1 Mose 29
1 Yakob toaa nʼakwantu so koduu apueifo asase so.
Jacob went quickly on his way, and arrived in the land of the eastern people.
2 Asase no so baabi na okohuu abura bi a nguankuw abiɛsa butubutuw ho. Efisɛ saa abura no mu nsu na na wɔsaw ma nguan no nom. Na ɔbo kɛse bi na ɛkata abura no so.
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 Bere biara a nguankuw no bɛboa wɔn ho ano wɔ hɔ no, nguanhwɛfo no pirew ɔbo no fi abura no ano ma nguan no nsu nom. Sɛ nguan no nom nsu no wie a, na nguanhwɛfo no asan de ɔbo no akata abura no ano.
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 Yakob bisaa wɔn se, “Anuanom, mufi he na mobaa ha?” Wobuaa Yakob se, “Yefi Haran.”
Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We're from Haran,” they replied.
5 Yakob san bisaa wɔn se, “Munim Nahor nena Laban ana?” Nguanhwɛfo no nso buaa no se, “Yiw, yenim no.”
“Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?” he asked. “Yes, we know him,” they replied.
6 Na Yakob bisaa wɔn se, “Na ne ho te dɛn?” Wobuaa no se, “Ne ho ye. Na ne babea Rahel koraa na ɔne ne nguan reba yi.”
“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 Yakob kae se, “Monhwɛ. Owia no ano yɛ den dodo. Bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔboaboa mmoa no ano nnui. Momma wɔn nsu nnom, na monka wɔn nkɔ wɔn adidibea.”
“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 Nguanhwɛfo no buaa Yakob se, “Sɛ yɛmmoaboaa nguan no nyinaa ano, na yempirew ɔbo no mfii abura no ano a, yɛrentumi mma wɔn nsu nnom.”
“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 Yakob gu so ne wɔn rekasa no ara na Rahel a ɔno nso yɛ oguanhwɛfo no de nʼagya nguan baa hɔ.
While he was still talking with them Rachel arrived with the flock she was looking after for her father.
10 Bere a Yakob huu ne na nuabarima Laban babea Rahel ne ne wɔfa Laban nguan no, okopirew ɔbo no fii abura no ano. Afei, wɔmaa nguan no nsu nomee.
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 Afei, Yakob few Rahel ano, na osui.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept for joy.
12 Na Yakob aka akyerɛ Rahel se, ɔno Yakob yɛ Rahel no agya busuani a ɔsan yɛ nʼagya Laban no nuabea Rebeka babarima. Enti Rahel tuu mmirika kɔka kyerɛɛ nʼagya.
(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 Laban tee ne nuabea Rebeka ba Yakob ho asɛm no, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kohyiaa no. Laban yɛɛ no atuu, few nʼano, de no baa ne fi maa Yakob bɔɔ no nʼanantese.
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 Laban ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Woyɛ me dehye.” Na Yakob tenaa Laban nkyɛn ɔsram.
Laban told him, “No question about it—you're my own flesh and blood!” Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
15 Da koro bi, Laban ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “Ɛwɔ mu sɛ woyɛ me busuani de, nanso ɛno nkyerɛ sɛ, sɛ woyɛ adwuma ma me a ɛnsɛ sɛ mitua wo ka. Kyerɛ me akatua a wopɛ na memfa mma wo.”
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 Laban wɔ mmabea baanu. Na ɔpanyin no din de Lea na akumaa no nso de Rahel.
Laban had two daughters. The older one was Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.
17 Na Lea aniwa aba yɛ fɛ, na Rahel yɛ ɔbea fɛfɛ a nʼanim yɛ nyam yiye.
Leah had kind eyes, but Rachel had a shapely figure and beautiful looks.
18 Na Yakob dɔ Rahel wɔ aware kwan so, nti ɔka kyerɛɛ Rahel agya Laban se, “Sɛ wode wo babea kumaa Rahel bɛma me aware a, anka me nso mɛsom wo mfe ason.”
Jacob was in love with Rachel so he promised Laban, “I'll do seven years work for you for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Laban kae se, “Mepene so! Eye sɛ mede no bɛma wo aware mmom sen sɛ mede no bɛma obi foforo bi a minnim no. Enti tena me nkyɛn.”
