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

And Rachel seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.

And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?

But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.

And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,

When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son.

And Rachel said: The Lord hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son; and therefore she called his name Dan.

And again Bala conceived, and bore another,

For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephthali.

She answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son's mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandrakes.

The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb.

And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach.

And she called his name Joseph: saying: The Lord give me also another son.

And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: Send me away, that I may return into my country, and to my land.

Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee.

Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned, by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.

Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.

But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands.

Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable, therefore, that I should now provide also for my own house.

And Laban said: What shall I give thee? But he said: I require nothing; but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed and keep thy sheep again.

Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled; and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall be my wages.

And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.

And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.