Genesis 29
1 Profectus ergo Iacob venit in terram Orientalem.
Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
2 Et vidit puteum in agro, tres quoque greges ovium accubantes iuxta eum: nam ex illo adaquabantur pecora, et os eius grandi lapide claudebatur.
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 Morisque erat ut cunctis ovibus congregatis devolverent lapidem, et refectis gregibus rursum super os putei ponerent.
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 Dixitque ad pastores: Fratres, unde estis? Qui responderunt: De Haran.
[On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
5 Quos interrogans, Numquid, ait, nostis Laban filium Nachor? Dixerunt: Novimus.
He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
6 Sanusne est? inquit: Valet, inquiunt: et ecce Rachel filia eius venit cum grege suo.
Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
7 Dixitque Iacob: Adhuc multum diei superest, nec est tempus ut reducantur ad caulas greges: date ante potum ovibus, et sic eas ad pastum reducite.
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 Qui responderunt: Non possumus, donec omnia pecora congregentur, et amoveamus lapidem de ore putei, ut adaquemus greges.
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 Adhuc loquebantur, et ecce Rachel veniebat cum ovibus patris sui: nam gregem ipsa pascebat.
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 Quam cum vidisset Iacob, et sciret consobrinam suam, ovesque Laban avunculi sui: amovit lapidem quo puteus claudebatur.
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 Et adaquato grege, osculatus est eam: et elevata voce flevit,
Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
12 et indicavit ei quod frater esset patris sui, et filius Rebeccae: at illa festinans nunciavit patri suo.
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 Qui cum audisset venisse Iacob filium sororis suae, occurrit obviam ei: complexusque eum, et in oscula ruens, duxit in domum suam. Auditis autem causis itineris,
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 respondit: Os meum es, et caro mea. Et postquam impleti sunt dies mensis unius,
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 dixit ei: Num quia frater meus es, gratis servies mihi? dic quid mercedis accipias.
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 Habebat vero duas filias, nomen maioris Lia: minor vero appellabatur Rachel.
Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
17 Sed Lia lippis erat oculis: Rachel decora facie, et venusto aspectu.
Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
18 Quam diligens Iacob, ait: Serviam tibi pro Rachel filia tua minore, septem annis.
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 Respondit Laban: Melius est ut tibi eam dem quam alteri viro, mane apud me.
Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
20 Servivit ergo Iacob pro Rachel septem annis: et videbantur illi pauci dies prae amoris magnitudine.
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 Dixitque ad Laban: Da mihi uxorem meam: quia iam tempus impletum est, ut ingrediar ad illam.
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 Qui vocatis multis amicorum turbis ad convivium, fecit nuptias.
So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
23 Et vespere Liam filiam suam introduxit ad eum,
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 dans ancillam filiae, Zelpham nomine. Ad quam cum ex more Iacob fuisset ingressus, facto mane vidit Lian:
(Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
25 et dixit ad socerum suum: Quid est quod facere voluisti? nonne pro Rachel servivi tibi? quare imposuisti mihi?
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 Respondit Laban: Non est in loco nostro consuetudinis, ut minores ante tradamus ad nuptias.
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 Imple hebdomadam dierum huius copulae: et hanc quoque dabo tibi pro opere quo serviturus es mihi septem annis aliis.
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 Acquievit placito: et hebdomada transacta, Rachel duxit uxorem:
So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
29 cui pater servam Balam tradiderat.
Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
30 Tandemque potitus optatis nuptiis, amorem sequentis priori praetulit, serviens apud eum septem annis aliis.
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 Videns autem Dominus quod despiceret Liam, aperuit vulvam eius, sorore sterili permanente.
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 Quae conceptum genuit filium, vocavitque nomen eius Ruben, dicens: Vidit Dominus humilitatem meam, nunc amabit me vir meus.
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 Rursumque concepit et peperit filium, et ait: Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, dedit etiam istum mihi. vocavitque nomen eius Simeon.
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 Concepitque tertio, et genuit alium filium: dixitque: Nunc quoque copulabitur mihi maritus meus, eo quod pepererim ei tres filios: et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, Levi.
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 Quarto concepit, et peperit filium, et ait: Modo confitebor Domino. et ob hoc vocavit eum, Iudam: cessavitque parere.
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].
