Mose 1 29
1 Yakob yi eƒe mɔzɔzɔ dzi, eye wòva ɖo ɣedzeƒenutowo me.
Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
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.
There he [was surprised to] see a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds habitually got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering 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.
When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well.
4 Yakob te ɖe alẽkplɔlawo ŋu, eye wòbia wo be, “Nɔvinyewo, afi ka míetso?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Míetso Haran.”
[On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
5 Yakob bia be, “Mienya ame aɖe si woyɔna be Laban, eye wònye Nahor ƒe via?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, míenyae.”
He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
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.”
Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
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.”
Jacob said, “Hey! The sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Give the sheep some water and then take them back to (graze/eat grass) in the pastures!”
8 Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Míemlia kpea ɖa o va se ɖe esime alẽhawo kple alẽkplɔlawo katã va ƒo ƒu ɖe afi sia.”
They replied, “No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep.”
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 came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
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, who was his mother’s brother, [Jacob was so excited that] he went over and [by himself] rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle’s sheep.
11 Yakob gbugbɔ nu na Rahel, eye Yakob de asi avifafa me.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
12 Yakob gblɔ na Rahel be fofoa ƒe ƒometɔ kple Rebeka ƒe viŋutsu yenye. Ale Rahel ƒu du yi ɖagblɔ nya la na fofoa.
Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father’s relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that to her father.
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 that Jacob, his sister’s son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek]. Then he brought him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened to him.
14 Laban gblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, nye ŋutɔ nye ŋutilã kple ʋue nènye.” Esi Yakob nɔ Laban gbɔ ɣleti ɖeka la,
Then Laban said to him, “Truly, you are part of my family!” After Jacob had stayed there and worked for 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?”
Laban said to him “(You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine!/Why should you work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine?) [RHQ] Tell me how much you want me to pay you.”
16 Vinyɔnu eve nɔ Laban si. Tsitsitɔ ŋkɔe nye Lea, eye ɖevitɔ ŋkɔe nye Rahel.
Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
17 Lea ƒe ŋkuwo nya kpɔna, eye Rahel ya dze tugbe ŋutɔ.
Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
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/wanted very much to be married to) Rachel, and he said, “I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for your letting me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
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.”
Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
20 Ale Yakob subɔ ƒe adre ɖe Rahel ta. Ke ƒe adreawo ɖi ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo ko le eŋkume, elabena elɔ̃ Rahel ŋutɔ.
So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days, because he loved her so much.
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.”
After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me marry Rachel now, because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you is ended, and I want to marry her. [EUP]”
22 Ale Laban ɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe, eye wòkpe ŋutsu siwo katã nɔ dua me la be woakpɔ dzidzɔ kple Yakob.
So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
23 Emegbe le zã me la, Laban kplɔ Lea yi na Yakob, eye Yakob dɔ egbɔ.
But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter, Leah, to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he had sex [EUP] with her.
24 Laban tsɔ eƒe kosi Zilpa na Lea be wòanye eƒe dɔlanyɔnu.
(Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
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?”
The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban [and told him] very angrily, “(What you have done to me is disgusting!/What is this that you have done to me?) [RHQ] I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive me?”
26 Laban ɖo eŋu be, “Mesɔ ɖe míaƒe kɔnyinyi nu be woaɖe ɖetugbi suetɔ gbã hafi woaɖe tsitsitɔ o.
Laban replied, “In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter.
27 Lala ne wò srɔ̃ɖeɖe ƒe kɔsiɖa gbãtɔ nava yi, ekema àte ŋu aɖe Rahel hã ne àgasubɔm ƒe adre bubu ko!”
After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for me for another seven years.”
28 Yakob lɔ̃ be yeagasubɔ ƒe adre bubu, ale Laban tsɔ Rahel hã nɛ.
So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
29 Laban tsɔ eƒe kosivi Bilha na Rahel be wòasubɔe.
Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
30 Ale Yakob dɔ Rahel hã gbɔ. Elɔ̃ Rahel sãa wu Lea, eye wògasubɔ ƒe adre bubu.
Jacob had sex [EUP] with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
31 Ke esi Yakob melɔ̃ Lea tututu o ta la, Yehowa na vi Lea, eye wòna Rahel tsi ko.
When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah [very much], he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant.
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 gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘Look, a son]!’ She said, “Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him.”
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.”
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that my husband doesn’t love me, he has given me this son, too.” So she named him Simeon, [which means ‘someone who hears’].
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.”
Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him.” So she named him Levi, [which means ‘hold close’].
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.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “(This time/Now) I will praise Yahweh.” So she called his name Judah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘praise’]. After that, she did not give birth to any more children [for several years].
