Rochel saw that she was not bearing children to Yaakov. Rochel became jealous of her sister, and she said to Yaakov, Give me children; if not I am [considered] dead.

Yaakov became very angry with Rochel, and he said, Am I in God’s place? [Are you asking me? Is it not from before God that you should ask?] [It is He] who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.

She said, Here is my handmaid, Bilhah, consummate a marriage with her. Let her give birth upon my knees [and I will rear them], and I too will have a son [be built up] through her.

She gave him Bilhah, her handmaid, as a wife and Yaakov consummated the marriage with her.

Bilhah conceived and bore Yaakov a son.

Rochel said, Elohim has judged me. He has also heard my voice [accepted my prayer], and has given me a son. She therefore named him Don.

She conceived again, and Bilhah, Rochel’s handmaid, bore a second son to Yaakov.

Rochel said, With Elohim’s bonds, I have been joined to my sister, and I have also prevailed [Elohim accepted my request, when I pleaded in my prayer, I desired that I would have offspring like my sister, it was also given to me]. She [therefore] called him Naftali.

Leah realized that she was no longer bearing children. She [therefore] took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Yaakov as a wife.

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Yaakov a son.

Leah said, Unexpected success has come, and she named him Gad.

Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid bore a second son to Yaakov.

Leah said, It is in my good fortune that daughters [women] will consider me fortunate. [Praise is mine, because women will praise me from now.] She named him Asher.

Reuvein went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found jasmine flowers in the field. He brought them to Leah, his mother. Rochel said to Leah, Please [Now] give me some of your son’s jasmine flowers.

She [Leah] said to her, Isn’t it enough that you took my husband? Would you also take my son’s jasmine flowers? Rochel said, Therefore, he shall be with you tonight in exchange for your son’s jasmine flowers.

Yaakov came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him. She said, You will come to me, for I have hired you with my son’s jasmine flowers, and he was with her at night.

Elohim perceived [accepted] Leah’s [wish] [prayer]. She conceived and bore [her] fifth son to Yaakov.

Leah said, Elohim has given me my reward because I gave my handmaid to my husband. She named him Yissachar.

Leah conceived again and bore [her] sixth son to Yaakov.

Leah said, Elohim has given [me] a goodly portion. Now my husband will make his [main] home with me, for I have borne him six sons. She named him Zevulun.

Afterwards she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Deenah.

Elohim remembered Rochel [The remembrance of Rochel came before Elohim, and Elohim perceived her plight] [accepted her prayer] and opened her womb [allowed her to conceive].

She conceived and gave birth to a son. She said, Elohim has removed my shame.

She named him Yoseif, saying, May Adonoy add to me another son.

When Rochel had given birth to Yoseif, Yaakov said to Lavan, Send me on my way, and I will go to my own place and to my homeland.

Give me [permission to take] my wives and my children, for whom I worked for you, and I will go; for you know my work that I did for you.

Lavan said to him, If [now] I have found favor in your eyes, I have divined [determined] that Adonoy has blessed me because of you.

He said, Set your wage for me, and I will give it.

He [Yaakov] said to him, You know how I worked for you, and how your livestock were with me.

For the little you had before I came here has increased and has become a multitude. Adonoy has blessed you with my coming [for my sake]. Now when will I also do something for my own house?

He [Lavan] said, What shall I give you? Yaakov said, Do not give me anything—if you do this thing for me. I will continue to tend your flock and guard it.

I will go through all your flocks this day. I will remove from them every lamb that is speckled, or spotted, and every dark one among the sheep, and every goat that is spotted and speckled. That [kind] will be my wage.

My righteousness shall testify for me in the future when it comes before you regarding my wage. Any goat which is not speckled or spotted, and any sheep that is [not] dark, is stolen [if it is] in my possession.

Lavan said, Agreed, may it be as you say.

That day he [Lavan] removed the he-goats that were ringed and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, everyone that had white in it, and all the dark ones among the sheep; and he gave them to his sons.

He placed a three days journey between himself and Yaakov. Yaakov tended Lavan’s remaining flocks.

Yaakov took rods of poplar that were fresh, hazel and chestnut [trees], and peeled white stripes in them by uncovering the white which is in the rods.

He stuck [inserted] the rods that he had peeled into the ducts of the [place of the] watering troughs [the place] where the flock [ewes] came to drink, facing the flock [rams]; that they should become heated when they came to drink.

The flock [sheep] became heated [and mated] before the rods, and the flock [sheep] gave birth to ringed, speckled and spotted [offspring].

Yaakov separated the lambs. He set the faces [at the head] of the flock [sheep] toward [all] the ringed ones and all the dark ones; [he did so] with Lavan’s flocks. He formed separate flocks of his own, and did not set [mix] them with Lavan’s flocks.

When the early-bearing flock [sheep] were heated [to mate], Yaakov placed the rods before the flock’s [sheep’s] eyes at the ducts, so they would be in heat among the rods.

But when the flock [sheep] were late-bearing, he did not place [the rods before them]. Thus the late-bearing ones were Lavan’s, and the early-bearing ones became the possession of Yaakov.

The man became tremendously prosperous. He had multipying flocks, female slaves and male slaves, camels and donkeys.