< Genesis 29 >

1 Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
Yakob toaa nʼakwantuo so kɔduruu apueeɛfoɔ asase so.
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.
Asase no so baabi na ɔkɔhunuu abura bi a nnwankuo mmiɛnsa butubutu ho. Ɛfiri sɛ, saa abura no mu nsuo na wɔsa ma nnwan no nom. Na ɛboɔ kɛseɛ bi na ɛkata abura no so.
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.
Ɛberɛ biara a nnwankuo no bɛboa wɔn ho ano wɔ hɔ no, nnwanhwɛfoɔ no pire ɛboɔ no firi abura no ano ma nnwan no nsuo nom. Sɛ nnwan no nom nsuo no wie a, na nnwanhwɛfoɔ no asane de ɛboɔ no akata abura no ano.
4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
Yakob bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Anuanom, mofiri he na mobaa ha?” Wɔbuaa Yakob sɛ, “Yɛfiri Haran.”
5 “Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
Yakob sane bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Monim Nahor nana Laban anaa?” Nnwanhwɛfoɔ no nso buaa no sɛ, “Aane, yɛnim no.”
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.”
Afei, Yakob bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Na ne ho te sɛn?” Wɔbuaa no sɛ, “Ne ho yɛ. Na ne babaa Rahel koraa na ɔne ne nnwan reba yi.”
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?”
Yakob kaa sɛ, “Monhwɛ. Owia no ano yɛ den dodo. Ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔboaboa mmoa no ano nnuruiɛ. Momma wɔn nsuo nnom, na monka wɔn nkɔ wɔn adidibea.”
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.”
Nnwanhwɛfoɔ no buaa Yakob sɛ, “Sɛ yɛmmoaboaa nnwan no nyinaa ano, na yɛmpiree ɛboɔ no mfirii abura no ano a, yɛrentumi mma wɔn nsuo nnom.”
9 While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
Yakob gu so ne wɔn rekasa no ara na Rahel a ɔno nso yɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ no de nʼagya nnwan baa hɔ.
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.
Ɛberɛ a Yakob hunuu ne maame nuabarima Laban babaa Rahel ne ne wɔfa Laban nnwan no, ɔkɔpiree ɛboɔ no firii abura no ano. Afei, wɔmaa nnwan no nsuo nomeeɛ.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
Afei, Yakob fee Rahel ano, na ɔsuiɛ.
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.
Na Yakob aka akyerɛ Rahel sɛ, ɔno Yakob yɛ Rahel no agya busuani a ɔsane yɛ nʼagya Laban no nuabaa Rebeka babarima. Enti, Rahel tuu mmirika kɔka kyerɛɛ nʼagya.
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,
Laban tee ne nuabaa Rebeka ba Yakob ho asɛm no, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔhyiaa no. Laban yɛɛ no atuu, fee nʼano, de no baa ne fie, maa Yakob bɔɔ no nʼananteseɛ.
14 Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Laban ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, nokorɛ ni, “woyɛ me busuani.” Na Yakob tenaa Laban nkyɛn bosome.
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?”
Ɛda koro bi, Laban ka kyerɛɛ Yakob sɛ, “Ɛwom sɛ woyɛ me busuani deɛ, nanso ɛno nkyerɛ sɛ, sɛ woyɛ adwuma ma me a ɛnsɛ sɛ metua wo ka. Kyerɛ me akatua a wopɛ na memfa mma wo.”
16 Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
Na Laban wɔ mmammaa baanu. Na ɔpanin no din de Lea ɛnna akumaa no nso de Rahel.
17 Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
Na Lea aniwa aba yɛ fɛ, ɛnna Rahel yɛ ɔbaa fɛfɛ a nʼanim yɛ nyam yie.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Na Yakob dɔ Rahel awadeɛ kwan so, enti ɔka kyerɛɛ Rahel agya Laban sɛ, “Sɛ wode wo babaa kumaa Rahel bɛma me aware a, anka me nso mɛsom wo mfeɛ nson.”
