1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 3Then 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.” 4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.⚓ 7Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.⚓ 9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”⚓ So she named him Gad.⚓ 12Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.⚓ 14During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” 16So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. 17God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.⚓ 19Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.⚓ 21Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. 22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24She named him Joseph,⚓ and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
Jacob’s Flocks Increase
25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.” 27But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” 29Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?” 31“What shall I give you?” he asked. “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.” 34“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. 36Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks. 37Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
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1Tiamsis Laxees tsis muaj ib tug menyuam rau Yakhauj li, thiab nws ntxub nws tus niamlaus heev, nws thiaj hais rau Yakhauj hais tias, “Koj yuav muab menyuam rau kuv lossis koj yuav cia kuv tuag mus.” 2Yakhauj chim heev rau Laxees, nws thiaj teb Laxees hais tias, “Kuv yog Vajtswv los? Vajtswv yog tus uas tsis pub koj muaj menyuam los sav.” 3Laxees hais tias, “Kuv tus ntxhais qhev Npilehas nyob ntawm no, koj cia li mus nrog nws pw kom nws muaj menyuam rau kuv. Ua li no kuv thiaj yuav tau ua tus tub ntawm leej niam.” 4Yog li ntawd, Laxees thiaj muab Npilehas rau nws tus txiv yuav, thiab Yakhauj thiaj mus nrog nws pw. 5Npilehas txawm xeeb tub thiab yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj. 6Laxees hais tias, “Vajtswv txiav txim raws li nws txojkev ncaj ncees. Nws hnov kuv tej lus thov thiab pub rau kuv muaj ib tug tub lawm”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Das. 7Npilehas rov xeeb tub thiab yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj. 8Laxees hais tias, “Kuv tau tawmtsam kuv tus niamlaus hnyav heev, nimno kuv thiaj yeej nws lawm”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Nathalis. 9Thaum Le-as paub hais tias, nws tsis muaj menyuam lawm, nws txawm muab nws tus ntxhais qhev Xilepas rau Yakhauj yuav ua niamyau. 10Ces Xilepas txawm yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj. 11Le-as hais tias, “Kuv hmoov zoo kawg”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus metub ntawd npe hu ua Khas. 12Xilepas rov yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj, 13thiab Le-as hais tias, “Kuv zoo siab kawg nkaus li lauj! Nimno tej pojniam yuav hu kuv hais tias, tus zoo siab”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Aseles. 14Thaum txog caij hlais nplej Lunpees mus yos ua si tom teb thiab nws pom ib cov zaub ntug hauvpaus, nws txawm rho tau ib cov nqa los rau nws niam Le-as. Laxees hais rau Le-as hais tias, “Thov muab koj tus tub cov zaub ntug hauvpaus ob peb lub pub rau kuv.” 15Le-as teb hais tias, “Koj twb coj kuv tus txiv mus lawm ne, tseem tsis txaus koj siab thiab los? Nimno koj tseem tuaj thov kuv tus tub cov zaub ntug hauvpaus thiab.” Laxees teb hais tias, “Yog koj muab koj tus tub cov zaub ntug hauvpaus ob peb lub rau kuv, ib chim tsaus ntuj kuv cia Yakhauj nrog koj pw.” 16Thaum yuav tsaus ntuj Yakhauj rov tom teb los, Le-as tawm mus tos Yakhauj thiab hais tias, “Hmo no koj yuav tsum mus nrog kuv pw, rau qhov kuv twb muab kuv tus tub cov zaub ntug hauvpaus ntiav koj lawm.” Yog li ntawd, hmo ntawd Yakhauj thiaj mus nrog Le-as pw. 17Vajtswv teb Le-as tej lus thov, nws thiaj rov xeeb tub thiab yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj yog tus tsib. 18Le-as hais tias, “Vajtswv muab nqi zog rau kuv, rau qhov kuv muab kuv tus ntxhais qhev rau kuv tus txiv yuav”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus metub ntawd npe hu ua Ixakhas. 19Le-as rov xeeb tub thiab yug tau ib tug tub rau Yakhauj yog tus rau. 20Le-as hais tias, “Vajtswv muab tau ib qhov khoom pub rau kuv zoo kawg nkaus li. Mas zaum no kuv tus txiv yuav hlub kuv, rau qhov kuv twb yug tau rau tug tub rau nws lawm”; yog li ntawd, nws thiaj tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Xenpuloos. 21Ces tom qab ntawd nws yug tau ib tug ntxhais, thiab nws tis npe rau tus ntxhais ntawd hu ua Dinas. 22Vajtswv tseem nco ntsoov txog Laxees; nws thiaj teb Laxees tej lus thov thiab pub kom nws muaj menyuam. 23Laxees thiaj xeeb tub thiab yug tau ib tug tub. Nws hais tias, “Vajtswv pub kuv muaj tus tub no los tshem kuv txojkev txajmuag tawm. 24Thov kom tus TSWV pub rau kuv rov muaj dua ib tug tub ntxiv thiab”; yog li ntawd, Laxees thiaj tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Yauxej.
