Genesis 30

1. Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, “Give me sons, or else I will die.”

2. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel. And he said, “Am I in God’s stead Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

3. And she said, “Behold my handmaid Bilhah; go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and yea, that I may also have children by her.”

4. So she gave him her handmaid Bilhah as a wife. And Jacob went in to her.

5. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

6. And Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore, she called his name Dan.

7. Then Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8. And Rachel said, “With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali.

9. When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, she took her handmaid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

10. And Leah’s handmaid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11. And Leah said, “With good fortune.” And she called his name Gad.

12. Then Leah’s handmaid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

13. And Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” And she called his name Asher.

14. Now Reuben went out in the days of the wheat harvest and found love-apples in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s love-apples.”

15. But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? And would you also take my son’s love-apples?” And Rachel said, “Therefore, he shall lie with you tonight for your son’s love-apples.”

16. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening. And Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s love-apples.” And he lay with her that night.

17. And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob the fifth son.

18. So Leah said, “God has given me my hire because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.

19. And Leah conceived again and bore Jacob the sixth son.

20. So Leah said, “God has given me a good present. Now my husband will live with me because I have borne him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun.

21. And afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22. Then God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb.

23. And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “God has taken away my reproach.”

24. And she called his name Joseph. And she said, “May the LORD add another son to me.”

25. Then, when Rachel had borne Joseph, it came to pass that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away so that I may go into my own place and to my country.

26. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go, for you know my service which I have done you.”

27. And Laban said to him, “I pray you, if I have found favor in your eyes, stay; for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

28. And he also said, “Name your wages and I will give it.”

29. Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and what your livestock have become with my care;

30. For you had little before I came, and it has now increased to a multitude. And the LORD has blessed you since my coming. But when shall I also provide for my own house?”

31. And 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 flock.

32. I will pass through all the flocks today, taking out all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all of the black sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and the speckled among the goats. And these shall be my wages.

33. And my righteousness shall answer for me in time to come when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, shall be counted as stolen with me.”

34. And Laban said, “Yes, truly let it be according to your word.”

35. And that day Laban secretly took out the he-goats that were striped and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black from among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

36. And he set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob fed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37. But Jacob took rods of green poplar, and of a fresh tree, and the almond and plane tree. And he peeled back the bark making white streaks in them, exposing the white inner wood of the rods.

38. And he placed the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks—in the troughs, in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink—because the flocks bred when they came to drink.

39. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted offspring.

40. Then Jacob separated the lambs, but made the flocks face toward the striped and the black of the flock of Laban. Thus he made separate flocks of his own, and did not let them mix with the flock of Laban.

41. And it came to pass when the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the flocks in the troughs, so that they might conceive among the rods.

42. But when the feeble of the flock were breeding, he did not put them in. So usually it came to pass that the weak of the offspring were Laban’s and the stronger ones Jacob’s.

43. Thus the man increased exceedingly, and had many flocks, camels, donkeys, maidservants and male servants.