1 Mose 31
1 Yakob tee sɛ Laban mmammarima no reka sɛ, “Yakob afa yɛn agya ho nneɛma nyinaa. Nʼahonya nyinaa firi yɛn agya nneɛma a wafa no.”
Someone told Jacob that Laban’s sons were complaining and saying, “Jacob has become very rich by taking everything [HYP] that belonged to our father.”
2 Yakob hunuu sɛ, afei deɛ, Laban nte nʼanim nkyerɛ no sɛ kane no.
And Jacob noticed that Laban was not acting friendly toward him as he had done before.
3 Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yakob sɛ, “Sane kɔ wʼabusuafoɔ ne wo nkurɔfoɔ asase so, na mɛdi wʼakyi.”
Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will help you there.”
4 Enti, Yakob soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ ne yerenom Rahel ne Lea sɛ, wɔmmra ne nkyɛn wɔ ɛserɛ no so, faako a ɔne ne nnwankuo no wɔ no.
So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah, telling them to come out to the pastures where his flocks of sheep and goats were.
5 Wɔbaeɛ no, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Mahunu sɛ, afei deɛ, mo agya Laban anim nyɛ me fɛ sɛ kane no, nanso Onyankopɔn a mʼagya Isak somm no no ka me ho.
When they arrived, he said to them, “I see that your father does not act friendly toward me as he did previously. But God, whom my father worshiped, has helped me.
6 Monim sɛ, mayi me yam, de mʼahoɔden nyinaa ayɛ adwuma, ama mo agya;
You two know that I have worked very hard for your father,
7 nanso mo agya nam nsisie kwan so, asesa mʼakatua mu mprɛdu. Nanso, yei nyinaa akyiri, Onyankopɔn amma no ɛkwan amma wanyɛ me bɔne.
but many times [HYP] he has cheated me by decreasing my wages. But God has not allowed him to harm me.
8 Sɛ ɔka sɛ, ‘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 sɛ, ‘Mmoa a wɔn ho yɛ nsensaneɛ no bɛyɛ wʼakatua’ a, na wɔawowo mma a wɔn ho yɛ nsensaneɛ.
When Laban said, ‘The speckled animals are the ones that I will give you to be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were speckled. When he changed and said, ‘The ones that have black and white stripes on them will be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were striped.
9 Ɛkwan a Onyankopɔn nam so agye mo agya nsam nyɛmmoa no de wɔn ama me ama mayɛ ɔdefoɔ no ne no.
In that way, God has taken away the livestock that belonged to your father and has given them to me.
10 “Ɛduruu ɛberɛ a mmoa no hyiam no, mesoo daeɛ hunuu sɛ, nnwennini a wɔforo nnwammedeɛ no ho yɛ ntokontrama, nsensaneɛ anaa nsisimu.
“One time, when the animals were mating, I had a dream. In my dream I [looked up and was surprised to] see that some of the male goats that were mating with the female goats had black and white stripes on them, some were speckled, and some were spotted.
11 Onyankopɔn ɔbɔfoɔ frɛɛ me wɔ daeɛ no mu ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Yakob!’ Ɛnna megyee so sɛ, ‘Me nie!’
An angel who was sent by God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I am here!’
12 Ɛnna ɔsoro abɔfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Hwɛ na hunu sɛ, nnwennini a wɔforo nnwammedeɛ no nyinaa ho yɛ nsensaneɛ, ntokontrama anaa nsisimu, na mahunu ɛkwan a Laban de wo fa so no nyinaa.
He said to me, ‘Look up and you will see that all the male goats that are mating have black and white stripes on them, or are speckled or spotted. This is happening because I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 Mene Onyankopɔn a meyii me ho adi kyerɛɛ wo wɔ Bet-El, beaeɛ a wode ɛboɔ sii hɔ, hwiee ngo guu so, somm me, hyɛɛ me bɔ sɛ, wobɛsom me no. Afei, tu firi saa asase yi so ntɛm ara, na sane kɔ asase a wɔwoo wo wɔ so no so.’”
I am God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you set up a stone to show that the place was holy, and you poured [olive] oil on the stone and made a solemn promise to me. So now leave this land immediately, and return to the land where you were born.’”
