Genesis 29:16–30:24

¹⁶Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷Now the eyes of Leah were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. ¹⁸And Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” ¹⁹Then Laban said, “Better that I give her to you than I give her to another man. Stay with me.” ²⁰And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they were as a few days in his eyes because he loved her. ²¹And Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, that I may go in to her, for my time^e is completed.” ²²So Laban gathered all the men of the place and prepared a feast. ²³And it happened that in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her. ²⁴And Laban gave Zilpah his female slave to her, to Leah his daughter as a female servant. ²⁵And it happened that in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Now why did you deceive me?” ²⁶Then Laban said, “It is not the custom^f in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. ²⁷Complete the week of this one,^g then I will also give you the other, on the condition that you will work for me^h another seven years.” ²⁸And Jacob did so. So he completed the week of this one,ⁱ then he gave Rachel his daughter to him as a wife. ²⁹And Laban gave Bilhah his female slave to Rachel his daughter as a female servant. ³⁰Then he also went in to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

³¹When Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. ³²Then Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because Yahweh has noticed my misery. Surely now my husband will love me.” ³³And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, “It is because Yahweh has heard that I am unloved that he gave me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. ³⁴And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore, she called his name Levi. ³⁵And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, “This time I will praise Yahweh.” Therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased bearing children.

Jacob’s Children

30When Rachel saw that she could not bear children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, “Give me children—if not, I will die!” ²And Jacob became angry^a with Rachel. And he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” ³Then she said, “Here is my servant girl Bilhah; go in to her that she may bear children as my surrogate.^b Then I will even have children^c by her.” ⁴Then she gave him Bilhah, her female slave, as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. ⁵And Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. ⁶Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. ⁷And Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, conceived again and bore a second son to Jacob. ⁸And Rachel said, “I have struggled a mighty struggle with my sister and have prevailed.” And she called his name Naphtali. ⁹When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took Zilpah her female slave and gave her to Jacob as a wife. ¹⁰And Zilpah, the female slave of Leah, bore a son to Jacob. ¹¹Then Leah said, “Good fortune!” And she called his name Gad. ¹²And Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, bore a second son to Jacob. ¹³Then Leah said, “How happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.

¹⁴And in the days of the wheat harvest, Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and he brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁵And she said to her, “Is your taking my husband such a small thing that you will also take the mandrakes of my son?” Then Rachel said, “Then he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” ¹⁶When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him. And she said, “Come in to me, for I have hired^d you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night. ¹⁷And God listened to Leah and she conceived and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. ¹⁸Then Leah said, “God has given me my wage since I gave my slave girl to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar. ¹⁹And Leah conceived again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. ²⁰And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift. This time my husband will acknowledge me, because I bore him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun. ²¹And afterward she gave birth to a daughter. And she called her name Dinah. ²²Then God remembered Rachel and listened to her, and God opened her womb. ²³And she conceived and gave birth to a son. And she said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” ²⁴And she called his name Joseph, saying, “Yahweh has added to me another son.”