Genesis 30)
1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die."
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, "Am I in God's stead, Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3 And she said, "Behold my maid Bilhah, go in to her (this was strictly in accordance with the "Code" see 29:29); and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her". (Heb. be built up. Cp. 16:1-3)
4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
1749 B.C.
6 And Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and hath given me a son:" therefore called she his name Dan (= judge).
1748 B.C.
7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
8 And Rachel said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled (Heb. with wrestlings of El [= GOD] i.e. mighty wrestlings. Fig. Many Infections & Rhyming words) with my sister, and I have prevailed:" and she called his name Naphtali.(= my wrestling)
9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. (see 30:4,5)
1747 B.C.
10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
11 And Leah said, "A troop comes" (Heb. over-run, or, have victory): and she called his name Gad. (= a fortune, a troop, Jupiter [of the Babylonians]. See Isa.65:11 and Josh.11:17; 12:7, where Baal-Gad = the god Jupiter)
12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.
1746 B.C.
13 And Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters are sure to call me blessed:" and she called his name Asher. (= happy. Cp. Deut. 33:24)
14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field (the root easily formed by pinching it, into the shape of a man. Hence its name; also supposed to be used as a "love-philtre". Arab. = "apples of Satan"), and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Give me, I pray you, of your son's mandrakes."
15 And she said to her, Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? and would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" And Rachel said, "Therefore he shall lie with you to night for your son's mandrakes."
16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in unto me; for surely I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.
17 And God heard Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
18 And Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband:" and she called his name Issachar. (= there is hire, or he is wages)
1745 B.C.
19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
20 And Leah said, "God has endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons:" and she called his name Zebulun. (= dwelling or habitation. An Assyrian word, to honor, brought out of [Ur].)
21 And afterwards she bare a daughter (Jacob may have had other daughters not named), and called her name Dinah. (= vindication, or judgment)
22 And God remembered Rachel, and God heard her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, "God has taken away my reproach:"
24 And she called his name Joseph (= may he add); and said, "the Lord shall add to me another son."
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to mine own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go: for you know my service which I have done thee."
27 And Laban said to him, "I pray you, if I have found favor in your eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience (= divination = whisper by magic spell. See Gen.3:1) that the Lord has blessed me for your sake."
28 And he said, "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it."
29 And he said to him, "You know how I have served you, and how your cattle was with me.
30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it is now increased to a multitude; and the Lord has blessed you since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?" (= all that dwell in it)
1742 B.C.
31 And he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me any thing: if you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flock:
32 I will pass through all your flock to day, removing from there all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in some future day to come, when it shall come for my hire before your face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me."
34 And Laban said, "Behold, I shall it will be according to your word."
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and piled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had piled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. (This is the first example of animal husbandry)
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he did not put them in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses. (5 "ands" in this verse. #5=grace)