14 Na Rahel ne Lea bisaa sɛ, “Enti, saa tebea a yɛwɔ mu yi, yɛwɔ kyɛfa bi wɔ yɛn agya agyapadeɛ mu anaa?
Rachel and Leah replied, “Our father will not give us anything more when he dies [RHQ].
15 Yɛn agya mfa yɛn sɛ yɛyɛ ahɔhoɔ? Watɔn yɛn, na yɛn tiri sika a ɔgyeeɛ no nso, wadi.
He treats us as though we were foreigners [RHQ]! [Your working for him all these years was like a payment] that you gave him as a price for us, but we will not inherit any of that money that he got as a price for us. He has spent it all!
16 Ɛyɛ nokorɛ turodoo sɛ, yɛn agya ahodeɛ a Onyankopɔn gyeeɛ no nyinaa yɛ yɛn ne yɛn mma dea. Enti, biribiara a Onyankopɔn aka akyerɛ wo sɛ yɛ no, yɛ.”
Surely all of the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you to do!”
17 Ɛda bi, Yakob de ne mma ne ne yerenom tenatenaa nyoma so.
Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.
18 Ɔkaa ne mmoa nyinaa, agyapadeɛ a wanya nyinaa ne mmoa a ɔnyaa wɔ Paddan-Aram nyinaa dii nʼanim sɛ, ɔrekɔ nʼagya Isak nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan asase so.
He made all his livestock go ahead of him. Besides the livestock, he took along all the other things that he had acquired while living in Paddan-Aram. And they prepared to return to his father Isaac, in the Canaan region.
19 Ɛberɛ a Laban kɔɔ wiram sɛ ɔrekɔtwitwa ne nnwan ho nwi no, Rahel faa nʼakyi kɔwiaa nʼagya fie abosom.
Before they left, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the [small wooden] idols [that were in her father’s tent].
20 Yakob daadaa Aramni Laban a wamma wanhunu sɛ, ɔredwane.
Furthermore, Jacob deceived Laban, who belonged to the Aram people-group, by not telling him that they were planning to leave.
21 Yakob de nʼahodeɛ nyinaa dwaneeɛ. Ɔtwaa Asubɔnten Eufrate, de nʼani kyerɛɛ bepɔ asase Gilead no so.
So Jacob and his family fled with all their possessions, and they crossed the Euphrates River, and then started traveling south toward the hilly Gilead region.
22 Yakob ne nʼabusuafoɔ dwaneeɛ no, nnansa akyiri ansa na Laban tee sɛ wɔkɔ.
On the third day after they left, someone told Laban that Jacob and his family had left.
23 Laban faa ne fiefoɔ, kaa ne ho, de anibereɛ tii Yakob. Nnanson akyiri ansa na ɔkɔtoo Yakob ne ne nkurɔfoɔ no wɔ bepɔ Gilead so.
So he took some of his relatives with him and started to pursue Jacob. They continued walking for seven days.
24 Saa ɛda no ara anadwo, Onyankopɔn yii ne ho adi wɔ daeɛ mu kyerɛɛ Aramni Laban. Ɔka kyerɛɛ no wɔ daeɛ no mu sɛ, “Hwɛ yie na woankɔka asɛm biara, sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne ankyerɛ Yakob.”
Then God appeared to Laban in a dream at night, and said to him, “When you catch up to Jacob, be sure that you do not say anything at all [HYP] to him in an angry manner!”
25 Ɛberɛ a Laban ne ne fiefoɔ kɔtoo Yakob no, na Yakob asisi ne ntomadan wɔ bepɔ Gilead atifi. Laban ne ne fiefoɔ no nso sisii wɔn ntomadan wɔ bepɔ no ayaase.
The next day, by the time Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob and his household had set up their tents in the hilly Gilead region. So Laban and his relatives set up their tents there, too.
26 Afei, Laban kɔɔ Yakob nkyɛn kɔbisaa no sɛ, “Woadaadaa me. Asɛm bɛn na wode adi me yi? Woakyekyere me mmammaa de wɔn redwane te sɛ nnommumfoɔ.
