Bible Verses About Rachel: Her grief in consequence of her sterility; gives her maid to Jacob in order to secure children in her own name

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].

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."

Then God took note of Rachel, heeded her prayer and made her fertile.

She conceived, had a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace."

She called him Yosef [may he add], saying, "May ADONAI add to me another son."

After Rachel had given birth to Yosef, Ya'akov said to Lavan, "Send me on my way, so that I can return to my own place, to my own country.

Let me take my wives, for whom I have served you, and my children; and let me go. You know very well how faithfully I have served you."

Lavan answered him, "If you regard me favorably, then please listen: I have observed the signs that ADONAI has blessed me on account of you.

Name your wages," he said; "I will pay them."

Ya'akov replied, "You know how faithfully I have served you and how your livestock have prospered under my care.

The few you had before I came have increased substantially; ADONAI has blessed you wherever I went. But now, when will I provide for my own household?"

Lavan said, "What should I give you?""Nothing," answered Ya'akov, "just do this one thing for me: once more I will pasture your flock and take care of it.

I will also go through the flock and pick out every speckled, spotted or brown sheep, and every speckled or spotted goat; these and their offspring will be my wages.

And I will let my integrity stand as witness against me in the future: when you come to look over the animals constituting my wages, every goat that isn't speckled or spotted and every sheep that isn't brown will count as stolen by me."

Lavan replied, "As you have said, so be it."