1 Mose 31
1 Yakob tee sɛ Laban mmabarima no reka se, “Yakob afa yɛn agya ho nneɛma nyinaa. Nʼahonya nyinaa fi yɛn agya nneɛma a wafa no.”
But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”
2 Yakob huu sɛ afei de, Laban ntew nʼanim nkyerɛ no sɛ kan no.
Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.
3 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “San kɔ wʼabusuafo ne wo nkurɔfo asase so, na medi wʼakyi.”
Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”
4 Enti Yakob soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ ne yerenom Rahel ne Lea se wɔmmra ne nkyɛn wɔ sare no so, faako a ɔne ne nguankuw no wɔ no.
He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,
5 Wɔbae no, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mahu sɛ afei de, mo agya Laban anim nyɛ me fɛ sɛ kan no, nanso Onyankopɔn a mʼagya Isak som no no ka me ho.
and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.
6 Munim sɛ mayi me yam de mʼahoɔden nyinaa ayɛ adwuma ama mo agya;
And you know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 nanso mo agya nam asisi kwan so asesa mʼakatua mu mpɛn du. Nanso eyi nyinaa akyi no, Onyankopɔn amma no kwan amma wanyɛ me bɔne.
Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me.
8 Sɛ ɔka se, ‘Mmoa a wɔn ho yɛ ntokontrama no bɛyɛ wʼakatua,’ na sɛ mmoa no wo a, na wɔawo mma a wɔn ho yɛ ntokontrama. Sɛ ɔka se, ‘Mmoa a wɔn ho yɛ nsensanee no bɛyɛ wʼakatua’ a, na wɔawowo mma a wɔn ho yɛ nsensanee.
Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.
9 Ɔkwan a Onyankopɔn nam so agye mo agya nsam nyɛmmoa no de wɔn ama me ama mayɛ ɔdefo no ne no.
And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me.
10 “Eduu bere a mmoa no hyia mu no, mesoo dae huu sɛ adwennini a wɔforo nguanbere no ho yɛ ntokontrama, nsensanee anaa nsisimu.
For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.
11 Onyankopɔn bɔfo frɛɛ me wɔ dae no mu ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Yakob!’ Na migyee so se, ‘Me ni!’
And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’
12 Na ɔsoro abɔfo no ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Hwɛ na hu sɛ adwennini a wɔforo nguanbere no nyinaa ho yɛ nsensanee, ntokontrama anaa nsisimu, na mahu ɔkwan a Laban de wo fa so no nyinaa.
And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 Mene Onyankopɔn a miyii me ho adi kyerɛɛ wo wɔ Bet-El, faako a wode ɔbo sii hɔ, hwiee ngo guu so, som me, hyɛɛ me bɔ sɛ, wobɛsom me no. Afei, tu fi saa asase yi so ntɛm ara, na san kɔ asase a wɔwoo wo wɔ so no so.’”
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’”
14 Na Rahel ne Lea bisae se, “Enti saa tebea a yɛwɔ mu yi, yɛwɔ kyɛfa bi wɔ yɛn agya agyapade mu ana?
And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?
15 Yɛn agya mfa yɛn sɛ yɛyɛ ahɔho? Watɔn yɛn, na yɛn ti sika a ogyee no nso, wadi.
Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?
16 Ɛyɛ nokware turodoo sɛ yɛn agya ahode a Onyankopɔn gyei no nyinaa yɛ yɛn ne yɛn mma dea. Enti biribiara a Onyankopɔn aka akyerɛ wo sɛ yɛ no, yɛ.”
But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”
17 Na Yakob de ne mma ne ne yerenom tenatenaa yoma so.
And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.
18 Ɔkaa ne mmoa nyinaa, agyapade a wanya nyinaa ne mmoa a onyaa wɔ Paddan-Aram nyinaa dii nʼanim sɛ, ɔrekɔ nʼagya Isak nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan asase so.
And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.
19 Bere a Laban kɔɔ wuram sɛ ɔrekotwitwa ne nguan ho nwi no, Rahel faa nʼakyi kowiaa nʼagya fi abosom.
At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.
20 Yakob daadaa Aramni Laban a wamma wanhu sɛ ɔreguan.
And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.