Then Laban went to Jacob and said to him, “Why have you done this? You have deceived me by carrying away my daughters as though you had captured them in a war [MTY]!
27 Adɛn enti na wodaadaa me, na wodwane firii me nkyɛn a woankra? Sɛ wokraa me a, anka mɛto wo ɛpono, na mama nnipa abɛbɔ sankuo, ato nnwom wɔ apontoɔ no ase, de agya wo kwan.
Why did you run away and deceive me? Why did you not tell me that you were going to leave, so that we could have rejoiced and sung while people played music on tambourines and harps before I said ‘goodbye’ to you?
28 Woamma mankyeakyea me nananom ne me mmammaa yi nsam mpo, amfa annya wɔn kwan. Woadi nkwaseasɛm.
(You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye before they left!/Why did you not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye before they left?) [RHQ] What you have done was foolish!
29 Mewɔ tumi sɛ anka meyɛ wo bɔne, nanso, nnora anadwo, Onyankopɔn a wo agya somm no no ka kyerɛɛ me wɔ daeɛ mu sɛ, ‘Hwɛ yie na woanka asɛm biara, sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne, ankyerɛ Yakob.’
My relatives and I have the power to harm you, but last night the God whom your father worships said to me in a dream, ‘Be sure that you do not say anything at all to Jacob in an angry way.’
30 Esiane sɛ wʼani agyina wo agya fie enti, na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ ara, na adɛn enti na wowiaa mʼabosom, de kaa wo nneɛma ho?”
Now, I know you have left because you long to go back home. But why did you steal my [wooden] idols?”
31 Yakob buaa Laban sɛ, “Na mesuro. Na ɛyɛ me sɛ wode tumi bɛgye wo mmammaa no afiri me nsam.
Jacob replied to Laban, saying, “I did not tell you that we were planning to leave, because I was afraid. I thought that [if I told you], you would forcefully take your daughters away from me.
32 Nanso, obiara a wobɛhunu wʼabosom no wɔ ne nkyɛn no, ɔsɛ owuo. Wʼankasa hwehwɛ, sɛ wobɛhunu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo dea wɔ me nneɛma yi mu wɔ yɛn nuanom yi anim. Sɛ wohunu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo dea a, fa wʼadeɛ.” Ɛberɛ a Yakob kaa saa asɛm yi no, na ɔnnim sɛ Rahel na wawia nʼagya Laban abosom no.
But if you find anyone here who has your wooden idols, we will execute that person. While our relatives are watching, search for yourself to see if there is anything that belongs to you that is here with me. If you find anything, you can take it!” When Jacob said that, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the wooden idols.
33 Ɛno enti, Laban kɔɔ Yakob, Lea, ne nʼasomfoɔ Bilha ne Silpa ntomadan mu kɔhwehwɛɛ hɔ, nanso wanhunu biribiara. Afei, ɔkɔwuraa Rahel ntomadan mu.
Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and then into Leah’s tent, and then into the tents of the two female slaves and searched for the idols, but he did not find them. After he left their tents, he entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Ɛfiri sɛ, na Rahel awia abosom no de ahyehyɛ ne yoma no atɛ ase, atena so. Enti, Laban kɔhwehwɛɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ Rahel ntomadan no nyinaa mu, nanso wanhunu abosom no.
But Rachel had previously taken the idols and put them in the saddle of a camel, and she was sitting on the saddle. So when Laban searched all over for them inside Rachel’s tent, he did not find them.
35 Afei, Rahel ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya sɛ, “Agya, mma wo bo mfu me sɛ mete hɔ wɔ wʼanim na mensɔre nnyina hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, makɔ afikyire.” Enti, Laban toaa so hwehwɛɛ abosom no ara, nanso wanhunu.
Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry with me, sir, but I cannot get up in your presence [to show respect for you], because I am having my monthly menstrual period. [EUP]” So when Laban searched some more, he did not find the [wooden] idols.
36 Ɛyɛɛ saa no, Yakob bo fuu Laban yie, bisaa no sɛ, “Bɔne bɛn na mayɛ? Amumuyɛsɛm bɛn na madi a ɛno enti, woataa me ara yi?”
