Genesis 29
1 And Jacob started and went to the land of the east to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian, and the brother of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and Esau.
Etant donc parti, Jacob vint dans la terre d’orient.
2 And he looks, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were there three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but there was a great stone at the mouth of the well.
Il vit un puits dans un champ, et aussi trois troupeaux de brebis couchées auprès: car c’est à ce puits que s’abreuvaient les troupeaux; et l’entrée en était fermée par une grosse pierre.
3 And there were all the flocks gathered, and they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the flocks, and set the stone again in its place on the mouth of the well.
Or, c’était la coutume, toutes les brebis rassemblées, de rouler la pierre; et, les troupeaux abreuvés, de la replacer sur l’ouverture du puits.
4 And Jacob said to them, Brethren, whence are ye? and they said, We are of Charrhan.
Jacob demanda aux pasteurs: Mes frères, d’où êtes-vous? Ils répondirent: De Haran.
5 And he said to them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nachor? and they said, We do know [him].
Les interrogeant encore: Ne connaissez vous point, dit-il, Laban, fils de Nachor? Ils dirent: Nous le connaissons.
6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And behold Rachel his daughter came with the sheep.
Est-il en bonne santé? ajouta-t-il. Il se porte bien, dirent-ils: et voici Rachel sa fille qui vient avec son troupeau.
7 And Jacob said, it is yet high day, it is not yet time that the flocks be gathered together; water ye the flocks, and depart and feed them.
Jacob reprit: Il reste encore beaucoup de jour, et il n’est pas temps de ramener les troupeaux aux étables; donnez auparavant à boire aux brebis, et les ramenez ainsi aux pâturages.
8 And they said, We shall not be able, until all the shepherds be gathered together, and they shall roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, then we will water the flocks.
Ils répondirent: Nous ne le pouvons pas, jusqu’à ce que tous les troupeaux soient rassemblés, et que nous ôtions la pierre de l’ouverture du puits, pour abreuver les troupeaux.
9 While he was yet speaking to them, behold, Rachel the daughter of Laban came with her father's sheep, for she fed the sheep of her father.
Ils parlaient encore, et voilà que Rachel venait avec les brebis de son père; car elle paissait elle-même le troupeau.
10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob came and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
Quand Jacob l’eut vue, et qu’il sut qu’elle était sa cousine germaine, et que les brebis étaient de Laban son oncle maternel, il ôta la pierre qui fermait le puits.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and cried with a loud voice and wept.
Et, le troupeau abreuvé, il embrassa Rachel; et, la voix élevée, il pleura.
12 And he told Rachel that he was the near relative of her father, and the son of Rebecca; and she ran and reported to her father according to these words.
Puis il lui fit connaître qu’il était frère de son père et fils de Rébecca: or, elle se hâtant, l’annonça à son père,
13 And it came to pass when Laban heard the name of Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him, and brought him into his house; and he told Laban all these sayings.
Qui, lorsqu’il eut entendu que Jacob, fils de sa sœur, était venu, courut au-devant de lui, et l’embrassa; et, le couvrant de baisers, il le conduisit dans sa maison. Mais les motifs de son voyage entendus,
14 And Laban said to him, Thou art of my bones and of my flesh; and he was with him a full month.
Il répondit: Tu es de mes os et de ma chair. Et après que furent accomplis les jours d’un mois.
15 And Laban said to Jacob, Surely thou shalt not serve me for nothing, because thou art my brother; tell me what thy reward is to be.
Il lui dit: Est-ce donc parce que tu es mon frère, que tu me serviras gratuitement? Dis quelle récompense tu accepteras?
16 Now Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lea, and the name of the younger, Rachel.
Or il avait deux filles; le nom de l’aînée était Lia, et la plus jeune s’appelait Rachel.
17 And the eyes of Lea were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in appearance, and exceedingly fair in countenance.
Mais Lia avait les yeux chassieux, Rachel. un beau visage et un aspect gracieux.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I will serve thee seven years for thy younger daughter Rachel.
