1 Mose 30
1 Bere a Rahel huu sɛ ɔne Yakob nwo no, nʼani beree ne nuabea no. Enti ɔka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “Sɛ wo ne me anwo mma a, mewu!”
Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, “Give me children, otherwise I will die.”
2 Yakob bo fuw Rahel ma ɔkae se, “Meyɛ Onyankopɔn? Ɔno na wasiw wo yafunu ano.”
Jacob, being angry, responded to her, “Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?”
3 Na Rahel ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “Mʼafenaa Bilha ni, wo ne no nkɔda, na ɔnwo mma me, na ɛnam ne so ama me nso manya abusua.”
But she said: “I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.”
4 Enti Rahel de nʼabaawa Bilha maa Yakob waree. Yakob ne no dae.
And she gave him Bilhah in marriage.
5 Onyinsɛn woo ɔbabarima maa Yakob.
And when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son.
6 Na Rahel kae se, “Onyankopɔn adi mʼasɛm ama me. Wate mʼadesrɛ ama me ɔbabarima.” Ne saa nti, ɔtoo no din Dan a ne nkyerɛase ne, “Onyankopɔn adi mʼasɛm ama me.”
And Rachel said, “The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son.” And because of this, she called his name Dan.
7 Rahel afenaa Bilha nyinsɛnee bio, woo ɔbabarima a ɔto so abien maa Yakob.
And conceiving again, Bilhah bore another,
8 Na Rahel kae se, “Me ne me nua Lea adi yɛn ho aperepere na madi nkonim.” Ɛno nti, ɔtoo abofra no din Naftali a ne nkyerɛase ne, “Mʼakodi.”
about whom Rachel said, “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Naphtali.
9 Bere a Lea huu sɛ nʼawo atew kɔ no, ɔno nso de nʼafenaa Silpa maa Yakob waree.
Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband.
10 Lea afenaa Silpa woo ɔbabarima maa Yakob.
And she, after having borne a son with difficulty,
11 Na Lea kae se, “Akraye bɛn ni!” Enti ɔtoo abofra no din Gad a ne nkyerɛase ne, “Asi me yiye.”
said: “Happiness!” And for this reason, she called his name Gad.
12 Lea afenaa Silpa woo ɔbabarima a ɔto so abien maa Yakob.
Likewise, Zilpah bore another.
13 Na Lea kae se, “Mʼani agye! Afei de, mmea no bɛfrɛ me anigye.” Enti, ɔtoo no din Aser a ne nkyerɛase ne “Anigye.”
And Leah said, “This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed.” Because of this, she called him Asher.
14 Awitwabere mu da bi, Ruben kɔɔ afum kohuu afifide bi a wɔfrɛ no dudaim. Ɔde bi brɛɛ ne na Lea. Rahel ka kyerɛɛ Lea se, “Mesrɛ wo, ma me wo ba no dudaim no bi.”
Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, “Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Nanso Lea de abufuw buae se, “Woabegye me kunu akyi no, woresan abegye me ba dudaim a ɔde abrɛ me no bi apaa so?” Na Rahel de awerɛhow kae se, “Eye, ɛno de, Yakob mmɛda wo nkyɛn nnɛ anadwo yi, na ma me dudaim no bi.”
She responded, “Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel said, “He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.”
16 Enti da no anwummere a Yakob fi afum reba no, Lea kohyiaa no, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɛsɛ sɛ wobɛda me nkyɛn anadwo yi, efisɛ mede me ba dudaim atɔ wo.” Enti Yakob kɔdaa Lea nkyɛn anadwo no.
And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night.
17 Onyankopɔn tiee Lea mpaebɔ, na onyinsɛn woo ɔbabarima a ɔto so anum maa Yakob.
And God heard her prayers. And she conceived and bore a fifth son.
18 Na Lea kae se, “Mede mʼafenaa Silpa maa me kunu Yakob no, Onyankopɔn adom me.” Enti wɔtoo abofra no din Isakar a nkyerɛase ne “Akyɛde.”
And she said, “God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.
19 Lea san nyinsɛnee bio, na ɔwoo ne babarima a ɔto so asia maa Yakob.
Conceiving again, Leah bore a sixth son.
20 Enti Lea kae se, “Onyankopɔn ama me akyɛde a ɛsom bo yiye. Afei de, manya me kunu anim anuonyam. Ɔde obu ne nidi bɛma me, efisɛ mawo mmabarima baasia ama no. Enti ɔtoo abarimaa no din Sebulon a ne nkyerɛase ne Anuonyam.”
And she said: “God has endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him.” And therefore she called his name Zebulun.
21 Akyiri no, Lea woo ɔbabea too no din Dina.
After him, she bore a daughter, named Dinah.
22 Afei, Onyankopɔn kaee Rahel, tiee ne mpaebɔ, buee nʼawotwaa ano.
The Lord, likewise remembering Rachel, heeded her and opened her womb.
