Genesis 30
1 Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any children for Jacob. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, “Enable me to become pregnant and give birth to children. If you do not do that, I [think I will]!”
Ɛberɛ a Rahel hunuu sɛ ɔne Yakob nwo no, nʼani beree ne nuabaa no. Enti, ɔka kyerɛɛ Yakob sɛ, “Sɛ wo ne me anwo mma a, mɛwu!”
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “(I am not God!/Am I God?) [RHQ] He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!”
Yakob bo fuu Rahel, ma ɔkaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Onyankopɔn? Ɔno na wasi wo yafunu ano.”
3 Then she said, “Look, here is my female slave, Bilhah. (Sleep with/Have sex with) [EUP] her, so that she may become pregnant and give birth to children for me. In that way it will be as though (I have children/her children are mine).”
Ɛnna Rahel ka kyerɛɛ Yakob sɛ, “Mʼafenaa Bilha nie, wo ne no nkɔda, na ɔnwo mma me, na ɛnam ne so ama me nso manya abusua.”
4 So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob had sex [EUP] with her.
Enti, Rahel de nʼafenaa Bilha maa Yakob wareeɛ. Yakob ne no daeɛ.
5 She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.
Ɔnyinsɛn, woo babarima maa Yakob.
6 Rachel said, “God has (vindicated me/judged my case and has decided that what I have done is right). He has also heard my requests and has given me a son.” So she named him Dan, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘he judged’].
Na Rahel kaa sɛ, “Onyankopɔn adi mʼasɛm ama me. Wate mʼadesrɛ ama me ɔbabarima.” Ne saa enti, ɔtoo no edin Dan a asekyerɛ ne, “Onyankopɔn adi mʼasɛm ama me.”
7 Later, Rachel’s slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.
Rahel afenaa Bilha nyinsɛnee bio, woo ɔbabarima a ɔtɔ so mmienu maa Yakob.
8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son.” So she named him Naphtali, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘struggle’].
Na Rahel kaa sɛ, “Me ne me nua Lea adi yɛn ho aperedie na madi nkonim.” Ɛno enti, ɔtoo abɔfra no edin Naftali a asekyerɛ ne, “Mʼakodie.”
9 When Leah realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any more children, she took her female slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.
Ɛberɛ a Lea hunuu sɛ nʼawoɔ ate kɔ no, ɔno nso de nʼafenaa Silpa maa Yakob wareeɛ.
10 Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
Lea afenaa Silpa woo ɔbabarima maa Yakob.
11 Leah said, “I am truly fortunate!” So she named him Gad, [which means ‘fortunate’].
Na Lea kaa sɛ, “Akrayɛ bɛn nie.” Enti, ɔtoo abɔfra no edin Gad a asekyerɛ ne, “Asi me yie.”
12 Later Leah’s slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.
Lea afenaa Silpa woo ɔbabarima a ɔtɔ so mmienu maa Yakob.
13 Leah said, “Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy.” So she named him Asher, [which means ‘happy].’
Na Lea kaa sɛ, “Mʼani agye! Afei deɛ, mmaa no bɛfrɛ me anigyeɛ.” Enti, ɔtoo no edin Aser a asekyerɛ ne “Anigyeɛ.”
14 When it was time to harvest wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some (mandrakes/plants that women eat to help them to become pregnant). He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, “Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!”
Ayuotwaberɛ mu ɛda bi, Ruben kɔɔ afuom kɔhunuu afifideɛ bi a wɔfrɛ no dudaim. Ɔde bi brɛɛ ne maame Lea. Rahel ka kyerɛɛ Lea sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, ma me wo ba no dudaim no bi.”
15 But Leah said to her, “No! (It was bad that you stole my husband!/Is it not bad enough that you stole my husband?) [RHQ] Now (are you going to take my son’s mandrake plants?/You want to take my son’s mandrake plants also, [so that you can become pregnant]!)” [RHQ] So Rachel said, “All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son’s mandrake plants.” [So Leah (agreed/gave her some)].
Nanso, Lea de abufuo buaa sɛ, “Woabɛgye me kunu akyiri no, woresane abɛgye me ba dudaim a ɔde abrɛ me no bi apaa so?” Na Rahel de awerɛhoɔ kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, ɛnneɛ, Yakob mmɛda wo nkyɛn ɛnnɛ anadwo yi, na ma me dudaim no bi.”
