Genesis 30 :: Bible in Basic English (BBE)

The Sons of Jacob

Gen 30:1Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.

Gen 30:2

Gen 30:2But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

Gen 30:3

Gen 30:3Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

Gen 30:4

Gen 30:4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

Gen 30:5

Gen 30:5And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.

Gen 30:6

Gen 30:6Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.

Gen 30:7

Gen 30:7And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.

Gen 30:8

Gen 30:8And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

Gen 30:9

Gen 30:9When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.

Gen 30:10

Gen 30:10And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.

Gen 30:11

Gen 30:11And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.

Gen 30:12

Gen 30:12And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.

Gen 30:13

Gen 30:13And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.

Gen 30:14

Gen 30:14Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

Gen 30:15

Gen 30:15But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

Gen 30:16

Gen 30:16In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.

Gen 30:17

Gen 30:17And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.

Gen 30:18

Gen 30:18Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.

Gen 30:19

Gen 30:19And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

Gen 30:20

Gen 30:20And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.

Gen 30:21

Gen 30:21After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.

Gen 30:22

Gen 30:22Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.

Gen 30:23

Gen 30:23And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.

Gen 30:24

Gen 30:24And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.

Jacob Prospers

Gen 30:25

Gen 30:25Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

Gen 30:26

Gen 30:26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

Gen 30:27

Gen 30:27And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.

Gen 30:28

Gen 30:28Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.

Gen 30:29

Gen 30:29Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.

Gen 30:30

Gen 30:30For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?

Gen 30:31

Gen 30:31And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:

Gen 30:32

Gen 30:32Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.

Gen 30:33

Gen 30:33And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.

Gen 30:34

Gen 30:34And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

Gen 30:35

Gen 30:35So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

Gen 30:36

Gen 30:36And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

Gen 30:37

Gen 30:37Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.

Gen 30:38

Gen 30:38And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

Gen 30:39

Gen 30:39And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

Gen 30:40

Gen 30:40These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

Gen 30:41

Gen 30:41And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

Gen 30:42

Gen 30:42But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

Gen 30:43

Gen 30:43So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.

The Bible in Basic English was translated by Professor Samuel Henry Hooke (1874-1968)
This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

Genesis 30 :: Bible in Basic English (BBE)

The Sons of Jacob

Jacob Prospers

Pericope