Jenesis 29
1 Jekọb gara nʼihu nʼije ya rute nʼala dị nʼọwụwa anyanwụ.
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
2 NʼEbe Nsọ a, ọ hụrụ otu olulu mmiri, hụkwa ụzọ igwe atụrụ atọ ndị nọ nʼakụkụ olulu mmiri nʼihi na ndị na-elekọta ha na-enye ha mmiri site nʼolulu mmiri ahụ. Nkume e ji mechie ọnụ olulu mmiri ahụ buru ibu.
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 Nʼihi na mgbe igwe atụrụ niile bịazukọtara nʼolulu mmiri ahụ, ndị ọzụzụ atụrụ na-emeghepụ nkume ahụ nye ha mmiri. Emesịa, ha na-ejikwa nkume ahụ mechie ọnụ olulu mmiri ahụ.
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 Jekọb jekwuru ndị na-elekọta atụrụ ahụ jụọ ha sị, “Ụmụnna m, ebee ka unu si?” Ha zara sị ya, “Anyị si Haran.”
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 Ọ jụrụ ha sị, “Unu maara Leban, nwa Nahọ?” Ha zara sị, “Anyị ma ya.”
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 Ọzọ Jekọb jụrụ ha sị, “Ahụ ọ dịkwa ya mma?” Ha zara sị ya, “E, ahụ dị ya. Lee nwa ya nwanyị Rechel ka ọ chị atụrụ ya na-abịa.”
“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 Jekọb kwuru sị, “Lee, anyanwụ ka na-acha. O rubeghị oge e ji achịbata igwe ụmụ anụ ụlọ. Nyenụ ha mmiri ka ha ṅụọ, ka ha laghachi gaa taa ahịhịa.”
“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 Ha zara sị ya, “Anyị agaghị enye ha mmiri tutu ruo mgbe igwe atụrụ niile bịakọtara, mgbe e wepụrụ nkume e ji mechie ọnụ olulu mmiri, mgbe ahụ ka anyị ga-enye ha mmiri.”
“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 Mgbe Jekọb na ndị ọzụzụ atụrụ ndị a kpụ okwu nʼọnụ, Rechel chịịrị atụrụ nna ya bịakwute ha, nʼihi na onye ọzụzụ atụrụ nwanyị ka ọ bụ.
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
10 Mgbe Jekọb hụrụ Rechel nwa Leban nwanne nne ya, hụkwa igwe atụrụ Leban, ọ meghepụrụ nkume ahụ e ji mechie ọnụ olulu mmiri ahụ nye igwe atụrụ Leban, nwanne nne ya mmiri ka ha ṅụọ.
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 Emesịa, Jekọb suturu Rechel ọnụ, kwaa akwa nʼoke olu.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
12 Jekọb kọwaara Rechel na ọ bụ onye ikwu nna ya, bụrụkwa nwa Ribeka. Nʼihi ya Rechel ji ọsọ gbalaa nʼụlọ ha kọọrọ nna ya.
(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 Mgbe Leban nụrụ maka Jekọb nwa nwanne ya nwanyị, o mere ngwangwa pụọ izute ya. Ọ makụrụ ya, sutu ya ọnụ, kpọrọ ya laa nʼụlọ. Nʼebe ahụ, Jekọb kọọrọ ya ihe ndị a niile.
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 Leban sịrị ya, “Nʼezie, ị bụ ọkpụkpụ m na anụ ahụ m.” Ọ nọnyeere ya otu ọnwa.
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
15 Leban sịrị Jekọb, “Ọ bụ nʼihi na ị bụ onye ikwu m ka ị na-agbara m odibo nʼefu? Gwa m ego ole m ga-akwụ gị nʼihi ọrụ ị na-arụrụ m?”
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 Leban mụrụ ụmụ ndị inyom abụọ. Aha nke okenye bụ Lịa. Aha nke nta bụ Rechel.