Jacob, qui aimait celle-ci, dit: Je te servirai pour Rachel, ta plus jeune fille, durant sept ans.
19 And Laban said to him, [It is] better that I should give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man; dwell with me.
Laban répondit: Il vaut mieux que je te la donne qu’à un autre homme: demeure avec moi.
20 And Jacob served for Rachel seven years, and they were before him as a few days, by reason of his loving her.
Jacob donc servit pour Rachel durant sept ans; mais ils lui paraissaient peu de jours, à cause de son grand amour.
21 And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.
Et il dit à Laban: Donne-moi ma femme, puisque déjà est accompli le temps auquel je dois m’approcher d’elle.
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a marriage-feast.
Alors Laban, un grand nombre d’amis invités à un festin, fit les noces.
23 And it was even, and he took his daughter Lea, and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her.
Et le soir, il conduisit Lia sa sa fille, auprès de Jacob,
24 And Laban gave to his daughter Lea, Zelpha his handmaid, as a handmaid for her.
Donnant à sa fille une servante du nom de Zelpha. Lorsque, selon la coutume, Jacob se fut approché d’elle, le matin venu, il reconnut Lia.
25 And it was morning, and behold it was Lea; and Jacob said to Laban, What is this that thou hast done to me? did I not serve thee for Rachel? and wherefore hast thou deceived me?
Et il dit à son beau-père: Qu’est-ce que tu as voulu faire? N’est-ce pas pour Rachel que je t’ai servi, pourquoi m’as-tu trompé?
26 And Laban answered, It is not done thus in our country, to give the younger before the elder.
Laban répondit: Ce n’est pas la coutume dans notre pays, de donner d’abord les plus jeunes en mariage.
27 Fulfil then her sevens, and I will give to thee her also in return for thy labour, which thou labourest with me, yet seven other years.
Achève la semaine des jours de ce mariage, et je te donnerai aussi Rachel pour le travail que tu devras faire à mon service, pendant sept autres années.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her sevens; and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife.
Jacob consentit à la proposition; et la semaine s’étant passée, il prit pour femme Rachel,
29 And Laban gave to his daughter his handmaid Balla, for a handmaid to her.
A laquelle son père avait donné pour servante Bala.
30 And he went in to Rachel; and he loved Rachel more than Lea; and he served him seven other years.
Ayant enfin obtenu le mariage qu’il désirait, il préféra l’amour de la seconde à la première, servant chez Laban pendant sept autres années.
31 And when the Lord God saw that Lea was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
Mais le Seigneur, voyant qu’il dédaignait Lia, la rendit féconde, sa sœur demeurant stérile.
32 And Lea conceived and bore a son to Jacob; and she called his name, Ruben; saying, Because the Lord has looked on my humiliation, and has given me a son, now then my husband will love me.
Lia ayant conçu, enfanta un fils, et elle l’appela du nom de Ruben, disant: Le Seigneur a vu mon humiliation; c’est maintenant que mon mari m’aimera.
33 And she conceived again, and bore a second son to Jacob; and she said, Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given to me this one also; and she called his name, Simeon.
Et elle conçut de nouveau, et enfanta un fils, et elle dit: Parce que le Seigneur a entendu que j’étais méprisée, il m’a donné encore celui-ci. Et elle l’appela du nom de Siméon.
34 And she conceived yet again, and bore a son, and said, In the present time my husband will be with me, for I have born him three sons; therefore she called his name, Levi.
Elle conçut pour la troisième fois, et enfanta un autre, fils, et elle dit: Maintenant aussi mon mari s’attachera à moi, puisque je lui ai enfanté trois fils; et c’est pourquoi elle l’appela du nom de Lévi.
35 And having conceived yet again, she bore a son, and said, Now yet again this time will I give thanks to the Lord; therefore she called his name, Juda; and ceased bearing.
Elle conçut pour la quatrième fois, et enfanta un fils, et elle dit: A présent je célébrerai le Seigneur; et à cause de cela elle l’appela Juda: alors elle cessa d’enfanter.
