The Beginning (Genesis) 30

1When Ewe (Rachel) saw that she bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) no children, Ewe (Rachel) envied her sister; and said to Heel-Grabber (Jacob), “Give me children, or else I die.”

 2Then Heel-Grabber (Jacob)'s anger was kindled against Ewe (Rachel). He said, “Am I in God ('Elohiym)'s stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

 3She answered, “Here's my maid Troubled (Bilhah), go in to her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may have children by her.”

 4So she gave him Troubled (Bilhah) her handmaid to wife: and Heel-Grabber (Jacob) went in to her.

 5Troubled (Bilhah) conceived, and bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) a son.

 6Ewe (Rachel) said, “God ('Elohiym) has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore, called she his name Judge (Dan).

 7Then Troubled (Bilhah) Ewe (Rachel)'s maid conceived again, and bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) a second son.

 8Ewe (Rachel) said, “With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed!” So she called his name Wrestling (Naphtali).

 9When Weary (Leah) saw that she had left bearing, she took A Trickling (Zilpah) her maid, and gave her Heel-Grabber (Jacob) to wife.

 10A Trickling (Zilpah) Weary (Leah)'s maid bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) a son.

 11Weary (Leah) said, A troop comes: and she called his name Troop (Gad).

 12Then A Trickling (Zilpah) Weary (Leah)'s maid bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) a second son.

 13And Weary (Leah) said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” and she called his name Happy (Asher).

 14Then Behold a Son (Reuben) went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Weary (Leah). Ewe (Rachel) said to Weary (Leah), Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.”

 15And She answered her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?” Ewe (Rachel) said, “He shall lie with you to night for your son's mandrakes.”

 16Heel-Grabber (Jacob) came out of the field in the evening, and Weary (Leah) went out to meet him. She said, “Tonight you sleep with me. I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.” So he stayed with her that night.

 17God ('Elohiym) listened to Weary (Leah), and she conceived, and bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) the fifth son.

 18Weary (Leah) said, “God ('Elohiym) has given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband.” and she called his name Recompense (Issachar).

 19Weary (Leah) conceived again, and bore Heel-Grabber (Jacob) the sixth son.

 20Weary (Leah) said, “God ('Elohiym) has given me a good dowry; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have born him six sons.” And she called his name Exalted (Zebulun).

 21Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and called her name Judgment (Dinah).

 22Then God ('Elohiym) remembered Ewe (Rachel), and God ('Elohiym) listened to her, and opened her womb.

 23She conceived, and bore a son; and said, “God ('Elohiym) has taken away my shame.”

 24She called his name Yehovah Will Add (Joseph); and said, “I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) shall add to me another son.”

 25And it came to pass, when Ewe (Rachel) had born Yehovah Will Add (Joseph), that Heel-Grabber (Jacob) said to White (Laban), “Send me away, that I may go home to my country.

 26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go. I have fulfilled my end of the deal.”

 27White (Laban) answered him, Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, stay. I have learned by experience that I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) has blessed me for your sake.”

 28 He added, “Name your price and I'll pay you.”

 29Heel-Grabber (Jacob) answered him, You know how I have served you, and how your cattle were with me.

 30You didn't have much of a flock before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude. I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) has blessed you since my coming. Now I want to build my own flock.

 31White answered, “What shall I give you?” Heel-Grabber (Jacob) answered, You don't need to give me any thing, if you will do this thing for me: I will again feed and keep your flock.

 32I will pass through all your flock today, removing from them all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. That will be my wages.

 33 That way there will be no way I can cheat you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

 34And Laban said, “That sounds like a good plan to me. So be it.”

 35 Then he removed from the flock all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

 36And he set three days' journey between himself and Heel-Grabber (Jacob): and Heel-Grabber (Jacob) fed the rest of White (Laban)'s flocks.

 37Heel-Grabber (Jacob) then took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and pealed strips in the bark, making the white appear in the rods.

 38He set the rods which he had pealed before the flocks in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.*

 39The flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth sheep and goats that were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

 40Heel-Grabber (Jacob) separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of White (Laban); and he put his own flocks by themselves, away from White (Laban)'s cattle.

 41And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger sheep and goats conceived, that Heel-Grabber (Jacob) laid the rods in the water troughs, that they might conceive among the rods.

 42But when the sheep and goats were feeble, he didn't put them in: so the feebler were White (Laban)'s, and the stronger Heel-Grabber (Jacob)'s.

 43And the man increased exceedingly, and had many sheep and goats, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

*The practice of putting pealed rods in the drinking water of sheep was a known aphrodisiac. The vitamins and minerals released in the water also produced stronger lambs. Heel-Grabber (Jacob) purposely bred the flock to produce the maximum number of spotted animals.