A reading from the book of Genesis.

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister.

She said to Jacob, give me children or I shall die.

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?

Then she said, here is my servant Bilha, go into her so that she may give birth on my behalf,

that even I may have children through her.' So she gave him her servant Bilha as a wife, and Jacob went into her, and Bilha conceived and bore

Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, "'God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, God has judged me and has also heard my

voice and given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel's servant Bilha conceived again and bore

Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, with mighty wrestlings, I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.

So she called his name Naftili.

When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpa and gave her

to Jacob as a wife. Then Leah's servant Zilpa bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, good fortune has come,

so she called his name Gad. Leah's servant Zilpa bore Jacob a second son, and Leah said,

Happy am I, for women have called me happy, so she called his name Asher. In the days of wheat

harvest, Ruben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel

said to Leah, please give me some of your son's mandrakes, 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 in exchange for your son's mandrakes. When Jacob came from the field

in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, you must come into me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes.

So he lay with her that night, and God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob

a fifth son.

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