19 “Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
Laban kaa sɛ, “Mepene so! Ɛyɛ sɛ mede no bɛma wo aware mmom sene sɛ mede no bɛma obi foforɔ bi a mennim no. Enti, tena me nkyɛn.”
20 Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
Esiane ɔdɔ a na Yakob dɔ Rahel enti, ɔsomm Laban mfeɛ nson, na wanhunu koraa sɛ, wasom akyɛre saa. Ɛyɛɛ no sɛ gyama ɔsomee nnansa bi pɛ.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
Yakob som wieeɛ no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Laban sɛ, “Masom awie enti, fa Rahel ma me na menware no.”
22 So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
Ɛno enti, Laban too ɛpono kɛseɛ, na ɔtoo nsa frɛɛ nnipa a na ɔne wɔn wɔ hɔ nyinaa baa apontoɔ no ase.
23 But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
Na ɛduruu anadwo a esum aduru no, Laban de ne babaa Lea kɔmaa Yakob, maa ɔne no daeɛ.
24 (Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
Ɛno akyiri no, Laban de nʼafenawa Silpa kaa Lea ho sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
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?”
Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, ɔhunuu sɛ Lea mmom na ɔda nʼakyi. Ɛnna Yakob bisaa Laban sɛ, “Asɛm bɛn na wo ne me adi yi? Ɛnyɛ Rahel enti na mesom wo? Adɛn enti na woadaadaa me sei?”
26 “Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
Laban buaa Yakob sɛ, “Ɛha deɛ, ɛnyɛ yɛn amanneɛ sɛ yɛde ɔbabaa kumaa ma aware wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔpanin no nwareeɛ.
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.”
Ma Lea nni nnawɔtwe wɔ wo nkyɛn, na nnawɔtwe no akyiri no, sɛ wopɛ Rahel ara a, mɛma woasane asom mfirinhyia nson bio, na mede no ama wo aware.”
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.
Yakob penee so ne Lea tenaa nnawɔtwe. Ɛno akyiri, ɔsomm mfeɛ nson ansa na Laban de ne babaa Rahel nso maa no wareeɛ.
29 (Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
Laban de nʼafenawa Bilha nso maa ne babaa Rahel sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
30 So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
Yakob de ne ho kaa Rahel nso. Na ɔdɔ Rahel sene Lea. Yakob tenaa Laban nkyɛn, somm no mfirinhyia nson bio sɛdeɛ ɔne no hyehyɛeɛ no.
31 The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
Awurade hunuu sɛ Yakob ani nnye Lea ho no, ɔbuee ne yafunu mu, nanso Rahel deɛ, na ɔnwo.
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!”
Lea nyinsɛneeɛ, woo ɔbabarima. Ɔtoo no edin Ruben a asekyerɛ ne “Awurade ahunu mmɔborɔ a meyɛ.” Na Lea kaa sɛ, “Awurade ahunu me mmɔbɔ. Nokorɛm, afei na me kunu ani bɛgye me ho.”
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.
Lea nyinsɛnee bio na ɔsane woo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Esiane sɛ Awurade hunuu sɛ me kunu ani nnye me ho enti, wasane akyɛ me ɔbabarima bio.” Enti, ɔtoo ne din Simeon a asekyerɛ ne “Awurade ate!”
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.
Lea sane nyinsɛnee bio. Na ɔwoo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Afei deɛ, me kunu de ne ho bɛfam me ho, ɛfiri sɛ, mawo mmammarima baasa ama no.” Ɛno enti, ɔtoo no edin Lewi a asekyerɛ ne “Ahofam.”
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.
Lea sane nyinsɛnee. Ɛberɛ a ɔsane woo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ, mɛkamfo Awurade.” Ɛno enti, ɔtoo no edin Yuda, a asekyerɛ ne “Nkamfoɔ.” Yei akyiri no, ɔhomee awoɔ so.

< Genesis 29 >