Then Jacob became angry. He rebuked Laban, saying, “What crime did I commit? For what sin that I committed have you pursued me?
37 Wohwehwɛɛ me nneɛma nyinaa mu yi, ɛdeɛn adeɛ na wohunuiɛ a ɛyɛ wo ne wo fiefoɔ dea? Deɛ wohunuiɛ biara no, fa bɛto dwa wɔ me nuanom ne wo nuanom a wɔahyia ha yi nyinaa anim, na wɔnkyerɛ deɛ ɛyɛ ne dea.
Now you have searched through all my possessions, and what did you find from all these possessions that belongs to you? Put it here in front of my relatives and your relatives, so that they can decide who is right, you or me!
38 “Mfirinhyia aduonu a wo ne me tenaeɛ, wo nnwan ne wo mmirekyie abereɛ no ampompɔn, na mankum wo nnwennini yi bi amfiri wo nnwankuo yi mu, anwe da.
I was with you for 20 years. In all that time, your sheep and goats have (not miscarried/always given birth to animals safely). I have not [killed and] eaten any rams from your flocks.
39 Mamfa wʼaboa biara a akekaboa bi atete ne mu ammrɛ wo; wɔn a mmoa kumm wɔn no, mʼankasa mehyɛɛ anan mu. Afei sɛ ɛba sɛ wɔwia wo mmoa no bi, anadwo anaa awia a, woma metua ka.
When one of your animals was attacked and mauled/killed by a wild animal, I did not bring it to you. I replaced the dead animal with a living one of my own animals. Whenever one of your animals was stolen, during the day or during the night, you demanded that I replace it with one of my own animals.
40 Saa na asetena a me ne wo teɛ no teɛ. Meyɛɛ wʼadwuma awia maa owia hyee me. Meyɛɛ wʼadwuma anadwo maa awɔ dee me, maa sɛ, mekɔ kɛtɛ so koraa a, mentumi nna.
I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was often not even able to sleep [PRS]!
41 Mfirinhyia aduonu a metenaa wo nkyɛn nyinaa, na saa na mʼasetena teɛ. Mede mfirinhyia dunan na ɛyɛɛ adwuma maa wo, de waree wo mmammaa baanu no. Ɛnna mede mfirinhyia nsia nso hwɛɛ wo nnwan. Deɛ ɛtwa toɔ koraa ne sɛ, wosesaa mʼakatua mpɛn edu.
I lived in your household for 20 years. I worked for you for 14 years to buy your two daughters, and for six more years to buy some of your sheep and goats. During that time, you changed and reduced my wages many times [HYP].
42 Sɛ ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn a mʼagya somm no, Onyankopɔn a Abraham somm no a ɔwɔ mafa ne suro a mesuro mʼagya Isak a, anka nokorɛm nie, wopamoo me, maa mede me nsapan kɔeɛ. Nanso Onyankopɔn hunuu mʼamanehunu ne me nsa ano adwuma enti na nnora anadwo ɔkaa wʼanim no.”
If God, the one whom my grandfather Abraham worshiped and before whom my father Isaac trembled in fear, had not been with me and helped me, you would have sent me away (with nothing in my hands/owning nothing)! But God saw how much I was suffering and how hard I was working, so last night he told you that what you have done to me was wrong.”
43 Laban buaa Yakob sɛ, “Mmaa no yɛ me mmammaa, mmɔfra no nso yɛ me nananom, ɛnna nnwankuo no nso yɛ me nnwankuo. Nneɛma a wohunu yi nyinaa yɛ me dea. Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi ayɛ mʼankasa me mmammaa ne me nananom bɔne?
Laban replied, “These two women are my daughters, and their children are my grandchildren, and the animals are my animals. Everything you see here is mine [HYP]! But what can I do today to keep my daughters or the children they have given birth to [RHQ]?
44 Afei, bra na me ne wo nyɛ apam a ɛbɛdi me ne wo ntam adanseɛ. Saa apam no so na yɛbɛdi wɔ yɛn asetena nyinaa mu.”
I cannot do anything in order to keep them, so hey, we should make a peace agreement, you and I, and do something that will remind us about our agreement.”
