Bible Verses About Jacob

Ya'akov agreed to this, so he finished her week, and Lavan gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

Lavan also gave to his daughter Rachel his slave-girl Bilhah as her slave-girl.

So not only did Ya'akov go in and sleep with Rachel, but he also loved Rachel more than Le'ah. Then he served Lavan another seven years.

ADONAI saw that Le'ah was unloved, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

Le'ah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Re'uven [see, a son!], for she said, "It is because ADONAI has seen how humiliated I have been, but now my husband will love me."

She conceived again, gave birth to a son and said, "It is because ADONAI has heard that I am unloved; therefore he has given me this son also." So she named him Shim'on [hearing].

Once more she conceived and had a son; and she said, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore she named him Levi [joining].

She conceived yet again, had a son and said, "This time I will praise ADONAI"; therefore she named him Y'hudah [praise]. Then she stopped having children.

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing children for Ya'akov, she envied her sister and said to Ya'akov, "Give me children, or I will die!"

This made Ya'akov angry at Rachel; he answered, "Am I in God's place? He's the one who is denying you children."

She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah. Go, sleep with her, and let her give birth to a child that will be laid on my knees, so that through her I too can build a family."

So she gave him Bilhah her slave-girl as his wife, and Ya'akov went in and slept with her.

Bilhah conceived and bore Ya'akov a son.

Rachel said, "God has judged in my favor; indeed he has heard me and given me a son." Therefore she called him Dan [he judged].

Bilhah Rachel's slave-girl conceived again and bore Ya'akov a second son.

Rachel said, "I have wrestled mightily with my sister and won," and called him Naftali [my wrestling].

When Le'ah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah her slave-girl and gave her to Ya'akov as his wife.

Zilpah Le'ah's slave-girl bore Ya'akov a son;

and Le'ah said, "Good fortune has come," calling him Gad [good fortune].

Zilpah Le'ah's slave-girl bore Ya'akov a second son;

and Le'ah said, "How happy I am! Women will say I am happy!" and called him Asher [happy].

During the wheat harvest season Re'uven went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Le'ah. Rachel said to Le'ah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes [so that I can be fertile]."

She answered, "Isn't it enough that you have taken away my husband? Do you have to take my son's mandrakes too?" Rachel said, "Very well; in exchange for your son's mandrakes, sleep with him tonight."

When Ya'akov came in from the field in the evening, Le'ah went out to meet him and said, "You have to come and sleep with me, because I've hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Ya'akov slept with her that night.

God listened to Le'ah, and she conceived and bore Ya'akov a fifth son.