16 When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some of my son’s mandrakes [that enable women to become pregnant], to pay her for allowing us to do that.” So Jacob slept with her that night.
Enti, ɛda no anwummerɛ a Yakob firi afuom reba no, Lea kɔhyiaa no, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ wobɛda me nkyɛn ɛnnɛ anadwo yi, ɛfiri sɛ, mede me ba dudaim atɔ wo.” Enti, Yakob kɔdaa Lea nkyɛn anadwo no.
17 God answered Leah’s prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
Onyankopɔn tiee Lea mpaeɛbɔ, na ɔnyinsɛn, woo ɔbabarima a ɔtɔ so enum maa Yakob.
18 Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him.” So she named him Issachar, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘reward’].
Na Lea kaa sɛ, “Mede mʼafenaa Silpa maa me kunu Yakob no, Onyankopɔn adom me.” Enti, wɔtoo abɔfra no edin Isakar a asekyerɛ ne “Akyɛdeɛ.”
19 Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
Lea sane nyinsɛnee bio, na ɔwoo ne babarima a ɔtɔ so nsia maa Yakob.
20 Leah said, “God has given me a precious gift. (This time/Now) my husband will honor/respect me, because I have given birth to six sons for him.” So she named him Zebulon, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘accepted gift’].
Enti, Lea kaa sɛ, “Onyankopɔn akyɛ me akyɛdeɛ a ɛsom bo yie. Afei deɛ, manya me kunu anim animuonyam. Ɔde obuo ne anidie bɛma me, ɛfiri sɛ, mawo mmammarima baasia ama no. Enti, ɔtoo abarimaa no edin Sebulon a, asekyerɛ ne Animuonyam.”
21 Later she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.
Akyire no, Lea woo ɔbabaa too no edin Dina.
22 Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her prayers and enabled her to become pregnant.
Afei, Onyankopɔn kaee Rahel, tiee ne mpaeɛbɔ, buee nʼawotwaa ano.
23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has caused that no longer will I be ashamed [for not having children].”
Rahel nyinsɛne, woo ɔbabarima, na ɔkaa sɛ, “Afei deɛ, Onyankopɔn apepa mʼanimguaseɛ, ama me nso mawo ɔba.”
24 She named him Joseph, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘may he give another’] and she said, ‘want Yahweh to give me another son.’
Rahel too ne ba no edin Yosef a asekyerɛ ne “Awurade mfa ɔbabarima baako nka me ho.”
25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now allow me to quit working for you and let me return to my own land.
Rahel woo Yosef no, ankyɛre na ɛda koro bi, Yakob ka kyerɛɛ Laban sɛ, “Mepɛ sɛ mesane kɔ mʼankasa mʼasase so ne me fie enti, mesrɛ wo, gya me ɛkwan na menkɔ,
26 You know the work that I have done for you [for a long time to get my wives]. So let me take my wives and my children, and leave.”
Fa me yerenom ne me mma a wɔn enti mebɛsom wo no ka ho. Wʼankasa ara wonim ɔsom pa a masom wo.”
27 But Laban said to him, “If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.
Laban buaa sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, nkɔ nnya me. Makɔ abisa ahunu sɛ, nhyira dodoɔ a manya yi nyinaa firi te a wote me nkyɛn yi so.”
28 Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you.”
Laban ka kaa ho sɛ, “Kyerɛ me akatua biara a wobɛgye, na mɛtua.”
29 Jacob replied, “You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.
Yakob buaa Laban sɛ, “Wʼankasa wonim som a masom wo, ne sɛdeɛ mahwɛ wʼanantwie ne wo nnwan ama wɔn ase afɛe afa.
30 You had only a few animals before I came here. But now you have very many, and Yahweh has caused them to increase greatly in number wherever I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family.”
Wʼahodeɛ kakra a na wowɔ ɛberɛ a mebaeɛ no, ɛnnɛ, adɔɔso, abu so. Biribiara a meyɛ maa wo no nso, Awurade ahyira so. Na me nso, ɛberɛ bɛn na mɛtumi apɛ biribi de agya mʼabusuafoɔ?”
31 Laban replied, “What do you want me to give you?” Jacob replied, “I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.
Laban bisaa Yakob sɛ, “Akatua ahe na memfa mma wo?” Yakob nso buaa sɛ, “Mma me hwee, na mmom, sɛ wobɛyɛ mʼabisadeɛ baako pɛ yi ama me deɛ a, mɛkɔ so ayɛn wo mmoa no.
32 Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted, [and keep them for myself]. They will be my wages.
Ɛnnɛ, ma menkɔhwehwɛ wo mmoa no nyinaa mu, na mennyi odwan biara a ne ho yɛ ntokontrama, odwan ba biara a ɔyɛ tuntum ne abirekyie biara a ɔyɛ ntokontrama. Yeinom na ɛbɛyɛ mʼakatua.
33 In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats are neither speckled or spotted, or if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
Yei bɛma woahunu sɛ, medi nokorɛ anaa menni nokorɛ. Sɛ wohunu nnwan anaa mmirekyie a wɔyɛ fufuo, na wɔnyɛ ntokontrama wɔ me mmoa no mu a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ mawia wɔn afiri wo deɛ mu.”
34 Laban agreed and said, “Okay, we will do as you have said.”
Laban buaa Yakob sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, yɛ no sɛdeɛ woaka no.”
35 But that same day Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them and told his sons to take care of them.
Ɛda no ara, Laban yiyii nnwennini a wɔyɛ ntokontrama no nyinaa ne nnwammedeɛ a wɔyɛ ntokontrama no nso; mmoa no mu biara a fufuo wɔ ne ho ne odwan ba biara a ɔyɛ tuntum no, ɔde wɔn kɔmaa ne mmammarima.
36 Then he took these flocks and walked a distance of three days, in order that he could be that far from Jacob. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Na Laban mma no faa mmoa no, de wɔn twaa nnansa ɛkwan, firii baabi a na Yakob wɔ hɔ. Saa ɛberɛ no mu, Yakob tenaa hɔ, hwɛɛ Laban nnwan no.
37 Then Jacob cut some branches of (poplar, almond, and plane trees/three kinds of trees that had white wood). He peeled strips of bark from the branches, so that where the bark had been peeled off, the branches were light in color.
Na Yakob faa saa nnua yi: ɔsɛsɛ, ɛdwono ne ɔkyɛnkyɛn mman mono, yiyii ho akamakam, ma ɛkɔtoo dua kwatii no.
38 Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the branches would be in front of the flocks when they came to drink.
Afei, ɔde mman mono a wayiyi ho no nyinaa guguu mmoa no adidi nnaka mu, sɛdeɛ ɛba sɛ, mmoa no ba sɛ wɔrebɛnom nsuo no bi a, wɔbɛhunu. Saa ɛberɛ no na anini no foro abereɛ no.
39 The animals also mated in front of the branches, and eventually they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.
Enti, sɛ mmoa no hyia mu wɔ dua mman ntokontrama no ho, na wɔnyinsɛn na wɔwowo a, wɔn mma no ho yɛ ntokontrama.
40 Furthermore, Jacob separated the female sheep in his flock from the other sheep and goats in Laban’s flock. And when his female sheep mated, he made them look toward the animals that belonged to Laban that had black and white stripes on them, and the dark-colored animals. He did that so that the female sheep would give birth to animals that were striped or dark-colored. By doing that, he made bigger flocks for himself, and he kept them separate from Laban’s flocks.
Ɔnam saa ɛkwan yi so yii Laban nnwankuo no mu abereɛ no guu faako, ma ɛkaa anini no. Na ɔmaa wɔne Yakob nnwan a wɔyɛ tuntum no hyiaa mu. Saa ɛkwan yi so na ɔfa gyinaa ne nnwankuo firii Laban deɛ mu.
41 In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.
Ɛduru ɛberɛ a nnwammedeɛ a wɔwɔ ahoɔden no pɛ sɛ wɔhyia nnwennini no a, Yakob de mman a wayiyi ho akamakam no gu wɔn anim.
42 But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So the weak ones became part of Laban’s flock, and the strong ones became part of Jacob’s flock.
Nanso, wanyɛ nnwan abereɛ a wɔyɛ mmerɛ no saa. Enti, nnwammaa a wɔnni ahoɔden no bɛyɛɛ Laban dea, ɛnna wɔn a wɔwɔ ahoɔden no nso bɛyɛɛ Yakob dea.
43 As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks of sheep and goats, and many male and female slaves, and many camels and donkeys.
Ɛnam yei so maa Yakob nyaa ne ho tam. Ɔnyaa mmoa, mfenaa, nkoa, nyoma ne mfunumu bebree.
