Jacob's Children
1 Rachel had not borne Jacob any children. As a result, she became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob: Give me children, or I will die.
1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
1 Now when Rachel saw that (A)she bore Jacob no children, (a)she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “(B)Give me children, or else I die.”
1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die!”(A) she said to Jacob.
1 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 Jacob became angry with Rachel. He said: I cannot take the place of God. He is the one who keeps you from having children.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has (C)withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld children(a) from you?”
2 That made Jacob angry with Rachel, so he asked her, "Can I take God's place, who has not allowed you to conceive?"
3 She said: Here is my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her, so that she can have a child for me. This way I can become a mother through her.
3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
3 She said, “(D)Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may (E)bear on my knees, that (b)(F)through her I too may have children.”
3 Then she said, “Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me(b)(B) so that through her I too can build a family.”
3 Rachel responded, "Here's my handmaid Bilhah. Go have sex with her. She can bear children on my knees so I can have children through her."
4 Then Rachel let Jacob marry Bilhah. Jacob slept with Bilhah.
4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
4 So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her.
4 So Rachel gave Jacob her woman servant Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob had sex with her.
6 Rachel named him Dan, because she said: God has answered my prayers. He has vindicated me and given me a son.
6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
6 Then Rachel said, “God has (c)(H)vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him (d)Dan.
6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son,” and she named him Dan.(c)
6 Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me! He has heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore, she named him Dan.
7 Bilhah and Jacob had a second son.
7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
7 Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.
7 Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.
7 Rachel's servant conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob,
8 Rachel said: I have struggled hard with my sister, and I have won! So she named the boy Naphtali.
8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
8 So Rachel said, “With (e)mighty wrestlings I have (f)wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
8 Rachel said, “In my wrestlings with God,(d) I have wrestled with my sister and won,” and she named him Naphtali.(e)
8 so Rachel said, "I've been through a mighty struggle with my sister and won." She named him Naphtali.
9 When Leah realized she could not have any more children, she let Jacob marry her servant Zilpah.
9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
14 During the wheat harvest 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 mandrake plants.
14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found (J)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.”
14 Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field.(D) When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
14 Some time later, during the wheat harvest season, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field and brought them back for his mother Leah. Then Rachel told Leah, "Please give me your son's mandrakes."
15 Leah replied: Is it not enough that you took my husband? Are you also going to take my son's mandrake plants? Rachel responded: Very well, Jacob can go to bed with you tonight in return for your son's mandrake plants.
15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy 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 lie with you tonight in return for 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.”
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, "Okay, let's let Jacob sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."
16 Jacob came in from the fields that evening. Leah went out to meet him. You are to sleep with me, she said. You are my reward for my son's mandrake plants. So he went to bed with her that night.
16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night.
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.
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 answered Leah's prayer. She became pregnant and gave birth to her fifth son for Jacob.
17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
17 God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
17 God heard what Leah had said, so she conceived and bore a fifth son for Jacob.
18 Leah said: God has given me my reward, because I gave my slave to my husband. So she named him Issachar.
18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my (k)wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband,” and she named him Issachar.(i)
18 Then Leah said, "God has paid me for giving my servant to my husband as his wife." So she named him Issachar.
19 She became pregnant again and gave birth to her sixth son for Jacob.
19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.
19 Later, Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
20 Leah said: God has presented me with a wonderful gift. This time my husband will honor me, because I have given him six sons. So she named him Zebulun.
20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband (l)will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.
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.(j)
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.
Jacob's Prosperity
25 When Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country.
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
25 Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “(O)Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country.
25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so that I can return to my homeland.
25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob told Laban, "Send me off so that I can go back to my place and country.
26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you. Let me depart. For you know how much service I have done for you.
26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
26 Give me my wives and my children (P)for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have (n)rendered you.”
26 Give me my wives and my children that I have worked for, and let me go.(H) You know how hard I have worked for you.”
26 Give me my wives and children for whom I've served you. Then I'll leave, since you're aware of my service to you."
27 But Laban said: If now it pleases you, stay with me. I have observed that Jehovah has blessed me on your account.
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
27 But Laban said to him, “If now (o)it pleases you, stay with me; I have divined (Q)that the Lord has blessed me on your account.”
27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”
27 Then Laban responded, "If I've found favor in your sight, please stay with me, because I've learned through divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.
29 Jacob responded: You know how much work I have done for you and what has happened to your livestock under my care.
29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
29 But he said to him, “(S)You yourself know how I have served you and how your cattle have (q)fared with me.
29 But Jacob replied to Laban, "You know how I've served you and how your cattle thrived under my care.
30 The little that you had before I came has grown to a large amount. Jehovah has blessed you wherever I have been. When may I do something for my own family?
30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
30 For you had little before (r)I came and it has (s)increased to a multitude, and the Lord has blessed you (t)wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?”
