Liber Genesis, 30

1. Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori et ait marito suo: “Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar”.

1. When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!"

2. Cui iratus respondit Iacob: “Num pro Deo ego sum, qui privavit te fructu ventris?”.

2. Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

3. At illa: “Ecce, inquit, famula mea Bilha; ingredere ad illam, ut pariat super genua mea, et habeam ex illa et ego filios”.

3. Then she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and even I may have children through her."

4. Deditque illi Bilham famulam suam in coniugium. Quae,

4. So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife; and Jacob went in to her.

5. ingresso ad se Iacob, concepit et peperit filium.

5. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

6. Dixitque Rachel: “Iudicavit mihi Deus et exaudivit vocem quoque meam dans mihi filium”; et idcirco appellavit nomen illius Dan.

6. Then Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son"; therefore she called his name Dan.

7. Rursumque Bilha famula Rachel concepit et peperit Iacob alterum filium, et

7. Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8. ait Rachel: “Certamina Dei certavi cum sorore mea et invalui”; vocavitque eum Nephthali.

8. Then Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed"; so she called his name Naph'tali.

9. Sentiens Lia quod parere desisset, sumpsit Zelpham ancillam suam et tradidit eam Iacob in uxorem.

9. When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

10. Quae peperit Iacob filium.

10. Then Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11. Dixitque Lia: “Feliciter!”; et idcirco vocavit nomen eius Gad.

11. And Leah said, "Good fortune!" so she called his name Gad.

12. Peperit quoque Zelpha ancilla Liae Iacob alterum filium.

12. Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

13. Dixitque Lia: “Pro beatitudine mea! Beatam quippe me dicent mulieres”; propterea appellavit eum Aser.

13. And Leah said, "Happy am I! For the women will call me happy"; so she called his name Asher.

14. Egressus autem Ruben tempore messis triticeae, repperit in agro mandragoras, quas Liae matri suae detulit. Dixitque Rachel: “Da mihi partem de mandragoris filii tui”.

14. In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Give me, I pray, some of your son's mandrakes."

15. Illa respondit: “Parumne tibi videtur, quod praeripueris maritum mihi, ut etiam mandragoras filii mei auferas?”. Ait Rachel: “Dormiat ergo tecum hac nocte pro mandragoris filii tui”.

15. But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" Rachel said, "Then he may lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."

16. Redeuntique ad vesperam Iacob de agro egressa est in occursum eius Lia et: “Ad me, inquit, intrabis, quia mercede conduxi te pro mandragoris filii mei”. Dormivitque cum ea nocte illa.

16. When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night.

17. Et exaudivit Deus Liam, concepitque et peperit Iacob filium quintum

17. And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son.

18. et ait: “Dedit Deus mercedem mihi, quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo”; appellavitque nomen illius Issachar.

18. Leah said, "God has given me my hire because I gave my maid to my husband"; so she called his name Is'sachar.

19. Rursum Lia concepit et peperit Iacob sextum filium

19. And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son.

20. et ait: “Donavit me Deus dono bono; hac vice honorabit me maritus meus, eo quod genuerim ei sex filios”; et idcirco appellavit nomen eius Zabulon.

20. Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons"; so she called his name Zeb'ulun.

21. Post quem peperit filiam nomine Dinam.

21. Afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22. Recordatus quoque Deus Rachelis exaudivit eam Deus et aperuit vulvam illius.

22. Then God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb.

23. Quae concepit et peperit filium dicens: “Abstulit Deus opprobrium meum”;

23. She conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach";

24. et vocavit nomen illius Ioseph dicens: “Addat mihi Dominus filium alterum!”.

24. and she called his name Joseph, saying, "May the LORD add to me another son!"

25. Nato autem Ioseph, dixit Iacob ad Laban: “Dimitte me, ut revertar in patriam et ad terram meam.

25. When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country.

26. Da mihi uxores et liberos meos, pro quibus servivi tibi, ut abeam; tu nosti servitutem, qua servivi tibi”.

26. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know the service which I have given you."

27. Ait illi Laban: “Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo; augurio didici, quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te.

27. But Laban said to him, "If you will allow me to say so, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you;

28. Constitue mercedem tuam, quam dem tibi”.

28. name your wages, and I will give it."

29. At ille respondit: “Tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi et quanti in manibus meis facti sint greges tui.

29. Jacob said to him, "You yourself know how I have served you, and how your cattle have fared with me.

30. Modicum habuisti, antequam venirem ad te, et nunc multiplicatum est vehementer, benedixitque tibi Dominus ad introitum meum. Nunc autem quando providebo etiam domui meae?”.

30. For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly; and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?"

31. Dixitque Laban: “Quid tibi dabo?”. At ille ait: “Nihil mihi dabis; si feceris, quod postulo, iterum pascam et custodiam pecora tua.

31. He said, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it:

32. Gyrabo omnes greges tuos hodie; separa cuncta pecora varia et maculosa et, quodcumque furvum in ovibus et maculosum variumque in capris fuerit, erit merces mea.

32. let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

33. Respondebitque mihi cras iustitia mea; quando veneris, ut inspicias mercedem meam, omnia, quae non fuerint varia et maculosa in capris et furva in ovibus, furti me arguent”.

33. So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen."

34. Dixit Laban: “Gratum habeo, quod petis!”.

34. Laban said, "Good! Let it be as you have said."

35. Et separavit in die illo hircos striatos atque maculosos et omnes capras varias et maculosas, omne, in quo album erat, et omne furvum in ovibus, et tradidit in manu filiorum suorum.

35. But that day Laban removed the he-goats that were striped and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons;

36. Et posuit spatium itineris trium dierum inter se et Iacob, qui pascebat reliquos greges Laban.

36. and he set a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock.

37. Tollens ergo Iacob virgas virides populeas et amygdalinas et ex platanis, ex parte ita decorticavit eas, ut in his, quae spoliata fuerant, candor appareret.

37. Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the rods.

38. Posuitque virgas, quas ex parte decorticaverat, in canalibus, ubi effundebatur aqua, ut, cum venissent greges ad bibendum, ante oculos haberent virgas et in aspectu earum conciperent.

38. He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the runnels, that is, the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink,

39. Factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus greges intuerentur virgas et parerent striata et varia et maculosa.

39. the flocks bred in front of the rods and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted.

40. Agnos autem segregavit Iacob et posuit gregem ex adverso striatorum et omnium furvorum in grege Laban et constituit sibi greges seorsum neque statuit eos cum grege Laban.

40. And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own droves apart, and did not put them with Laban's flock.

41. Quotiescumque igitur calefiebant pecora robusta, ponebat Iacob virgas in canalibus aquarum ante oculos pecorum, ut in earum contemplatione conciperent.

41. Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding Jacob laid the rods in the runnels before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the rods,

42. Quando vero pecora debilia erant, non ponebat eas. Factaque sunt debilia Laban et robusta Iacob;

42. but for the feebler of the flock he did not lay them there; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43. ditatusque est homo ultra modum et habuit greges multos, ancillas et servos, camelos et asinos.

43. Thus the man grew exceedingly rich, and had large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses.