Mose 1 29
1 Yakob yi eƒe mɔzɔzɔ dzi, eye wòva ɖo ɣedzeƒenutowo me.
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
2 Ekpɔ alẽha etɔ̃ wotsyɔ akɔ anyi ɖe gbe dzi le vudo aɖe to, nɔ lalam be woana tsi yewo yewoano. Ke wotsɔ kpe gã aɖe tu vudoa nu.
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.
3 Enye woƒe kɔnu be womahe kpea ɖa o va se ɖe esime alẽhawo katã nava ɖo afi ma. Ne wona tsi alẽhawo katã wono vɔ la, wogamlia kpe la ɖoa vudo la nu.
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.
4 Yakob te ɖe alẽkplɔlawo ŋu, eye wòbia wo be, “Nɔvinyewo, afi ka míetso?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Míetso Haran.”
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 Yakob bia be, “Mienya ame aɖe si woyɔna be Laban, eye wònye Nahor ƒe via?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, míenyae.”
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 Egabia wo be, “Eli nyuiea?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, eli nyuie, eye nuwo dze edzi nɛ. Kpɔ ɖa, via nyɔnu, Rahel kplɔ alẽwo gbɔnae.”
“How is he?” he asked. “He's well,” they replied. “Look! In fact here's his daughter Rachel coming with the sheep right now.”
7 Yakob gabia wo be, “Nu ka ta miana tsi alẽawo ale be woate ŋu agatrɔ ayi gbeɖuƒe o ɖo? Elabena zã medo haɖe o; ne mieƒo ƒu wo ɖe afi sia fifia la, dɔ awu wo.”
“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?”
8 Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Míemlia kpea ɖa o va se ɖe esime alẽhawo kple alẽkplɔlawo katã va ƒo ƒu ɖe afi sia.”
“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.”
9 Esi wonɔ nya siawo gblɔm la, Rahel va ɖo kple fofoa ƒe alẽwo, elabena alẽkplɔla wònye.
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
10 Esi Rahel nye Yakob dadaa nɔviŋutsu Laban ƒe vi, eye alẽawo nye Yakob nyrui tɔ ta la, Yakob yi vudo la gbɔ, mli kpea ɖa, eye wòna tsi nyruia ƒe alẽwo.
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.
11 Yakob gbugbɔ nu na Rahel, eye Yakob de asi avifafa me.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
12 Yakob gblɔ na Rahel be fofoa ƒe ƒometɔ kple Rebeka ƒe viŋutsu yenye. Ale Rahel ƒu du yi ɖagblɔ nya la na fofoa.
(He had told her that he was the son of Laban's brother and Rebekah.) She ran and told her father what had happened.
13 Esi Laban se nya sia tso Yakob, nɔvia nyɔnu ƒe viŋutsu ŋu la, eɖe abla yi ɖakpee. Ekpla asi kɔ nɛ, gbugbɔ nu nɛ, kplɔe yi aƒe me, eye Yakob gblɔ nyawo katã nɛ le afi ma.
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,
14 Laban gblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, nye ŋutɔ nye ŋutilã kple ʋue nènye.” Esi Yakob nɔ Laban gbɔ ɣleti ɖeka la,
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
15 Laban gblɔ nɛ gbe ɖeka be, “Menye esi nye kple wò míenye ƒometɔwo ta nàwɔ dɔ nam dzodzro o. Ho neni maxe na wò?”
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?”
16 Vinyɔnu eve nɔ Laban si. Tsitsitɔ ŋkɔe nye Lea, eye ɖevitɔ ŋkɔe nye Rahel.
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 Lea ƒe ŋkuwo nya kpɔna, eye Rahel ya dze tugbe ŋutɔ.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 Rahel ƒe nu nyo Yakob ŋu, eya ta Yakob gblɔ na Laban be, “Ne àtsɔ Rahel nam maɖe la, ekema mawɔ dɔ na wò ƒe adre.”
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Laban ɖo eŋu be, “Melɔ̃. Enyo nam be matsɔe na wò boŋ wu be matsɔe na ame bubu aɖe si medo ƒome kplim o.”
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 Ale Yakob subɔ ƒe adre ɖe Rahel ta. Ke ƒe adreawo ɖi ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo ko le eŋkume, elabena elɔ̃ Rahel ŋutɔ.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 Mlɔeba la, ɣeyiɣi la de be wòaɖee. Yakob gblɔ na Laban be, “Mewɔ nu si nèɖo nam la, eya ta ele na wò azɔ be nàɖe asi le srɔ̃nye ŋu nam madɔ kplii.”
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 Ale Laban ɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe, eye wòkpe ŋutsu siwo katã nɔ dua me la be woakpɔ dzidzɔ kple Yakob.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
23 Emegbe le zã me la, Laban kplɔ Lea yi na Yakob, eye Yakob dɔ egbɔ.
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 Laban tsɔ eƒe kosi Zilpa na Lea be wòanye eƒe dɔlanyɔnu.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
25 Ke esi ŋu ke la, Yakob kpɔ be Lea boŋ wona yeɖe! Yakob do dɔmedzoe, eye wòbia Laban be, “Amefuflu ka tɔgbie nye esia? Mesubɔ ƒe adre ɖe Rahel ta! Nu sia gɔme ɖe?”
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?”
26 Laban ɖo eŋu be, “Mesɔ ɖe míaƒe kɔnyinyi nu be woaɖe ɖetugbi suetɔ gbã hafi woaɖe tsitsitɔ o.
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
27 Lala ne wò srɔ̃ɖeɖe ƒe kɔsiɖa gbãtɔ nava yi, ekema àte ŋu aɖe Rahel hã ne àgasubɔm ƒe adre bubu ko!”
“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.”
28 Yakob lɔ̃ be yeagasubɔ ƒe adre bubu, ale Laban tsɔ Rahel hã nɛ.
Jacob agreed. He finished the week of wedding celebrations for Leah, and then Laban gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife as well.
29 Laban tsɔ eƒe kosivi Bilha na Rahel be wòasubɔe.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
30 Ale Yakob dɔ Rahel hã gbɔ. Elɔ̃ Rahel sãa wu Lea, eye wògasubɔ ƒe adre bubu.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 Ke esi Yakob melɔ̃ Lea tututu o ta la, Yehowa na vi Lea, eye wòna Rahel tsi ko.
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
32 Ale Lea fɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi. Ena ŋkɔe be Ruben si gɔmee nye “Yehowa kpɔ nye xaxa,” elabena egblɔ be, “Yehowa kpɔ nye xaxa; azɔ la, srɔ̃nye alɔ̃m.”
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!”
33 Eteƒe medidi hafi Lea gafɔ fu o. Egadzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Simeon si gɔmee nye “Yehowa see,” elabena egblɔ be, “Yehowa see be womelɔ̃m o, eya ta wògana ŋutsuvi bubum.”
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.
34 Egafɔ fu, eye wògadzi ŋutsuvi. Ena ŋkɔe be Levi si gɔmee nye “Kuku ɖe ame ŋu,” elabena egblɔ be, “Azɔ ya la, esi medzi ŋutsuvi etɔ̃ sɔŋ nɛ ta la, srɔ̃nye alɔ̃m kokoko.”
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.
35 Lea gafɔ fu, gadzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Yuda si gɔmee nye “Kafukafu,” elabena egblɔ be, “Azɔ makafu Yehowa!” Emegbe la, Lea megadzi vi bubu aɖeke o.
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.
