Rachel and Leah

(9) While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s flock—for she was its shepherd.

(10) And when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the flock of his uncle Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his uncle Laban.

(11) Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears.

(12) Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, that he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father. (13) On hearing the news of his sister’s son Jacob, Laban ran to greet him; he embraced him and kissed him, and took him into his house. He told Laban all that had happened, (14) and Laban said to him, “You are truly my bone and flesh.”When he had stayed with him a month’s time, (15) Laban said to Jacob, “Just because you are a kinsman, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

(16) Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

(30) And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him another seven years.

(31) Seeing that Leah was unloved, יהוה opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

(32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben; for she declared, “It means: ‘יהוה has seen my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’”

(33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because יהוה heard that I was unloved and has given me this one also”; so she named him Simeon. (34) Again she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. (35) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This time I will praise יהוה.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

(1) When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister; and Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die.” (2) Jacob was incensed at Rachel, and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you fruit of the womb?”

(3) She said, “Here is my slavegirl Bilhah. Consort with her, that she may bear on my knees and that through her I too may have children.” (4) So she gave him her slavegirl Bilhah as concubine, and Jacob cohabited with her. (5) Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

(6) And Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; indeed, [God] has heeded my plea and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. (7) Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. (8) And Rachel said, “A fateful contest I waged with my sister; yes, and I have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali.

(19) When Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son, (20) Leah said, “God has given me a choice gift; this time my husband will exalt me, for I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. (21) Last, she bore him a daughter, and named her Dinah.

(22) Now God remembered Rachel; God heeded her and opened her womb. (23) She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” (24) So she named him Joseph, which is to say, “May יהוה add another son for me.” (25) After Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Give me leave to go back to my own homeland.

(26) Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, that I may go; for well you know what services I have rendered you.” (27) But Laban said to him, “If you will indulge me, I have learned by divination that יהוה has blessed me on your account.”

(28) And he continued, “Name the wages due from me, and I will pay you.” (29) But he said, “You know well how I have served you and how your livestock has fared with me. (30) For the little you had before I came has grown to much, since יהוה has blessed you wherever I turned. And now, when shall I make provision for my own household?”

​​​​​​​ (31) He said, “What shall I pay you?” And Jacob said, “Pay me nothing! If you will do this thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flocks: (32) let me pass through your whole flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted animal—every dark-colored sheep and every spotted and speckled goat. Such shall be my wages. (33) In the future when you go over my wages, let my honesty toward you testify for me: if there are among my goats any that are not speckled or spotted or any sheep that are not dark-colored, they got there by theft.” (34) And Laban said, “Very well, let it be as you say.” (35) But that same day he removed the streaked and spotted he-goats and all the speckled and spotted she-goats—every one that had white on it—and all the dark-colored sheep, and left them in the charge of his sons. (36) And he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flock.

(25) Laban overtook Jacob. Jacob had pitched his tent on the Height, and Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country of Gilead.

(26) And Laban said to Jacob, “What did you mean by keeping me in the dark and carrying off my daughters like captives of the sword? (27) Why did you flee in secrecy and mislead me and not tell me? I would have sent you off with festive music, with timbrel and lyre. (28) You did not even let me kiss my sons and daughters good-by! It was a foolish thing for you to do.

(29) I have it in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father’s [house] said to me last night, ‘Beware of attempting anything with Jacob, good or bad.’ (30) Very well, you had to leave because you were longing for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?”

(31) Jacob answered Laban, saying, “I was afraid because I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. (32) But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! In the presence of our kin, point out what I have of yours and take it.” Jacob, of course, did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

(33) So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and Leah’s tent and the tents of the two maidservants; but he did not find them. Leaving Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent.

(34) Rachel, meanwhile, had taken the idols and placed them in the camel cushion and sat on them; and Laban rummaged through the tent without finding them. (35) For she said to her father, “Let not my lord take it amiss that I cannot rise before you, for I am in a womanly way.” Thus he searched, but could not find the household idols.

(36) Now Jacob became incensed and took up his grievance with Laban. Jacob spoke up and said to Laban, “What is my crime, what is my guilt that you should pursue me?