Kĩambĩrĩria 29
1 Thuutha ũcio Jakubu agĩthiĩ na mbere na rũgendo rwake, agĩkinya bũrũri wa andũ a mwena wa irathĩro.
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
2 Na rĩrĩ, akĩona gĩthima werũ-inĩ, na ndũũru ithatũ cia mbũri ikomete hakuhĩ nakĩo, tondũ cianyuithagio maaĩ kuuma gĩthima-inĩ kĩu. Narĩo ihiga rĩrĩa rĩakunĩkĩte mũromo wa gĩthima kĩu rĩarĩ inene mũno.
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 Na ndũũru ciothe ciarĩkia kũrũrũngana hau, arĩithi nao maagaragaragia ihiga rĩkeherio mũromo-inĩ wa gĩthima, makahe ndũũru maaĩ. Magacooka magacookia ihiga handũ harĩo mũromo-inĩ wa gĩthima.
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 Jakubu akĩũria arĩithi acio atĩrĩ, “Ariũ a baba, muumĩte kũ?” Nao makĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Tuumĩte Harani.”
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 Akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ mũũĩ Labani mũrũ wa Nahoru?” Nao magĩcookia “Ĩĩ, nĩ tũmũũĩ.”
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 Ningĩ Jakubu akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “No mwega?” Makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, nĩ mwega. Na rĩrĩ, mwarĩ Rakeli-rĩ, nĩwe ũũrĩa ũroka na ngʼondu.”
“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 Nake Jakubu akĩmeera ũũ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, riũa rĩrĩ o igũrũ; na ti ihinda rĩa gũcookanĩrĩria ndũũru. Heei ngʼondu maaĩ, mũcooke mũthiĩ mũgacirĩithie.”
“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 Nao makĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Tũtingĩĩka ũguo o nginya ndũũru ciothe icookanĩrĩrio, narĩo ihiga rĩgaragario kuuma mũromo wa gĩthima, tũcooke tũhe ngʼondu maaĩ.”
“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 O akĩmaragĩria-rĩ, Rakeli agĩkinya na ngʼondu cia ithe, tondũ aarĩ mũrĩithi.
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
10 Rĩrĩa Jakubu onire Rakeli mwarĩ wa Labani, mũrũ wa nyina na nyina, na ngʼondu cia Labani, agĩthiĩ, akĩgaragaria ihiga, akĩrĩeheria mũromo-inĩ wa gĩthima na akĩhe ngʼondu cia mamawe maaĩ.
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 Ningĩ Jakubu akĩmumunya Rakeli, na akĩrĩra anĩrĩire.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
12 Jakubu nĩeerĩte Rakeli atĩ nĩ metainwo na ithe, na atĩ aarĩ mũrũ wa Rebeka. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Rakeli agĩtengʼera akĩĩra ithe ũhoro ũcio.
(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 Labani aarĩkia kũigua ũhoro wa Jakubu, mũriũ wa mwarĩ wa nyina, akĩhiũha agĩthiĩ kũmũtũnga. Akĩmũhĩmbĩria akĩmũmumunya, na akĩmũtwara mũciĩ, na arĩ kũu mũciĩ Jakubu akĩhe Labani ũhoro ũcio wothe.
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 Nake Labani akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ, ũrĩ wa mũthiimo wakwa na thakame yakwa.” Thuutha wa Jakubu gũikara nake mweri mũgima,
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
15 Labani akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩndutagĩra wĩra o ũguo tũhũ tondũ ũrĩ wa mbarĩ ciitũ? Njĩĩra mũcaara ũrĩa ũkwenda.”
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 Na rĩrĩ, Labani aarĩ na airĩtu eerĩ; ũrĩa mũkũrũ eetagwo Lea, nake ũrĩa mũnini eetagwo Rakeli.