21 Yakob de nʼahode nyinaa guanee. Otwaa Asubɔnten Eufrate, de nʼani kyerɛɛ bepɔw asase Gilead no so.
And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,
22 Yakob ne nʼabusuafo guanee no, nnansa akyi ansa na Laban tee sɛ wɔkɔ.
it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 Laban faa ne fifo kaa ne ho, de anibere tiw Yakob. Nnanson akyi ansa na ɔkɔtoo Yakob ne ne nkurɔfo no wɔ bepɔw Gilead so.
And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.
24 Saa da no ara anadwo, Onyankopɔn yii ne ho adi wɔ dae mu kyerɛɛ Aramni Laban. Ɔka kyerɛɛ no wɔ dae no mu se, “Hwɛ yiye na woankɔka asɛm biara; sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne ankyerɛ Yakob.”
And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”
25 Bere a Laban ne ne fifo kɔtoo Yakob no, na Yakob asisi ne ntamadan wɔ bepɔw Gilead atifi. Laban ne ne fifo no nso sisii wɔn ntamadan wɔ hɔ.
And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.
26 Na Laban kɔɔ Yakob nkyɛn kobisaa no se, “Asɛm bɛn na wode adi me yi? Woadaadaa me, akyekyere me mmabea de wɔn reguan te sɛ nnommumfo.
And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?
27 Adɛn nti na wodaadaa me, na wuguan fii me nkyɛn a woankra? Sɛ wokraa me a, anka mɛto wo pon, na mama nnipa abɛbɔ sanku, ato nnwom wɔ aponto no ase, de agya wo kwan.
Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?
28 Woamma mankyiakyia me nenanom ne me mmabea yi nsam annya wɔn kwan mpo. Woadi nkwaseasɛm.
You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,
29 Mewɔ tumi sɛ anka meyɛ wo bɔne, nanso nnɛra anadwo, Onyankopɔn a wo agya som no no ka kyerɛɛ me wɔ dae mu se, ‘Hwɛ yiye na woanka asɛm biara, sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne ankyerɛ Yakob.’
my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’
30 Esiane sɛ wʼani agyina wʼagya fi nti, na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ ara. Na adɛn nti na wuwiaa mʼabosom de kaa wo nneɛma ho?”
It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?”
31 Yakob buaa Laban se, “Na misuro. Na ɛyɛ me sɛ wode tumi begye wo mmabea no afi me nsam.
Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.
32 Nanso obiara a wubehu wʼabosom no wɔ ne nkyɛn no, ɔsɛ owu. Wʼankasa hwehwɛ sɛ wubehu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo de wɔ me nneɛma yi mu wɔ yɛn nuanom yi anim. Sɛ wuhu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo de a, fa wʼade.” Bere a Yakob kaa saa asɛm yi no, na onnim sɛ Rahel na wawia nʼagya Laban abosom no.
But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 Ɛno nti, Laban kɔɔ Yakob, Lea, ne nʼasomfo Bilha ne Silpa ntamadan mu kɔhwehwɛɛ hɔ, nanso wanhu biribiara. Afei, okowuraa Rahel ntamadan mu.
And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,
34 Na Rahel awia abosom no de ahyehyɛ ne yoma no agua ase, atena so. Enti Laban kɔhwehwɛɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ Rahel ntamadan no nyinaa mu, nanso wanhu abosom no.
she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing,
35 Rahel ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Agya, mma wo bo mfuw me sɛ mete hɔ wɔ wʼanim na mennsɔre nnyina hɔ, makɔ afikyiri.” Enti Laban toaa so hwehwɛɛ abosom no ara, nanso wanhu.
she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.
36 Ɛyɛɛ saa no, Yakob bo fuw Laban yiye, bisaa no se, “Bɔne bɛn na mayɛ? Amumɔyɛsɛm bɛn na madi a ɛno nti, woataa me ara yi?”
And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me
37 Wohwehwɛɛ me nneɛma nyinaa mu yi, dɛn ade na wuhuu a ɛyɛ wo ne wo fifo de? Nea wuhuu biara no, fa bɛto gua wɔ me nuanom ne wo nuanom a wɔahyia ha yi nyinaa anim, na wɔnkyerɛ nea ɛyɛ ne de.
and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.
38 “Mfirihyia aduonu a wo ne me tenae, wo nguan ne wo mmirekyi abere no ampɔmpɔn, na mankum wʼadwennini yi bi amfi wo nguankuw yi mu anwe da.
