1
When Rachel saw that
1she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die! ”
2
Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God,
2who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? ”
3
Then she said, “Here is my servant
3Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth
4on my behalf, that even I may have children through her. ”
4
So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5
And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.
6
Then Rachel said, “God has
5judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son. ” Therefore she called his name Dan.
7
Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.
8
Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed. ” So she called his name
6Naphtali.
9
When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and
7gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10
Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
11
And Leah said,
8“Good fortune has come! ” so she called his name
9Gad.
12
Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.
13
And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women
10have called me happy. ” So she called his name Asher.
14
In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found
11mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes. ”
15
But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also? ” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes. ”
16
When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes. ” So he lay with her that night.
17
And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18
Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband. ” So she called his name Issachar.
19
And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son.
20
Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons. ” So she called his name
12Zebulun.
21
Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
22
Then God
13remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and
14opened her womb.
23
She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away
15my reproach. ”
24
And she called his name Joseph, saying,
16“May the Lord add to me another son! ”