Yakhauj Thov Ncaim Lanpas
25Tom qab uas Laxees yug tau Yauxej lawm, Yakhauj txawm hais rau Lanpas hais tias, “Thov koj tso kuv rov qab, kuv yuav rov qab mus nyob nram kuv txiv lub tsev thiab lub tebchaws. 26Thov muab kuv ob tug pojniam thiab kuv cov menyuam uas kuv ua zog tau rau kuv, kuv yuav sawv kev mus. Koj yeej paub hais tias kuv ua txhua yam rau koj tiav log lawm.” 27Lanpas teb Yakhauj hais tias, “Thov cia kuv hais li no: raws li kuv saib yaig mas, vim muaj koj, tus TSWV thiaj foom koob hmoov rau kuv. 28Xam tagnrho tej nqi zog uas koj ua saib raug pestsawg kuv yuav them rau koj.” 29Yakhauj teb hais tias, “Kuv tau ua haujlwm zoo npaum li cas rau koj thiab koj tej tsiaj uas kuv tu huamvam npaum li cas los koj yeej paub zoo lawm. 30Ua ntej thaum uas kuv tsis tau los, koj muaj tsiaj tsawg heev, nimno koj tej tsiaj kuj huamvam coob kawg li lawm, thiab tus TSWV twb foom koob hmoov rau koj txhua yam uas kuv ua thiab txhua qhov uas kuv mus. Xyov yuav thaum twg kuv mam li yug taus kuv lub cuab lub yig?” 31Lanpas thiaj nug hais tias, “Yog li ntawd, kuv yuav muab dabtsi los ua nqi zog rau koj?” Yakhauj teb hais tias, “Kuv tsis yuav ib yam dabtsi li. Yog koj kam mas kuv yuav nyob tu koj cov tsiaj mus ntxiv xwsli: 32Hnub no cia kuv mus ncig xyuas thoob plaws koj cov tsiaj thiab muab txhua tus menyuam yaj dub thiab tej menyuam tshis uas txaij lossis txaij tej teev xaiv cia rau ib qho. Cov tsiaj no lauj, yog cov uas ua nqi zog rau kuv. 33Thaum koj tuaj saib koj thiaj paub hais tias, kuv yeej ua ncaj ncees tiag. Thaum koj tuaj tshuaj xyuas kuv tej nqi zog, yog kuv tseem muaj tej tug menyuam tshis tsis txaij lossis tsis txaij tej teev lossis muaj ib tug menyuam yaj tsis dub li, ces koj thiaj paub hais tias yog kuv nyiag los xwb.” 34Lanpas teb hais tias, “Kuv pom zoo yuav li uas koj hais ntag.” 35Tiamsis hnub ntawd Lanpas muab cov laug tshis uas txaij lossis txaij tej teev thiab cov maum tshis uas txaij lossis txaij ua tej teev lossis dawb tej teev cais, thiab nws muab tagnrho cov yaj dub cais tawm rau ib qho. Nws tso nws cov tub ua cov saib tej tsiaj ntawd, 36thiab muab cais mus nyob nrug deb peb hnub ke ntawm Lanpas cov tsiaj uas tseg cia rau Yakhauj tu. 37Yakhauj muab tej ceg cev, ceg txiv duaj thiab ceg seb laws tawv txaij ua tej kab kom pom tus txha ceg ntoo dawb paug. 38Nws thiaj muab cov ceg ntoo ntawd coj mus tso rau ntawm lub dabdej uas cov tsiaj los haus dej. Nws coj cov ceg ntoo mus tso rau ntawd, rau qhov cov tsiaj sib tshov thaum lawv los haus dej ua ke. 39Yog li ntawd, thaum cov tshis los sib tshov rau ntawm cov ceg ntoo ntawd, cov tshis txawm yug tau cov menyuam txaij ua tej kab thiab txaij ua tej teev. 40Yakhauj txawm muab cov menyuam yaj thiab menyuam tshis uas txaij cais tawm ntawm cov maum laus thiab muab cov maum laus tig taubhau mus rau tom Lanpas cov tsiaj uas txaij thiab dub. Qhov uas Yakhauj ua li no, twb yog nws faib kom nws muaj ib pab tsiaj ua nws tug thiab muab cais tawm ntawm Lanpas cov mus nyob ib qho. 41Thaum cov tsiaj uas zoo thiab khov kho sib tshov, Yakhauj muab cov ceg ntoo ntawd coj mus tso rau ntawm lub dabdej, qhov chaw uas cov tsiaj los haus dej, kom cov tsiaj los sib tshov nyob ntawm cov ceg ntoo ntawd. 42Tiamsis nws tsis muab cov ceg ntoo ntawd tso rau ntawm dabdej thaum cov tsiaj uas tsis khov los haus dej. Txij thaum ntawd los Lanpas thiaj tau cov tsiaj uas tsis khov lawm xwb, tiamsis cov tsiaj uas khov puavleej yog Yakhauj cov. 43Twb yog vim ua li no Yakhauj thiaj npluanuj. Nws muaj tsiaj txhu, muaj tub qhe thiab ntxhais qhev, muaj ntxhuav thiab muaj neesluav coob heev.