And Rachel having perceived that she bore Jacob no children, was jealous of her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children; and if not, I shall die. 2 And Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said to her, Am I in the place of God, who has deprived thee of the fruit of the womb? 3 And Rachel said to Jacob, Behold my handmaid Balla, go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and I also shall have children by her. 4 And she gave him Balla her maid, for a wife to him; and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Balla, Rachel's maid, conceived, and bore Jacob a son. 6 And Rachel said, God has given judgment for me, and hearkened to my voice, and has given me a son; therefore she called his name, Dan. 7 And Balla, Rachel's maid, conceived yet again, and bore a second son to Jacob. 8 And Rachel said, God has helped me, and I contended with my sister and prevailed; and she called his name, Nephthalim. 9 And Lea saw that she ceased from bearing, and she took Zelpha her maid, and gave her to Jacob for a wife; and he went in to her. 10 And Zelpha the maid of Lea conceived, and bore Jacob a son. 11 And Lea said, It is happily: and she called his name, Gad. 12 And Zelpha the maid of Lea conceived yet again, and bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Lea said, I am blessed, for the women will pronounce me blessed; and she called his name, Aser. 14 And Ruben went in the day of barley-harvest, and found apples of mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Lea; and Rachel said to Lea her sister, Give me of thy son's man-drakes. 15 And Lea said, Is it not enough for thee that thou hast taken my husband, wilt thou also take my son's mandrakes? And Rachel said, Not so: let him lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came in out of the field at even; and Lea went forth to meet him and said, Thou shalt come in to me this day, for I have hired thee for my son's mandrakes; and he lay with her that night. 17 And God hearkened to Lea, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 And Lea said, God has given me my reward, because I gave my maid to my husband; and she called his name Issachar, which is, Reward. 19 And Lea conceived again, and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Lea said, God has given me a good gift in this time; my husband will choose me, for I have born him six sons: and she called his name, Zabulon. 21 And after this she bore a daughter; and she called her name, Dina. 22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her,
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1 Stay thou, perhaps understood. Heb. I have argued that, etc.
2 Lit. thy wages to or with me
3 So A V but Gr. and Heb. literally, at my foot.
4 Hearken to or obey me.
5 Gr. and between. Hebraism.
6 Apparently the nom. absol.
7 The meaning of the Hebrew seems to be, when the cattle were weak from any cause. The LXX, by assigning the yeaning time as the cause, have obscured the passage. Of course Jacob would not put them in then.
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