When Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Jacob, she became envious of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children or I shall die!”

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you the fruit of the womb?”

She replied, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Have intercourse with her, and let her give birth on my knees, so that I too may have children through her.”

So she gave him her maidservant Bilhah as wife, and Jacob had intercourse with her.

When Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob, Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; indeed he has heeded my plea and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan.

Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, and Rachel said, “I have wrestled strenuously with my sister, and I have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali.

When Leah saw that she had ceased to bear children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as wife.

So Leah’s maidservant Zilpah bore a son for Jacob.

Leah then said, “What good luck!” So she named him Gad.

Then Leah’s maidservant Zilpah bore a second son to Jacob; and Leah said, “What good fortune, because women will call me fortunate!” So she named him Asher.

One day, during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and came upon some mandrakes in the field which he brought home to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

Leah replied, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you must now take my son’s mandrakes too?” Rachel answered, “In that case Jacob may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

That evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must have intercourse with me, because I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So that night he lay with her, and God listened to Leah; she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob.

Leah then said, “God has given me my wages for giving my maidservant to my husband”; so she named him Issachar.

Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob; and Leah said, “God has brought me a precious gift. This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she named him Zebulun.

Afterwards she gave birth to a daughter, and she named her Dinah.

Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and made her fruitful.

She conceived and bore a son, and she said, “God has removed my disgrace.”

She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add another son for me!”