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 Lea aarĩ na maitho mataarĩ na hinya, no Rakeli oombĩtwo arĩ kĩĩrorerwa na aarĩ mũthaka.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 Jakubu eendete Rakeli, nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũgũtungatĩra mĩaka mũgwanja, ũndĩhe na kũũhe Rakeli, mwarĩguo ũrĩa mũnini.”
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Labani agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kaba ndĩmũheanĩte kũrĩ we gũkĩra ndĩmũhe mũndũ ũngĩ. Ikara gũkũ na niĩ, ũndungate.”
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jakubu agĩtungata mĩaka mũgwanja nĩguo aheo Rakeli, no harĩ we yarĩ o ta matukũ manini nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa aamwendete.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 Mĩaka ĩyo yathira Jakubu akĩĩra Labani atĩrĩ, “Rĩu kĩĩhe mũtumia wakwa ndĩmũhikie, tondũ nĩndĩrarĩkirie ihinda rĩakwa rĩa gũtungata.”
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Labani agĩkĩũngania andũ a kũu othe, akĩmarugĩra iruga.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
23 No rĩrĩa hwaĩ-inĩ wakinyire-rĩ, akĩoya mwarĩ Lea, akĩmũnengera Jakubu, nake Jakubu agĩkoma nake.
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 Ningĩ Labani akĩheana Zilipa, ndungata yake ya mũirĩtu kũrĩ mwarĩ ĩmũtungatagĩre.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
25 Na gwakĩa rũciinĩ-rĩ, Jakubu akĩona atĩ aaheetwo Lea! Tondũ ũcio Jakubu akĩũria Labani atĩrĩ, “Hĩ nĩ atĩa ũũ wanjĩka? Githĩ ndiragũtungatagĩra nĩ ũndũ wa Rakeli? Ũũheenetie nĩkĩ?”
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 Labani akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ti mũtugo witũ gũkũ kũheana mũirĩtu ũrĩa mũnini ahike mbere ya ũrĩa mũkũrũ:
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
27 Rĩĩkia kiumia kĩa mũirĩtu ũyũ wahikia, na nĩtũgũcooka tũkũhe o na ũcio ũngĩ mũnini, nawe ũndutĩre wĩra mĩaka ĩngĩ mũgwanja.”
“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 Nake Jakubu agĩĩka o ũguo. Akĩrĩkia kiumia kĩa Lea, nake Labani akĩmũnengera mwarĩ Rakeli atuĩke mũtumia wake.
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 Labani akĩheana Biliha, ndungata yake ya mũirĩtu, kũrĩ Rakeli ĩmũtungatagĩre.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
30 Jakubu agĩkoma na Rakeli o nake, na akĩenda Rakeli gũkĩra Lea. Na akĩrutĩra Labani wĩra mĩaka ĩngĩ mũgwanja.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 Rĩrĩa Jehova onire atĩ Lea ndendeetwo-rĩ, akĩhingũra nda yake, no Rakeli aarĩ thaata.
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
32 Lea akĩgĩa nda na agĩciara kahĩĩ. Nake agĩgatua Rubeni, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ tondũ Jehova nĩonete mĩnyamaro yakwa. Ti-itherũ, rĩu mũthuuri wakwa nĩekũnyenda.”
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 Na akĩgĩa nda rĩngĩ, na rĩrĩa aaciarire kahĩĩ, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Tondũ Jehova nĩaiguire atĩ ndirĩ mwende-rĩ, nĩaheete gaka o nako.” Nake agĩgatua Simeoni.
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 O rĩngĩ akĩgĩa nda na rĩrĩa aaciarire kahĩĩ, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ihinda rĩĩrĩ mũthuuri wakwa no ekwĩohania na niĩ tondũ nĩndĩmũciarĩire ihĩĩ ithatũ.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩgatua Lawi.
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 Agĩcooka akĩgĩa nda rĩngĩ, agĩciara kahĩĩ kangĩ, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ihinda rĩĩrĩ nĩ ngũgooca Jehova.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩgatua Juda. Agĩcooka akĩrũgama kũgĩa ciana.
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.