30 For you had very little before I came, but now your wealth has increased. The Lord has blessed you because of me. And now, when will I also do something for my own family?”
30 What you had previously was only a few head, but the herd has now multiplied, because the LORD has blessed you through my efforts. But now, when am I going to be able to provide for my own household?"
31 Laban asked: What should I give you? Jacob answered: Do not give me anything. Instead, do something for me. Then I will go back to taking care of and watching your flocks again.
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
31 So he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock:
31 Laban asked, “What should I give you?”And Jacob said, “You don’t need to give me anything. If you do this one thing for me, I will continue to shepherd and keep your flock.
31 "What do I have to give you?" Laban asked.
32 Let me go through all of your flocks today and take every speckled and spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted and speckled goat. They will be my wages.
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
32 let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every (T)speckled and spotted sheep and every black (u)one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.
32 Let me go through all your sheep today and remove every sheep that is speckled or spotted, every dark-colored sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the female goats. Such will be my wages.
32 Jacob responded, "You don't have to give me anything. Just do this for me: Let me tend your flock again and watch over it. Let me walk among your flocks today and remove every speckled or spotted sheep, along with every black lamb, and let me do the same with the speckled and spotted goats. These will be my wages.
33 My honesty will speak for itself whenever you come to check on my wages. Any goat I have that is not speckled or spotted or any lamb that is not black will be considered stolen.
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
33 So my (v)honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my (w)wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen.”
33 In the future when you come to check on my wages, my honesty will testify for me. If I have any female goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not black, they will be considered stolen.”
33 In the future, you'll be able to verify my honesty because, when you come to check what I've earned, if you find a goat that's not speckled or spotted or a sheep that's not black, then it will have been stolen by me."
35 Laban took out the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats (every one with white on it), and every black lamb. He had his sons take charge of them that same day.
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
35 So he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the (y)care of his sons.
35 That day Laban removed the streaked and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored one among the lambs, and he placed his sons in charge of them.
35 That very day, Laban removed the male goats that were striped or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted that is, every one that had white on them and all the black lambs and placed them into the care of his sons.
36 They moved away from Jacob with this flock as far as he could travel in three days. Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flocks.
36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
36 And he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
36 He put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob, meanwhile, was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flock.
36 He sent them as far away from Jacob as a three days' journey could take them.
37 Jacob took green branches of poplar (storax), almond, and plane trees and stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them.
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
37 Then Jacob (z)took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was (aa)in the rods.
37 Jacob then took branches of fresh poplar, almond, and plane wood, and peeled the bark, exposing white stripes on the branches.
37 Meanwhile, Jacob kept tending the rest of Laban's flock. Jacob took branches from white poplar trees, freshly cut almond trees, and some other trees, stripped off their bark to make white streaks, and uncovered the white part inside the branches.
38 He placed these branches in front of the flocks at their drinking troughs. He put them there, because the animals mated when they came to drink.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
38 He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they (ab)mated when they came to drink.
38 He set the peeled branches in the troughs in front of the sheep—in the water channels where the sheep came to drink. And the sheep bred when they came to drink.
38 Then he placed the branches that he had stripped bare in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He placed the branches in front of the flock, and they went into heat as they came to drink.
39 So when the goats bred in front of the branches, they produced young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
39 So the flocks (ac)mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted.
39 When the flocks mated in front of the branches, they would bear offspring that were striped, speckled, or spotted.
40 Jacob kept the sheep separate from the goats and made them face in the direction of the streaked and black animals of Laban's flock. In this way he built up his own flock and kept it apart from Laban's.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
40 Jacob separated the lambs, and (ad)made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
40 Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face the streaked and the completely dark sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and didn’t put them with Laban’s sheep.
40 Jacob kept the lambs separate, facing the striped and entirely black ones that belonged to Laban's flock. He set his own herd by itself and would not let them be with Laban's flock.
41 When the strongest of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
41 Moreover, whenever the (ae)stronger of the flock (af)were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might (ag)mate by the rods;
41 Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs, in full view of the flocks, and they would breed in front of the branches.
41 Whenever the more vigorous of the flock came into heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the flock to make them mate by the branches.
42 When the flock was feeble, he did not put them in. That way the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
42 but when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the (ah)stronger Jacob’s.
42 As for the weaklings of the flocks, he did not put out the branches. So it turned out that the weak sheep belonged to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.
42 But he didn't put the branches in front of any of the feeble members of the flock. As a result, the feeble ones belonged to Laban, but the stronger ones belonged to Jacob.
43 He became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
43 So (U)the man (ai)became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.
43 And the man became very rich.(l) He had many flocks, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys.(L)
43 Therefore the man Jacob prospered so much that he had large flocks, female and male servants, as well as camels and donkeys.