Genesis 29
1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Profectus ergo Jacob venit in terram orientalem.
2 As he looked around he saw a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying down beside it, waiting to be given water. A large stone covered the top of the well.
Et vidit puteum in agro, tres quoque greges ovium accubantes juxta eum: nam ex illo adaquabantur pecora, et os ejus grandi lapide claudebatur.
3 The usual practice was that once all the flocks had arrived, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the well and give their sheep water. Then they would put the stone back again.
Morisque erat ut cunctis ovibus congregatis devolverent lapidem, et refectis gregibus rursum super os putei ponerent.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
Dixitque ad pastores: Fratres, unde estis? Qui responderunt: De Haran.
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
Quos interrogans, Numquid, ait, nostis Laban filium Nachor? Dixerunt: Novimus.
6 “How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
Sanusne est? inquit. Valet, inquiunt: et ecce Rachel filia ejus venit cum grege suo.
7 “Look, there's still plenty of daylight left,” said Jacob. “It's too early to round up the sheep yet. Why not let them drink so they can go back to grazing?”
Dixitque Jacob: Adhuc multum diei superest, nec est tempus ut reducantur ad caulas greges: date ante potum ovibus, et sic eas ad pastum reducite.
8 “We can't do that until all the flocks have arrived,” they told him. “Then we roll away the stone from the well and let the sheep drink.”
Qui responderunt: Non possumus, donec omnia pecora congregentur, et amoveamus lapidem de ore putei, ut adaquemus greges.
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
Adhuc loquebantur, et ecce Rachel veniebat cum ovibus patris sui: nam gregem ipsa pascebat.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he went over and rolled away the stone from the well so Laban's sheep could drink.
Quam cum vidisset Jacob, et sciret consobrinam suam, ovesque Laban avunculi sui, amovit lapidem quo puteus claudebatur.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
Et adaquato grege, osculatus est eam: et elevata voce flevit,
12 (He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
et indicavit ei quod frater esset patris sui, et filius Rebeccæ: at illa festinans nuntiavit patri suo.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob he ran out to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him, and took him home. After Jacob had explained everything to Laban,
Qui cum audisset venisse Jacob filium sororis suæ, cucurrit obviam ei: complexusque eum, et in oscula ruens, duxit in domum suam. Auditis autem causis itineris,
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
respondit: Os meum es, et caro mea. Et postquam impleti sunt dies mensis unius,
15 One day Laban said to him, “You're my relative so you shouldn't be working for me for nothing! Tell me, what should I pay you?”
dixit ei: Num quia frater meus es, gratis servies mihi? dic quid mercedis accipias.
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Habebat vero duas filias: nomen majoris Lia, minor vero appellabatur Rachel.
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
Sed Lia lippis erat oculis: Rachel decora facie, et venusto aspectu.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Quam diligens Jacob, ait: Serviam tibi pro Rachel filia tua minore, septem annis.
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
Respondit Laban: Melius est ut tibi eam dem quam alteri viro: mane apud me.
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
Servivit ergo Jacob pro Rachel septem annis: et videbantur illi pauci dies præ amoris magnitudine.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
Dixitque ad Laban: Da mihi uxorem meam: quia jam tempus impletum est, ut ingrediar ad illam.
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
Qui vocatis multis amicorum turbis ad convivium, fecit nuptias.
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
Et vespere Liam filiam suam introduxit ad eum,
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
dans ancillam filiæ, Zelpham nomine. Ad quam cum ex more Jacob fuisset ingressus, facto mane vidit Liam:
25 When morning came, he saw it was Leah! He went to Laban and asked angrily, “What have you done to me? It was for Rachel that I worked for you! Why have you deceived me?”
et dixit ad socerum suum: Quid est quod facere voluisti? nonne pro Rachel servivi tibi? quare imposuisti mihi?
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Respondit Laban: Non est in loco nostro consuetudinis, ut minores ante tradamus ad nuptias.
27 “Finish this week of wedding celebrations and then I'll give you the other daughter as well, as long as you work another seven years for me.”
Imple hebdomadam dierum hujus copulæ: et hanc quoque dabo tibi pro opere quo serviturus es mihi septem annis aliis.
28 Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
Acquievit placito: et hebdomada transacta, Rachel duxit uxorem:
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
cui pater servam Balam tradiderat.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
Tandemque potitus optatis nuptiis, amorem sequentis priori prætulit, serviens apud eum septem annis aliis.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
Videns autem Dominus quod despiceret Liam, aperuit vulvam ejus, sorore sterili permanente.
32 Leah became pregnant, and had a son she named Reuben, for she said, “The Lord saw how much I was suffering and now my husband will love me!”
Quæ conceptum genuit filium, vocavitque nomen ejus Ruben, dicens: Vidit Dominus humilitatem meam: nunc amabit me vir meus.
33 Then Leah became pregnant again, and had another son. She said, “The Lord has heard that I'm not loved so he gave me this son.” So she named him Simeon.
Rursumque concepit et peperit filium, et ait: Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, dedit etiam istum mihi; vocavitque nomen ejus Simeon.
34 Leah became pregnant for the third time, and had another son. She said, “Finally my husband will be attached to me because now I've given him three sons.” That's why he was named Levi.
Concepitque tertio, et genuit alium filium: dixitque: Nunc quoque copulabitur mihi maritus meus: eo quod pepererim ei tres filios: et idcirco appellavit nomen ejus Levi.
35 Once again Leah became pregnant and had another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I can really praise the Lord!” After that she had no more children.
Quarto concepit, et peperit filium, et ait: Modo confitebor Domino, et ob hoc vocavit eum Judam: cessavitque parere.
