Ebandeli 29
1 Jakobi akobaki mobembo na ye mpe akomaki na mokili ya bato ya este.
Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
2 Kuna, amonaki libulu ya mayi kati na elanga mpe bitonga misato ya bameme elali pembeni ya libulu, pamba te bameme ezalaki komela mayi na libulu yango. Libanga moko ya monene ezipaki monoko ya libulu.
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 Tango bibwele nyonso ezalaki kosangana wana, babateli bibwele bazalaki kolongola libanga na monoko ya libulu ya mayi mpe komelisa bameme. Mpe na sima, bazalaki kozongisa libanga na esika na yango, na monoko ya libulu.
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 Jakobi atunaki babateli bibwele: — Bandeko na ngai ya mibali, bowuti wapi? Bazongisaki: — Towuti na Arani.
[On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
5 Atunaki bango lisusu: — Boyebi Labani, koko ya Naori? Bazongisaki: — Iyo, toyebi ye.
He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
6 Jakobi abakisaki lisusu: — Boni, azali malamu? Bazongisaki: — Iyo, azali malamu. Tala kutu Rasheli, mwana na ye ya mwasi, azali koya elongo na bameme.
Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
7 Kasi Jakobi alobaki: — Tala, moyi ezali nanu makasi; tango ekoki nanu te mpo na kozongisa bibwele. Bomelisa bameme mpe bozonga lisusu koleisa yango matiti.
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 Bazongisaki: — Tokoki kosala yango kaka soki bibwele nyonso esangani; bongo tokolongola libanga na monoko ya libulu mpe tokomelisa bameme mayi.
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 Wana azalaki nanu kosolola na bango, Rasheli ayaki elongo na bameme ya tata na ye, pamba te azalaki mwasi mobateli bibwele.
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 Tango Jakobi amonaki Rasheli, mwana mwasi ya noko na ye Labani, elongo na bibwele ya Labani, apusanaki, alongolaki libanga na monoko ya libulu ya mayi mpe amelisaki yango mayi.
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 Jakobi apesaki Rasheli beze mpe alelaki makasi.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
12 Jakobi ayebisaki Rasheli: « Nazali mwana ya Rebeka mpe moto ya libota ya tata na yo. » Bongo Rasheli akimaki mbangu mpo na koyebisa tata na ye.
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 Tango kaka Labani ayokaki sango na tina na Jakobi, mwana ya ndeko na ye ya mwasi, akendeki mbangu kokutana na ye. Ayambaki ye, apesaki ye beze mpe amemaki ye na ndako na ye; mpe kuna, Jakobi ayebisaki ye makambo nyonso oyo elekaki.
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 Labani alobaki na ye: « Solo, ozali penza makila na ngai, moto ya libota na ngai penza! » Jakobi avandaki elongo na ye sanza mobimba.
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 Labani alobaki na Jakobi: — Boni, osalela ngai mosala ya ofele mpo ete ozali moto ya libota na ngai? Yebisa ngai: olingi ete lifuti na yo ezala nini?
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 Nzokande, Labani azalaki na bana basi mibale ya mikolo: Lea mpe leki na ye Rasheli.
Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
17 Lea azalaki na miso elala kasi Rasheli azalaki na nzoto kitoko mpe elongi kitoko.
Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
18 Jakobi alingaki Rasheli mpe alobaki: — Nakosalela yo mibu sambo mpe okopesa ngai Rasheli, mwana na yo ya mwasi oyo ya leki, mpo ete azala mwasi na ngai.
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 Labani alobaki: — Eleki malamu ete napesa ye epai na yo na esika ete napesa ye epai ya mobali mosusu. Vanda awa elongo na ngai.
Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
20 Jakobi asalaki mibu sambo mpo na kozwa Rasheli na libala, mpe mibu yango emonanaki kaka lokola mwa mikolo epai na ye, pamba te alingaki Rasheli.
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 Sima, Jakobi alobaki na Labani: — Mikolo na ngai ekoki; pesa ngai mwasi na ngai, pamba te nalingi kozala na ye.
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 Na boye, Labani abengisaki bato nyonso ya esika wana mpe asalisaki feti.
So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
23 Tango pokwa ekomaki, Labani azwaki Lea, mwana na ye ya mwasi, apesaki ye epai ya Jakobi mpe Jakobi asangisaki na ye nzoto.
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 Labani apesaki Zilipa, mwasi mosali na ye, epai ya Lea, mwana na ye ya mwasi, lokola mwasi mosali na ye.
(Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
25 Tango tongo etanaki, Jakobi amonaki ete ezalaki nde Lea. Bongo alobaki na Labani: — Likambo nini oyo osali ngai? Boni, ezali mpo na Rasheli te nde ngai nasalelaki yo? Mpo na nini okosi ngai?
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 Labani azongisaki: — Na bokoko na biso awa, topesaka te leki na libala liboso ya kulutu.
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 Silisa nanu poso ya babalani elongo na ye. Bongo sima, oyo ya leki mpe akopesamela yo soki osaleli ngai lisusu mibu sambo.
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 Jakobi asalaki bongo: asilisaki poso wana elongo na Lea, sima Labani apesaki ye mwana na ye ya mwasi Rasheli mpo ete azala mwasi na ye.
So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
29 Labani apesaki Bila, mwasi mosali na ye, epai ya Rasheli, mwana na ye ya mwasi, lokola mwasi mosali na ye.
Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
30 Jakobi asangisaki lisusu nzoto na Rasheli. Alingaki ye mingi koleka Lea. Bongo asalelaki lisusu Labani mibu sambo.
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 Lokola Yawe amonaki ete Jakobi alingaka Lea te, afungolaki ye mabota; kasi Rasheli azalaki kobota te.
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 Boye Lea azwaki zemi mpe abotaki mwana mobali. Apesaki ye kombo « Ribeni; » alobaki: « Yawe amoni pasi na ngai; mpe sik’oyo, mobali na ngai akolinga ngai. »
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 Sima, azwaki lisusu zemi mpe abotaki mwana mobali. Alobaki: « Yawe amoni ete nalingami te, mpe apesi ngai lisusu mwana. » Boye apesaki ye kombo « Simeoni. »
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 Azwaki lisusu zemi mpe abotaki mwana mobali. Alobaki: « Na mbala oyo, mobali na ngai akokangama na ngai, pamba te naboteli ye bana mibali misato. » Boye bapesaki ye kombo « 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 Azwaki lisusu zemi mpe abotaki mwana mobali. Agangaki: « Na mbala oyo, nakokumisa Yawe. » Yango wana apesaki ye kombo « Yuda. » Mpe akataki kobota.
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].
