Genesis 30
Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, giveth Bilhah her maid unto Jacob.
Genesis 30:1 And Rachel saw she had borne no children unto Jacob, so Rachel became envious of her sister,—and said unto Jacob, Come! give me children, or else, I die. Genesis 30:2 Then kindled the anger of Jacob with Rachel,—and he said, Am I, in the place of God, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Genesis 30:3 And she said, Lo! my handmaid, Bilhah, Go in unto her,—that she may bear upon my knees, so that, I also, may be builded up by her! Genesis 30:4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid, to wife,—and Jacob went in unto her;
She beareth Dan and Naphtali.
Genesis 30:5 and Bilhah conceived, and bare unto Jacob a son; Genesis 30:6 and Rachel said, God hath vindicated me. Moreover also he hath hearkened unto my voice, and hath given me a son. For this cause, called she his name, Dan. Genesis 30:7 And Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bare a second son to Jacob. Genesis 30:8 Then said Rachel, With wrestlings of God, have I wrestled with my sister, Yea I have prevailed. So she called his name, Naphtali.
Leah giveth Zilpah her maid, who beareth Gad and Asher.
Genesis 30:9 Then saw Leah, that she had left off bearing,—so she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob, to wife. Genesis 30:10 And Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bare to Jacob a son: Genesis 30:11 and Leah said, Victory hath come! So she called his name, Gad. Genesis 30:12 And Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bare a second son to Jacob; Genesis 30:13 and Leah said, For my happiness, surely happy, have daughters pronounced me. So she called his name, Asher.
Reuben findeth mandrakes, with which Leah buyeth her husband of Rachel.
Genesis 30:14 Then went Reuben, in the days of the wheat harvest, and found mandrakes, in the field, and brought them in unto Leah his mother,—and Rachel said unto Leah, Pray give me, some of the mandrakes of thy son! Genesis 30:15 And she said unto her, Is it, a small thing, that thou hast taken away my husband? And wouldst thou take away, even the mandrakes of my son? Then said Rachel, Therefore, shall he lie with thee to-night, for the mandrakes of thy son. Genesis 30:16 And Jacob came in from the field, in the evening, so Leah went out to meet him, and said: Unto me, shalt thou come in, for I have, hired, thee, even with the mandrakes of my son. And he lay with her that night.
Leah beareth Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.
Genesis 30:17 And God hearkened unto Leah,—and she conceived, and bare to Jacob a fifth son. Genesis 30:18 Then said Leah, God hath given my hire, in that I gave my handmaid to my husband. So she called his name, Issachar. Genesis 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jacob. Genesis 30:20 Then said Leah, God hath dowered me, even me, with a handsome dowry, Now, will my husband dwell with me, for I have borne him six sons. So she called his name, Zebulon. Genesis 30:21 And afterwards she bare a daughter,—so she called her name, Dinah.
Rachel beareth Joseph.
Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel,—and God hearkened unto her, and granted her to bear. Genesis 30:23 So she conceived and bare a son,—and said, God hath taken away my reproach; Genesis 30:24 So she called his name, Joseph, saying, Yahweh is adding unto me another son.
Jacob desireth to depart.
Genesis 30:25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph,—that Jacob said unto Laban, Let me go, that I may take my journey, unto my place, and to my land. Genesis 30:26 Come, give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me take my journey,—for, thou, knowest my service, wherewith I have served thee.
Laban stayeth him on a new covenant.
Genesis 30:27 And Laban said unto him, If, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, . . . I have divined that Yahweh hath blessed me for thy sake. Genesis 30:28 And he said,—Come, fix thy wages for me, that I may give it! Genesis 30:29 And he said unto him, Thou, knowest how I have served thee,—and how thy cattle have fared, with me. Genesis 30:30 For it was, little, that thou hadst—before I came, and then it brake forth into multitude, and Yahweh blessed thee at my every step. Now, therefore, when am, I, also to do something, for my own house? Genesis 30:31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said: Thou shall give me, nothing at all, If thou wilt do for me this thing, I will return, I will shepherd thy flock, I will keep it: Genesis 30:32 Let me pass through all thy flock today, removing from thence—every young one that is speckled and spotted, and every young one that is dark-coloured, among the young sheep, and spotted and speckled, among the goats, and they shall be my wages. Genesis 30:33 And my righteousness shall answer for me, on a future day, when thou shall come in respecting my hire that is before thee,—Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and dark-coloured among the young sheep, stolen, shall it be accounted, if found, with me. Genesis 30:34 Then said Laban, Lo! would it might be according to thy word! Genesis 30:35 So he removed, on that day, 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 every dark-coloured one among the young sheep,—and delivered them into the hand of his sons; Genesis 30:36 then put he a journey of three days between himself and Jacob,—but, Jacob himself, continued tending the flocks of Laban that were left.
Jacob's policy, whereby he became rich.
Genesis 30:37 So then Jacob took him rods of young storax, and hazel and maple,—and peeled in them white stripes, laying bare the white, which was on the rods. Genesis 30:38 And he set the rods which he had peeled, in the channels, in the troughs of water,—where the flocks came in to drink, straight before the flocks, and the females of the flock used to be in heat when they came in to drink; Genesis 30:39 and the males of the flock were in heat before the rods,—so the flocks brought forth ring-straked, speckled, and spotted. Genesis 30:40 The rams also, did Jacob separate, and then set the faces of the flocks towards the ring-straked and all the dark-coloured, among the flocks of Laban,—and he put, his own, droves by themselves, and put them not with the flocks of Laban. Genesis 30:41 So it came to pass, whensoever the stronger of the flocks were in heat, that Jacob set the rods before the eyes of the flocks, in the channels,—that the females might be in heat among the rods; Genesis 30:42 but, when the flocks were late in bearing, he did not set them,—and so the late-born were Laban's, but the strong ones Jacob's. Genesis 30:43 Thus did the man break forth, exceedingly,—thus came he to have flocks in abundance, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and camels, and asses.
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