judah. Then she stopped having children.

The Sons of Jacob

30 Now when Rachel saw that (E)she had not borne Jacob any children, [i]she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “(F)Give me children, or else I am going to die.” Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has (G)withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Then she said, “(H)Here is my female slave Bilhah: have relations with her that she may (I)give birth [j]on my knees, so that [k](J)by her I too may obtain a child.” So (K)she gave him her slave Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had relations with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, “God has [l](L)vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him [m]Dan. And Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. So Rachel said, “With [n]mighty wrestling I have [o]wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “[p]How fortunate!” So she named him [q]Gad. 12 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “[r]Happy am I! For women (M)will call me happy.” So she named him [s]Asher.

14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found (N)mandrake fruits 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 for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must have relations with me, for I have indeed hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. 17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my [t]reward, because I gave my slave to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. 19 And Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; finally my husband [u]will acknowledge me as his wife, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 21 Afterward she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.

22 Then (O)God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and (P)opened her womb. 23 So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, “God has (Q)taken away my disgrace.” 24 And she named him Joseph, saying, “(R)May the Lord [v]give me another son.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:31 Lit hated
  2. Genesis 29:32 I.e., see, a son
  3. Genesis 29:32 Lit looked at
  4. Genesis 29:33 Heb shama, related to Simeon
  5. Genesis 29:33 Lit hated
  6. Genesis 29:34 Heb lavah, related to Levi
  7. Genesis 29:35 Heb Jadah, related to Judah
  8. Genesis 29:35 Heb Jehudah
  9. Genesis 30:1 Lit Rachel
  10. Genesis 30:3 I.e., Prob. referring to a ritual of adoption
  11. Genesis 30:3 Lit from her I too may be built
  12. Genesis 30:6 Lit judged
  13. Genesis 30:6 I.e., He judged
  14. Genesis 30:8 Lit wrestlings of God
  15. Genesis 30:8 Heb niphtal, related to Naphtali
  16. Genesis 30:11 Lit With fortune! Some ancient versions Fortune has come
  17. Genesis 30:11 I.e., Fortune
  18. Genesis 30:13 Lit With my happiness!
  19. Genesis 30:13 I.e., happy
  20. Genesis 30:18 Heb sachar, related to Issachar
  21. Genesis 30:20 Heb zabal, related to Zebulun
  22. Genesis 30:24 Lit add to me; Heb Joseph