“Well it's better for me to give her to you than anyone else,” Laban replied. “So stay here and work for me.”
20 Esiane ɔdɔ a na Yakob dɔ Rahel nti, ɔsom Laban mfe ason, na wanhu koraa sɛ wasom akyɛ saa. Ɛyɛɛ no sɛ gyama ɔsomee nnansa bi pɛ.
Jacob worked for Laban for seven years, but to him they seemed like just a few days because he really loved her.
21 Yakob som wiee no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Laban se, “Masom awie nti, fa Rahel ma me na menware no.”
Then Jacob said to Laban, “I've completed the time we agreed. Now give me your daughter to be my wife.”
22 Ɛno nti, Laban too pon kɛse, na ɔtoo nsa frɛɛ nnipa a na ɔne wɔn wɔ hɔ nyinaa baa aponto no ase.
So Laban organized a wedding banquet and invited everyone around to come.
23 Na eduu anadwo a sum aduru no, Laban de ne babea Lea kɔmaa Yakob, maa ɔne no dae.
But once it was dark Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
24 Ɛno akyi no, Laban de nʼafenaa Silpa kaa Lea ho sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Zilpah to be Leah's personal maid.)
25 Ade kyee no, ohuu sɛ Lea mmom na ɔda nʼakyi. Ɛnna Yakob bisaa Laban se, “Asɛm bɛn na wo ne me adi yi? Ɛnyɛ Rahel nti na mesom wo? Adɛn nti na woadaadaa me sɛɛ?”
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 Laban buaa Yakob se, “Ɛha de, ɛnyɛ yɛn amanne sɛ yɛde ɔbabea kumaa ma aware wɔ bere a ɔpanyin no nwaree ɛ.
“Here we don't give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn,” Laban replied.
27 Ma Lea nni nnaawɔtwe wɔ wo nkyɛn, na nnaawɔtwe no akyi no, sɛ wopɛ Rahel ara a, mɛma woasan asom mfirihyia ason bio, na mede no ama wo aware.”
“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 Yakob penee so ne Lea tenaa nnaawɔtwe. Ɛno akyi no, ɔsom mfe ason ansa na Laban de ne babea Rahel nso maa no waree.
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 Laban de nʼafenaa Bilha nso maa ne babea Rahel sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
(Laban also arranged for his servant Bilhah to be Rachel's personal maid.)
30 Yakob de ne ho kaa Rahel nso. Na ɔdɔ Rahel sen Lea. Yakob tenaa Laban nkyɛn, som no mfirihyia ason bio sɛnea ɔne no hyehyɛe no.
So Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He worked for Laban another seven years for Rachel.
31 Awurade huu sɛ Yakob ani nnye Lea ho no, obuee ne yafunu mu, nanso Rahel de, na ɔnwo.
The Lord saw that Leah wasn't loved he helped Leah to have children, but not Rachel.
32 Lea nyinsɛn woo ɔbabarima. Ɔtoo no din Ruben a nkyerɛase ne “Awurade ahu mmɔbɔ a meyɛ.” Na Lea kae se, “Awurade ahu me mmɔbɔ. Nokware, afei na me kunu ani begye me ho.”
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 Lea nyinsɛnee bio na ɔsan woo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkae se, “Esiane sɛ Awurade huu sɛ me kunu ani nnye me ho nti, wasan akyɛ me ɔbabarima bio.” Enti, ɔtoo ne din Simeon a nkyerɛase ne “Awurade ate!”
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 Lea san nyinsɛnee bio. Na ɔwoo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkae se, “Afei de, me kunu de ne ho bɛfam me ho, efisɛ mawo mmabarima baasa ama no.” Ɛno nti, ɔtoo no din Lewi a nkyerɛase ne “Ahofam.”
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 Lea san nyinsɛnee. Bere a ɔsan woo ɔbabarima bio no, ɔkae se, “Saa bere yi de, mɛkamfo Awurade.” Ɛno nti, ɔtoo no din Yuda, a ne nkyerɛase ne “Nkamfo.” Eyi akyi no, ɔhomee awo so.
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.
