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Genesis 30-31
New Life Version

30 When Rachel saw that she had not given birth to any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die!” 2 Then Jacob became angry with Rachel. He said, “Am I taking God’s place, Who has kept you from giving birth?” 3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, the woman who serves me. Go in to her, and let her give birth for me. Even I may have children through her.” 4 So she gave Bilhah to him for a wife, the woman who served her. And Jacob went in to her. 5 Bilhah was going to have a child and she gave birth to a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has done the right thing for me. He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” So she gave him the name Dan. 7 Bilhah, the woman who served Rachel, was going to have another child. And she gave birth to another son for Jacob. 8 So Rachel said, “I have fought a hard fight with my sister, and I have won.” She gave him the name Naphtali.

9 Leah saw that she had stopped giving birth. So she took Zilpah, the woman who served her, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And a son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah. 11 Then Leah said, “Good things have happened to me!” So she gave him the name Gad. 12 A second son was born to Jacob through Zilpah, the woman who served Leah. 13 Then Leah said, “I am happy! For women will say that I am happy.” So she gave him the name Asher.

14 During the time of gathering grain, Reuben went out in the field and found some fruit. He brought it to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s fruit.” 15 But Leah said, “Is it not enough to take my husband? Would you take my son’s fruit also?” So Rachel said, “Jacob may lie with you tonight if you give me your son’s fruit.”

16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight. For I have paid for you with my son’s fruit.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God heard Leah and she gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my pay because I gave my husband the woman who serves me.” So she gave him the name Issachar. 19 Leah was going to have another child and she gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will live with me, because I have given birth to six sons.” So she gave him the name of Zebulun. 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter, and gave her the name Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her, and made her able to have a child, 23 and she gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 She gave him the name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me another son.”

25 When Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so I may go to my own place and my own country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served. Let me leave, for you know how much I have served you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If now it pleases you, stay with me. I have learned that the Lord has brought good to me because of you.” 28 Then he said, “Tell me what you want to be paid, and I will pay it.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how much I have served you and how I have cared for your cattle. 30 For you had little before I came. But now it has become very much. The Lord has brought good to you everywhere I turned. But when will I be able to give much to those of my own house also?”

31 Laban said, “What should I pay you?” Jacob said, “Do not pay me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again feed and take care of your flock. 32 Let me go through your whole flock today. Let me take out of it every sheep and every goat that has spots, and every black lamb. These will be my pay. 33 So my fair actions will answer for me later, when you come to look at what I have been paid. If you find any sheep or goat without spots or any lamb that is not black, you may think of them as stolen.” 34 And Laban said, “Good! Let it be done as you say.” 35 That day Laban took out all the male goats with spots and all the female goats with spots, every one with white on it, and every black sheep. And he put them into the care of his sons. 36 Then he traveled three days away from Jacob. And Jacob was left to care for the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Then Jacob took green sticks of three kinds of trees. And he cut white marks in them, showing the white which was in the sticks. 38 He took these sticks which he had cut and set them in front of the flocks, in the place where the flocks came to drink. And the animals mated when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks mated in front of the sticks. And the young that were born had spots. 40 Then Jacob divided the lambs. He made the flocks look toward Laban’s flock of the animals which were black or with spots. And he put his own flocks by themselves. He did not put them with Laban’s flock. 41 When the stronger animals of the flock were mating, Jacob would put the sticks in the water in front of the flock so they would mate by the sticks. 42 But when the flock was weak, Jacob did not put the sticks in. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones went to Jacob. 43 Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks and camels and donkeys, and men and women servants.

