1 Mose 29
1 Yakob toaa nʼakwantu so koduu apueifo asase so.
Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
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.
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 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.
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 Yakob bisaa wɔn se, “Anuanom, mufi he na mobaa ha?” Wobuaa Yakob se, “Yefi Haran.”
[On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
5 Yakob san bisaa wɔn se, “Munim Nahor nena Laban ana?” Nguanhwɛfo no nso buaa no se, “Yiw, yenim no.”
He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
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.”
Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
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.”
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 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.”
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 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 came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
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, 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 Afei, Yakob few Rahel ano, na osui.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
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.
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 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 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 Laban ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Woyɛ me dehye.” Na Yakob tenaa Laban nkyɛn ɔsram.
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 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.”
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 Na Laban wɔ mmabea baanu. Na ɔpanyin no din de Lea na akumaa no nso de Rahel.
Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
17 Na Lea aniwa aba yɛ fɛ, na Rahel yɛ ɔbea fɛfɛ a nʼanim yɛ nyam yiye.
Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
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/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 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.”
Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
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.
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 Yakob som wiee no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Laban se, “Masom awie nti, fa Rahel ma me na menware no.”
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 Ɛno nti, Laban too pon kɛse, na ɔtoo nsa frɛɛ nnipa a na ɔne wɔn wɔ hɔ nyinaa baa aponto no ase.
So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
23 Na eduu anadwo a sum aduru no, Laban de ne babea Lea kɔmaa Yakob, maa ɔne no dae.
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 Ɛno akyi no, Laban de nʼafenaa Silpa kaa Lea ho sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
(Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
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?”
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 Laban buaa Yakob se, “Ɛha de, ɛnyɛ yɛn amanne sɛ yɛde ɔbabea kumaa ma aware wɔ bere a ɔpanyin no nwaree ɛ.
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 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.”
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 Yakob penee so ne Lea tenaa nnaawɔtwe. Ɛno akyi no, ɔsom mfe ason ansa na Laban de ne babea Rahel nso maa no waree.
So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
29 Laban de nʼafenaa Bilha nso maa ne babea Rahel sɛ ɔnkɔsom no.
Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
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.
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 Awurade huu sɛ Yakob ani nnye Lea ho no, obuee ne yafunu mu, nanso Rahel de, na ɔnwo.
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 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 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 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!”
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 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.”
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 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.
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].
