1Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.

2But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

3Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.

6Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.

7And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.

8And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

9When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.

10And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.

11And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.

12And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.

13And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.

14Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

15But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

16In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.

17And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.

18Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.

19And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

20And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.

21After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.

22Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.

23And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.

24And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.

25Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

27And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.

28Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.

29Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.

30For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?

31And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:

32Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.

33And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.

34And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

35So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

36And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

37Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.

38And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

39And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

40These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

41And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

42But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

43So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.