Jacob Leaves Laban

31 Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that our father had. He has become rich with what had belonged to our father.” 2 Jacob saw that Laban did not show him as much favor as he did before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to those of your family. And I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the field. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father does not show me as much favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have worked for your father with all my strength. 7 Yet your father has not been fair with me. He has changed my pay ten times. But God did not let him hurt me. 8 If he said, ‘The animals that have spots will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with spots. If he said, ‘The animals with black marks will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with black marks. 9 So God has taken away your father’s animals and has given them to me. 10 I had a dream at the time the flocks were mating. I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating with the female goats had black marks and spots. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Look and see how all the male goats that are mating with the others have black marks and spots. For I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you set up a stone in honor to Me, and where you made a promise to Me. Now get up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

14 Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we still have any part or share in our father’s house? 15 Does he not think of us as strangers? For he has sold us. And he has used all the money that was paid for us. 16 All the riches that God has taken away from our father belong to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”

17 Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels. 18 He took away all his animals, all the riches he had gathered and all the cattle he had gathered in Paddan-aram. And he left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. 19 Laban had gone to cut the wool from his flock. And Rachel stole the gods of her father’s house. 20 Jacob fooled Laban the Syrian by not telling him that he was going. 21 So he left with all he had. He went and crossed the Euphrates River, and turned toward the hill country of Gilead.

Laban Follows after Jacob

22 But Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had gone. 23 So he took the men of his family with him, and followed Jacob for seven days. He found him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night. He said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak good or bad to Jacob.”

25 Then Laban came to Jacob. Now Jacob had put up his tent in the hill country. Laban and the men of his family put up their tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What do you mean by fooling me and carrying away my daughters as if they were taken by the sword? 27 Why did you leave in secret and fool me? Why did you not tell me, so I would have sent you away with joy and with songs and with sounds of joy on the timbrel and harp. 28 Why did you not let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters good-bye? Now you have been foolish. 29 I have the power to hurt you. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak good or bad to Jacob.’ 30 Now you have gone away because you had a desire for your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid you might take your daughters from me and make them stay. 32 The one with whom you find your gods will not live. In front of those of our family, look for what I have that is yours, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two women who served Rachel and Leah. But he did not find his gods. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the gods of Laban’s house and put them in the seat that was used on the camel’s back. And she sat upon them. Laban looked through the whole tent, but did not find them. 35 She said to her father, “My lord, do not be angry that I cannot rise in front of you. For the way of women is upon me.” So he looked, but could not find the gods.

36 Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What is my sin that made you run after me? 37 What things of your house have you found by looking through all that belongs to me? Set it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, so they may judge between us. 38 During these twenty years I have been with you, your female goats and sheep have not lost a young one. And I have not eaten the sheep of your flocks. 39 I did not bring to you those that were torn by wild animals. I took the loss upon myself. You had me pay for what was carried away during the day or during the night. 40 This is the way it was for me. I suffered from heat during the day, and from cold during the night. And I could not sleep. 41 I have been in your house twenty years. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. And you changed my pay ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, for sure you would have sent me away with nothing. God has seen my suffering and the work of my hands. So He spoke sharp words to you last night.”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters. The children are my children. And the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children who were born to them? 44 So come now, let us make an agreement, you and I. And let us do something to show we have an agreement between us.”

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up in honor of the agreement. 46 Then Jacob said to the men of his family, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and put them on top of each other. And they ate there by all the stones. 47 Laban gave the stones the name of Jegar-sahadutha. But Jacob gave them the name Galeed. 48 Laban said, “These stones are to stand for the agreement between you and me today.” So they were given the name Galeed. 49 They were given the name of Mizpah also. For Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are apart from each other. 50 If you hurt my daughters, or if you take wives other than my daughters, no man may see it. But God sees what happens between you and me.” 51 Laban said to Jacob, “See these stones that have been set up between you and me. 52 These stones that have been set up will stand for our agreement. I will not pass by these stones to hurt you. And you will not pass by these stones to hurt me. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob promised by the fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob gave a gift in worship to God on the mountain. Then he called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed the night on the mountain.

55 Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and daughters. He prayed that good would come to them. Then Laban left and returned home.