23 Rahel nyinsɛn woo ɔbabarima, na ɔkae se, “Afei de, Onyankopɔn apepa mʼanimguase ama me nso mawo ɔba.”
And she conceived and bore a son, saying, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Rahel too ne ba no din Yosef a ne nkyerɛase ne “Awurade mfa ɔbabarima baako nka me ho.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The Lord has added to me another son.”
25 Rahel woo Yosef no, ankyɛ na da koro bi, Yakob ka kyerɛɛ Laban se, “Mepɛ sɛ mesan kɔ mʼankasa mʼasase so ne me fi, enti mesrɛ wo, gya me kwan na menkɔ.
But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.
26 Fa me yerenom ne me mma a wɔn nti mebɛsom wo no ka ho. Wʼankasa ara wunim ɔsom pa a masom wo.”
Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”
27 Laban buae se, “Mesrɛ wo, nkɔ nnya me. Makɔ abisa ahu sɛ, nhyira dodow a manya yi nyinaa fi te a wote me nkyɛn yi.”
Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.
28 Laban ka kaa ho se, “Kyerɛ me akatua biara a wubegye, na metua.”
Choose your wages, which I will give you.”
29 Yakob buaa Laban se, “Wʼankasa wunim som a masom wo, ne sɛnea mahwɛ wʼanantwi ne wo nguan ama wɔn ase afɛe afa.
But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.
30 Wʼahode kakra a na wowɔ bere a mebae no, nnɛ, adɔɔso abu so. Biribiara a meyɛ maa wo no nso, Awurade ahyira so. Na me nso, bere bɛn na metumi apɛ biribi de agyaw mʼabusuafo?”
You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at some time I also should provide for my own house.”
31 Laban bisaa Yakob se, “Akatua ahe na memfa mma wo?” Yakob nso buae se, “Mma me hwee, na mmom, sɛ wobɛyɛ mʼabisade baako pɛ yi ama me de a, mɛkɔ so ayɛn wo mmoa no.
And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.
32 Nnɛ, ma menkɔhwehwɛ wo mmoa no nyinaa mu, na minnyi oguan biara a ne ho yɛ ntokontrama, oguan ba biara a ɔyɛ tuntum ne abirekyi biara a ɔyɛ ntokontrama. Eyinom na ɛbɛyɛ mʼakatua.
Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.
33 Eyi bɛma me nokwaredi adi me adanse, bere biara a wobɛhwehwɛ akatua a wode ama me no mu no. Sɛ wuhu abirekyi biara a ɔnyɛ ntokontrama anaa oguan biara a nʼahosu mmiri wɔ me mmoa no mu a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ mawia wɔn afi wo de mu.”
And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.”
34 Laban buaa Yakob se, “Eye, yɛ no sɛnea woaka no.”
And Laban said, “I hold favor for this request.”
35 Da no ara, Laban yiyii adwennini a wɔyɛ ntokontrama no nyinaa ne nguanbere a wɔyɛ ntokontrama no nso; mmoa no mu biara a fufu wɔ ne ho ne oguan ba biara a ɔyɛ tuntum no, ɔde wɔn kɔmaa ne mmabarima.
And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.
36 Na Laban mma no faa mmoa no de wɔn twaa nnansa kwan, fii baabi a na Yakob wɔ hɔ. Saa bere no mu no, Yakob tenaa hɔ, hwɛɛ Laban nguan no.
And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.
37 Na Yakob faa saa nnua yi: ɔsɛsɛ, odwen ne ɔfo mman amono, yiyii ho akamakam ma ɛkɔtoo dua kwatii no.
Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.
38 Afei, ɔde mman amono a wayiyi ho no nyinaa guguu mmoa no adidi nnaka mu, sɛnea ɛba sɛ, mmoa no ba sɛ wɔrebɛnom nsu no bi a, wobehu. Saa bere no na anini no foro abere no.
And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.
39 Enti sɛ mmoa no hyia mu wɔ dua mman ntokontrama no ho, na wonyinsɛn na wɔwowo a, wɔn mma no ho yɛ ntokontrama.
And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.
40 Ɔnam saa kwan yi so yii Laban nguankuw no mu abere no guu faako ma ɛkaa anini no. Na ɔmaa wɔne Yakob nguan a wɔyɛ tuntum no hyiaa mu. Saa ɔkwan yi so na ɔfa tew nʼankasa ne nguankuw fii Laban de ho.
And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.
41 Edu bere a nguanbere a wɔwɔ ahoɔden no pɛ sɛ wohyia adwennini no a, Yakob de mman a wayiyi ho akamakam no gu wɔn anim.
Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.
42 Nanso wanyɛ nguan abere a wɔyɛ mmerɛw no saa. Enti nguantenmma a wonni ahoɔden no bɛyɛɛ Laban dea, na wɔn a wɔwɔ ahoɔden no nso bɛyɛɛ Yakob dea.
Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.
43 Ɛnam eyi so maa Yakob nyaa ne ho tam. Onyaa mmoa, mfenaa, nkoa, yoma ne mfurum bebree.
And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.