For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.
39 Mamfa wʼaboa biara a akekaboa bi atetew ne mu ammrɛ wo; wɔn a mmoa kum wɔn no, mʼankasa mehyɛɛ anan mu. Afei sɛ ɛba sɛ wowia wo mmoa no bi, anadwo anaa awia a, woma mitua ka.
Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.
40 Eyi ne tebea a na mewɔ mu: Meyɛɛ wʼadwuma awia maa owia hyee me ne anadwo maa awɔw dee me; nam so maa nna yera fii mʼaniwa mu.
Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.
41 Tebea a na mewɔ mu mfirihyia aduonu a metenaa wo nkyɛn no nyinaa ni. Mede mfirihyia dunan na ɛyɛɛ adwuma maa wo, de waree wo mmabea baanu no. Na mede mfirihyia asia nso hwɛɛ wo nguan, na wosesaa mʼakatua mpɛn du.
And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times.
42 Sɛ ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn a mʼagya som no, Onyankopɔn a Abraham som no a ɔwɔ mʼafa ne suro a misuro mʼagya Isak a, anka nokware ni, wopam me maa mede me nsa pan kɔe. Nanso Onyankopɔn huu mʼamanehunu ne me nsa ano adwuma nti na nnɛra anadwo ɔkaa wʼanim no.”
If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”
43 Laban buaa Yakob se, “Mmea no yɛ me mmabea, mmofra no nso yɛ me nenanom, na nguankuw no nso yɛ me nguankuw. Nneɛma a wuhu yi nyinaa yɛ me de. Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi ayɛ mʼankasa me mmabea ne me nenanom bɔne?
Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?
44 Afei, bra na me ne wo nyɛ apam a ebedi me ne wo ntam adanse. Saa apam no so na yebedi wɔ yɛn asetena nyinaa mu.”
Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”
45 Enti Yakob faa ɔbo de sii hɔ yɛɛ nkaedum.
And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.
46 Yakob kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Montase abo!” Enti wɔtasee abo boaa ano, na wɔn nyinaa tenaa ho didii.
And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.
47 Laban frɛɛ abo kuw no Yegar-Sahaduta a ne nkyerɛase ne Adanse Kuw. Yakob nso frɛɛ saa abo kuw no Gal-Ed, a ne nkyerɛase ne Adanse Kuw saa ara.
And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.
48 Laban kae se, “Abo Kuw yi na edi me ne wo ntam adanse nnɛ!” Ɛno nti na wɔfrɛ no Gal-Ed no.
And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)
49 Na wɔsan frɛ abo nkaedum no nso bio sɛ, “Mispa” efisɛ Laban kae se, “Awurade mmoa yɛn, na sɛ yɛn ntam tetew mpo a, yɛn mu biara bedi saa apam yi so.
“May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.
50 Sɛ woanhwɛ me mmabea yi yiye anaasɛ woware mmea foforo ka me mmabea yi ho a, ɛwɔ mu sɛ merenhu, nanso Onyankopɔn de, obehu.”
If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”
51 Laban san ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “Abo Kuw yi ni. Nkaedum a mede asi me ne wo ntam no nso ni.
And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,
52 Abo Kuw yi, ne nkaedum yi nyɛ adanse sɛ, me Laban, merentra saa Abo Kuw yi ne nkaedum yi mma baabi a wowɔ mmɛtoa wo. Na wo Yakob nso, worentra saa Abo kuw yi ne nkaedum yi mma baabi a mewɔ mmɛtoa me.
will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me.
53 Ma Abraham Nyankopɔn ne Nahor Nyankopɔn, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn nyɛ otemmufo wɔ me ne wo ntam.” Enti Yakob de nʼagya Isak Nyankopɔn ho suro kaa ntam sɛ, ɔrentra ɔhye no.
May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Yakob bɔɔ Onyankopɔn afɔre wɔ bepɔw no atifi, na ohyiahyiaa ne nnamfonom ma wobedidii. Ɛno akyi no, wɔdaa ne nkyɛn wɔ bepɔw no so.
And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.
55 Laban sɔree anɔpatutuutu few ne nenanom ne ne mmabea no ano, hyiraa wɔn. Na ɔsan nʼakyi kɔɔ ne kurom.
In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.