Listen to Genesis 30-31
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Genesis 30-31
New International Version

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(A) she became jealous of her sister.(B) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(C) who has kept you from having children?”(D)

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(E) my servant.(F) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(G)

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(H) Jacob slept with her,(I) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(J) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(K) Because of this she named him Dan.[a](L)

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah(M) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(N) So she named him Naphtali.[b](O)

9 When Leah(P) saw that she had stopped having children,(Q) she took her servant Zilpah(R) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(S) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(T) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[c] So she named him Gad.[d](U)

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(V) happy.”(W) So she named him Asher.[e](X)

14 During wheat harvest,(Y) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(Z) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough(AA) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”(AB)

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”(AC) So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah,(AD) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”(AE) So she named him Issachar.[f](AF)

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,(AG) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[g](AH)

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(AI)

22 Then God remembered Rachel;(AJ) he listened to her(AK) and enabled her to conceive.(AL) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(AM) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(AN) 24 She named him Joseph,[h](AO) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(AP)

Jacob’s Flocks Increase

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way(AQ) so I can go back to my own homeland.(AR) 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you,(AS) and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(AT) please stay. I have learned by divination(AU) that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”(AV) 28 He added, “Name your wages,(AW) and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you(AX) and how your livestock has fared under my care.(AY) 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been.(AZ) But now, when may I do something for my own household?(BA)”

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let 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.(BB) They will be my wages.(BC) 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored,(BD) will be considered stolen.(BE)”

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs,(BF) and he placed them in the care of his sons.(BG) 36 Then he put a three-day journey(BH) between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond(BI) and plane trees(BJ) and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.(BK) 38 Then he placed the peeled branches(BL) in all the watering troughs,(BM) so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat(BN) and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches.(BO) And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.(BP) 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals(BQ) that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat,(BR) Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,(BS) 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.(BT) 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.(BU)

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons(BV) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”(BW) 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.(BX)

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back(BY) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”(BZ)

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s(CA) attitude toward me is not what it was before,(CB) but the God of my father has been with me.(CC) 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,(CD) 7 yet your father has cheated(CE) me by changing my wages(CF) ten times.(CG) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.(CH) 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’(CI) then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock(CJ) and has given them to me.(CK)

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream(CL) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God(CM) said to me in the dream,(CN) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’(CO) 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,(CP) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(CQ) 13 I am the God of Bethel,(CR) where you anointed a pillar(CS) and where you made a vow(CT) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.(CU)’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share(CV) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners?(CW) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.(CX) 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.(CY) So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives(CZ) on camels,(DA) 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated(DB) in Paddan Aram,[i](DC) to go to his father Isaac(DD) in the land of Canaan.(DE)

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,(DF) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(DG) 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived(DH) Laban the Aramean(DI) by not telling him he was running away.(DJ) 21 So he fled(DK) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,(DL) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.(DM)

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day(DN) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(DO) 23 Taking his relatives(DP) with him(DQ), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(DR) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(DS) in a dream at night and said to him,(DT) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(DU)

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(DV) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(DW) You’ve deceived me,(DX) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(DY) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(DZ) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(EA) and harps?(EB) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(EC) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(ED) but last night the God of your father(EE) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(EF) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(EG) But why did you steal(EH) my gods?(EI)”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(EJ) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(EK) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.(EL)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(EM) and into the tent of the two female servants,(EN) but he found nothing.(EO) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(EP) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(EQ) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(ER) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;(ES) I’m having my period.(ET)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(EU)

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(EV) you that you hunt me down?(EW) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(EX) Put it here in front of your relatives(EY) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(EZ)

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(FA) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(FB) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen(FC) by day or night.(FD) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(FE) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(FF) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(FG) and six years for your flocks,(FH) and you changed my wages(FI) ten times.(FJ) 42 If the God of my father,(FK) the God of Abraham(FL) and the Fear of Isaac,(FM) had not been with me,(FN) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(FO) and last night he rebuked you.(FP)”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(FQ) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant,(FR) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(FS)

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(FT) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(FU) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[j](FV)

48 Laban said, “This heap(FW) is a witness between you and me today.”(FX) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[k](FY) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(FZ) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(GA) between you and me.”(GB)

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(GC) and here is this pillar(GD) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(GE) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(GF) and pillar to my side to harm me.(GG) 53 May the God of Abraham(GH) and the God of Nahor,(GI) the God of their father, judge between us.”(GJ)

So Jacob took an oath(GK) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(GL) 54 He offered a sacrifice(GM) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(GN) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(GO) and blessed(GP) them. Then he left and returned home.[l](GQ)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  2. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  3. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  4. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  5. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  6. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  7. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  8. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.
  9. Genesis 31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  10. Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
  11. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
  12. Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
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