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 Ịma mma Lịa dị ya nʼanya, ma Rechel mara mma nʼahụ, maakwa mma ile anya.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 Ọ bụ Rechel ka Jekọb hụrụ nʼanya. Nʼihi ya Jekọb gwara Leban sị, “Aga m arụrụ gị ọrụ afọ asaa ma ọ bụrụ na ị ga-ekwe ka m lụọ Rechel.”
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Leban zara Jekọb sị ya, “Ọ dị mma na ị lụrụ Rechel karịa na onye ọzọ ga-alụ ya. Soro m nọdụ nʼebe a.”
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 Ya mere Jekọb gbara odibo afọ asaa maka Rechel. Ma afọ asaa ndị a dịka abalị ole na ole nʼanya Jekọb nʼihi ịhụnanya o nwere nʼebe Rechel nọ.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 Jekọb gwara Leban, okwu sị ya, “Kpọnye m nwunye m nʼihi nʼụbọchị m ezuola. Achọrọ m ịbakwuru ya.”
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 Leban kpọkọtara ndị niile bi nʼebe ahụ mere ha nʼoke oriri.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
23 Nʼanyasị ụbọchị ahụ, Leban kpọọrọ nwa ya nwanyị bụ Lịa kpọbara Jekọb, ọ bakwuuru ya.
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 Leban nyekwara Lịa odibo ya, Zilpa, ka ọ bụrụ odibo nwanyị ya.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
25 Mgbe chi bọrọ, Jekọb hụrụ na ọ bụ Lịa ka Leban kpọnyere ya. Jekọb sịrị Leban, “Gịnị bụ ihe a i mere m? Ọ bụghị nʼihi Rechel ka m ji gbaara gị odibo? Gịnị mere i ji ghọgbuo m?”
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 Leban zara sị ya, “Ọ bụghị omenaala anyị ibu ụzọ kee nwantakịrị nwanyị nke nta di tupu nke ada.
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
27 Otu ọ dị, chere ka mmemme izu ụka nke onye nke a gafee. Mgbe ahụ, aga m akpọnyekwa gị onye nke ọzọ a maka odibo ị ga-agbara m afọ asaa ọzọ.”
“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 Jekọb mere ka o si kwuo. O debezuru mmemme otu izu ụka onye nke a, Leban kpọnyere ya nwa ya Rechel ka ọ bụrụ nwunye ya.
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 Leban nyere nwa ya nwanyị, Rechel, odibo ya nwanyị bụ Bilha, ka ọ bụrụ odibo ya.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
30 Jekọb bakwukwara Rechel. Ọ hụrụ Rechel nʼanya nke ukwuu karịa Lịa. Ọ gbakwaara Leban odibo afọ asaa ọzọ.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 Mgbe Onyenwe anyị hụrụ na Lịa bụ nwanyị a kpọrọ asị, o meghere akpanwa ya, ma Rechel bụ nwanyị aga.
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
32 Lịa tụrụ ime mụọ nwa nwoke, kpọọ ya Ruben. Nʼihi na o kwuru sị, “Ọ bụ nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị ahụla nsogbu m, ugbu a di m ga-ahụ m nʼanya.”
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 Ọ tụụrụ ime ọzọ mụọkwa nwa nwoke. O kwuru sị, “Onyenwe anyị anụla na m bụ nwanyị a kpọrọ asị, ọ bụ ya mere o ji nye m nwa nwoke ọzọ.” Ya mere ọ kpọrọ aha ya Simiọn.
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 Lịa tụrụ ime ọzọ, mgbe ọ mụrụ nwa nwoke, o kwuru sị, “Nʼezie, ugbu a ka di m ga-arapara m nʼahụ, nʼihi na amụọrala m ya ụmụ ndị ikom atọ.” Ya mere ọ kpọrọ aha ya Livayị.
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 Ọ tụụrụ ime ọzọ mụọ nwa nwoke. O kwuru sị, “Ugbu a aga m eto Onyenwe anyị.” Ya mere, ọ kpọrọ aha ya Juda. Lịa mụsịrị nwa a kwụsị ịmụ ụmụ.
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.
