Genesis 30:1-23

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 furious with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

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 him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with her.

5Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son.

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.

7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son.

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.

10Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son.

11Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

12Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son.

13Leah said, “How happy I am, for women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher.

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, “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 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.

17God paid attention to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time.

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.

19Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time.

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 she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.

23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.”