45 Enti, Yakob faa ɛboɔ de sii hɔ yɛɛ nkaeɛdum.
So Jacob took a [large] stone and set it on its end.
46 Yakob kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no sɛ, “Montase aboɔ!” Enti, wɔtasee aboɔ boaa ano. Afei, wɔn nyinaa tenaa ho didiiɛ.
Then Jacob said to his relatives, “You also gather some stones.” So they gathered some rocks and put them in a heap, and they ate some food there near the heap.
47 Laban frɛɛ aboɔ kuo no Yegar-Sahaduta a asekyerɛ ne Adanseɛ Kuo. Yakob nso frɛɛ saa aboɔ kuo no Gal-Ed, a asekyerɛ ne Adanseɛ Kuo saa ara.
Laban gave the heap the Aramaic name Jegar-Sahadutha, [which means ‘rock-pile to remind us’, ] but Jacob gave the rock-pile the Hebrew name Galeed, [which has the same meaning].
48 Afei, Laban kaa sɛ, “Aboɔ Kuo yi na ɛdi me ne wo ntam adanseɛ ɛnnɛ!” Ɛno enti na wɔfrɛ no Gal-Ed no.
Laban said to Jacob, “This pile of rocks we have put here today will help us to remember our agreement.” That is why Jacob called it Galeed.
49 Na wɔsane frɛ aboɔ nkaeɛdum no nso bio sɛ, “Mispa” ɛfiri sɛ, Laban kaa sɛ, “Awurade mmoa yɛn, na sɛ yɛn ntam tete mpo a, yɛn mu biara bɛdi saa apam yi so.
They also named the place Mizpah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘watchtower’, ] because Laban said, “We will ask Yahweh to watch you and me while we are separated from each other, [so that we do not try to harm each other].
50 Sɛ woanhwɛ me mmammaa yi yie anaasɛ woware mmaa foforɔ ka me mmammaa yi ho a, ɛwom sɛ merenhunu, nanso Onyankopɔn deɛ, ɔbɛhunu.”
If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other women to be your wives, even if no one tells me about it, don’t forget that God sees what you and I are doing!”
51 Laban sane ka kyerɛɛ Yakob sɛ, “Aboɔ Kuo yi ni. Nkaeɛdum a mede asi me ne wo ntam no nso nie.
Laban also said to Jacob, “You see this large stone and this pile of rocks that we have set up to be between us.
52 Aboɔ Kuo yi ne nkaeɛdum yi nyɛ adanseɛ sɛ, me Laban, merentra saa Aboɔ Kuo yi ne nkaeɛdum yi mma baabi a wowɔ mmɛtoa wo. Na wo Yakob nso, worentra saa Aboɔ kuo yi ne nkaeɛdum yi mma baabi a mewɔ mmɛtoa me.
Both this pile of rocks and this large stone will remind us, that I will not go past these rocks to harm you, and you will not go past these rocks to harm me.
53 Ma Abraham Onyankopɔn ne Nahor Onyankopɔn, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn nyɛ ɔtemmufoɔ wɔ me ne wo ntam.” Enti, Yakob de nʼagya Isak Onyankopɔn ho suro kaa ntam sɛ, ɔrentra ɛhyeɛ no.
We will ask the God whom [your grandfather] Abraham and [his father] Nahor worshiped to punish [MTY] either one of us, [if we harm the other one].” So Jacob solemnly promised to do what they said in their peace agreement. And he asked God, the one before whom his father Isaac trembled, to listen to what they promised.
54 Afei, Yakob bɔɔ Onyankopɔn afɔdeɛ wɔ bepɔ no atifi, na ɔhyiahyiaa ne nnamfonom bɛdidiiɛ. Ɛno akyiri no, wɔdaa ne nkyɛn wɔ bepɔ no so.
He offered a sacrifice to God there in the hilly area, and he invited his relatives to eat with him. After they had eaten, they slept there that night.
55 Laban sɔree anɔpatutuutu fefee ne nananom ne ne mmammaa no ano, hyiraa wɔn. Ɛno akyiri no, ɔsane nʼakyi kɔɔ ne kurom.
The next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters [goodbye] and asked God to bless them. Then he [and his men] left them and returned home.
