32 S Genesis 29:24
acob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his
J
daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is
this you have done to me? I s erved you for Rachel, d
idn’t I? Why have you
deceived me?”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in
marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we
will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave
him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his
daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his
love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban
another seven years.
Jacob’s Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not l oved, he enabled her to conceive,
but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave b
irth to a
son. She n
amed him Reuben, a for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen
my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33 She conceived again, and when she gave b
irth to a son she said, “Because
the Lord heard that I am not l oved, he gave me this one too.” So she n
amed
him Simeon. b
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at
last my husband will become attached to me, because I have b
orne him t hree
sons.” So he was named Levi. c
35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This
time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. d Then she stopped
having children.
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she be
came jealous of her sister. 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, who has
kept you from having children?”
3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can
bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”
4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5 and
she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vin
dicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this
she named him Dan. e
7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived a
gain and bore Jacob a second son.
8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have
won.” So she n
amed him Naphtali. f
9 When Leah saw that she had s topped having children, she took her ser
vant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob
a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” g So she named him Gad. h
12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How
happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. i
14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some
mandrake plants, which he b
rought 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 that you took away my husband?
Will you take my s on’s mandrakes too?”
“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can s leep with you tonight in return for your
son’s mandrakes.”
30
a 32
Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see,
a son. b 33 Simeon probably means one who hears. c 34 Levi sounds like and may be
derived from the Hebrew for attached. d 35 Judah sounds like and may be derived
from the Hebrew for praise. e 6 Dan here means he has vindicated. f 8 Naphtali
means my struggle. g 11 Or “A troop is coming!” h 11 Gad can mean good fortune
or a troop. i 13 Asher means happy.