| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. | 1When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I'll die!" |
| 2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” | 2Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?" |
| 3Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.” | 3She replied, "Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her." |
| 4So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her, | 4So Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with her. |
| 5and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son. | 5Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son. |
| 6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan. | 6Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son." That is why she named him Dan. |
| 7And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. | 7Bilhah, Rachel's servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. |
| 8Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali. | 8Then Rachel said, "I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won." So she named him Naphtali. |
| 9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. | 9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. |
| 10And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. | 10Soon Leah's servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. |
| 11Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. | 11Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad. |
| 12When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, | 12Then Leah's servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. |
| 13Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher. | 13Leah said, "How happy I am, for women will call me happy!" So she named him Asher. |
| 14Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” | 14At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Give me some of your son's mandrakes." |
| 15But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” | 15But Leah replied, "Wasn't it enough that you've taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes too?" "All right," Rachel said, "he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." |
| 16When 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 he slept with her that night. | 16When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must sleep with me because I have paid for your services with my son's mandrakes." So he had marital relations with her that night. |
| 17And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. | 17God paid attention to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. |
| 18Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. | 18Then Leah said, "God has granted me a reward because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife." So she named him Issachar. |
| 19Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. | 19Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. |
| 20“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun. | 20Then Leah said, "God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. |
| 21After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. | 21After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. |
| 22Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, | 22Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. |
| 23and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. | 23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, "God has taken away my shame." |
| 24She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.” | 24She named him Joseph, saying, "May the LORD give me yet another son." |
| 25Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland. | 25After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country. |
| 26Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.” | 26Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. Then I'll depart, because you know how hard I've worked for you." |
| 27But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” | 27But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, for I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me on account of you." |
| 28And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” | 28He added, "Just name your wages--I'll pay whatever you want." |
| 29Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care. | 29"You know how I have worked for you," Jacob replied, "and how well your livestock have fared under my care. |
| 30Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?” | 30Indeed, you had little before I arrived, but now your possessions have increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I worked. But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?" |
| 31“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks. | 31So Laban asked, "What should I give you?" "You don't need to give me a thing," Jacob replied, "but if you agree to this one condition, I will continue to care for your flocks and protect them: |
| 32Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages. | 32Let me walk among all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and the spotted or speckled goats. These animals will be my wages. |
| 33So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.” | 33My integrity will testify for me later on. When you come to verify that I've taken only the wages we agreed on, if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen." |
| 34“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” | 34"Agreed!" said Laban, "It will be as you say." |
| 35That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons. | 35So that day Laban removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care of his sons. |
| 36Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks. | 36Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, while Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban's flocks. |
| 37Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. | 37But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. |
| 38Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink, | 38Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. |
| 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. | 39When the sheep mated in front of the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. |
| 40Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals. | 40Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban's flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban's flocks. |
| 41Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches. | 41When the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. |
| 42But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. | 42But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban and the stronger animals to Jacob. |
| 43Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys. | 43In this way Jacob became extremely prosperous. He owned large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys. |
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