Genesis 29 (EWE)

1Yakob yi eƒe mɔzɔzɔ dzi, eye wòva ɖo ɣedzeƒenutowo me.Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

2Ekpɔ alẽha etɔ̃ wotsyɔ akɔ anyi ɖe gbe dzi le vudo aɖe to, nɔ lalam be woana tsi yewo yewoano. Ke wotsɔ kpe gã aɖe tu vudoa nu.He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.

3Enye woƒe kɔnu be womahe kpea ɖa o va se ɖe esime alẽhawo katã nava ɖo afi ma. Ne wona tsi alẽhawo katã wono vɔ la, wogamlia kpe la ɖoa vudo la nu.When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4Yakob te ɖe alẽkplɔlawo ŋu, eye wòbia wo be, “Nɔvinyewo, afi ka míetso?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Míetso Haran.”“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

5Yakob bia be, “Mienya ame aɖe si woyɔna be Laban, eye wònye Nahor ƒe via?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, míenyae.”“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.

6Egabia wo be, “Eli nyuiea?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, eli nyuie, eye nuwo dze edzi nɛ. Kpɔ ɖa, via nyɔnu, Rahel kplɔ alẽwo gbɔnae.”“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”

7Yakob gabia wo be, “Nu ka ta miana tsi alẽawo ale be woate ŋu agatrɔ ayi gbeɖuƒe o ɖo? Elabena zã medo haɖe o; ne mieƒo ƒu wo ɖe afi sia fifia la, dɔ awu wo.”“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

8Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Míemlia kpea ɖa o va se ɖe esime alẽhawo kple alẽkplɔlawo katã va ƒo ƒu ɖe afi sia.”But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9Esi wonɔ nya siawo gblɔm la, Rahel va ɖo kple fofoa ƒe alẽwo, elabena alẽkplɔla wònye.While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10Esi Rahel nye Yakob dadaa nɔviŋutsu Laban ƒe vi, eye alẽawo nye Yakob nyrui tɔ ta la, Yakob yi vudo la gbɔ, mli kpea ɖa, eye wòna tsi nyruia ƒe alẽwo.As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.

11Yakob gbugbɔ nu na Rahel, eye Yakob de asi avifafa me.Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

12Yakob gblɔ na Rahel be fofoa ƒe ƒometɔ kple Rebeka ƒe viŋutsu yenye. Ale Rahel ƒu du yi ɖagblɔ nya la na fofoa.He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.

13Esi Laban se nya sia tso Yakob, nɔvia nyɔnu ƒe viŋutsu ŋu la, eɖe abla yi ɖakpee. Ekpla asi kɔ nɛ, gbugbɔ nu nɛ, kplɔe yi aƒe me, eye Yakob gblɔ nyawo katã nɛ le afi ma.When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.

14Laban gblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, nye ŋutɔ nye ŋutilã kple ʋue nènye.” Esi Yakob nɔ Laban gbɔ ɣleti ɖeka la,Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,

15Laban gblɔ nɛ gbe ɖeka be, “Menye esi nye kple wò míenye ƒometɔwo ta nàwɔ dɔ nam dzodzro o. Ho neni maxe na wò?”Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

16Vinyɔnu eve nɔ Laban si. Tsitsitɔ ŋkɔe nye Lea, eye ɖevitɔ ŋkɔe nye Rahel.Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.

17Lea ƒe ŋkuwo nya kpɔna, eye Rahel ya dze tugbe ŋutɔ.Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

18Rahel ƒe nu nyo Yakob ŋu, eya ta Yakob gblɔ na Laban be, “Ne àtsɔ Rahel nam maɖe la, ekema mawɔ dɔ na wò ƒe adre.”Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19Laban ɖo eŋu be, “Melɔ̃. Enyo nam be matsɔe na wò boŋ wu be matsɔe na ame bubu aɖe si medo ƒome kplim o.”Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”

20Ale Yakob subɔ ƒe adre ɖe Rahel ta. Ke ƒe adreawo ɖi ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo ko le eŋkume, elabena elɔ̃ Rahel ŋutɔ.So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

21Mlɔeba la, ɣeyiɣi la de be wòaɖee. Yakob gblɔ na Laban be, “Mewɔ nu si nèɖo nam la, eya ta ele na wò azɔ be nàɖe asi le srɔ̃nye ŋu nam madɔ kplii.”Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

22Ale Laban ɖo kplɔ̃ gã aɖe, eye wòkpe ŋutsu siwo katã nɔ dua me la be woakpɔ dzidzɔ kple Yakob.So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.

23Emegbe le zã me la, Laban kplɔ Lea yi na Yakob, eye Yakob dɔ egbɔ.But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.

24Laban tsɔ eƒe kosi Zilpa na Lea be wòanye eƒe dɔlanyɔnu.And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

25Ke esi ŋu ke la, Yakob kpɔ be Lea boŋ wona yeɖe! Yakob do dɔmedzoe, eye wòbia Laban be, “Amefuflu ka tɔgbie nye esia? Mesubɔ ƒe adre ɖe Rahel ta! Nu sia gɔme ɖe?”When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”

26Laban ɖo eŋu be, “Mesɔ ɖe míaƒe kɔnyinyi nu be woaɖe ɖetugbi suetɔ gbã hafi woaɖe tsitsitɔ o.Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.

27Lala ne wò srɔ̃ɖeɖe ƒe kɔsiɖa gbãtɔ nava yi, ekema àte ŋu aɖe Rahel hã ne àgasubɔm ƒe adre bubu ko!”Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

28Yakob lɔ̃ be yeagasubɔ ƒe adre bubu, ale Laban tsɔ Rahel hã nɛ.And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

29Laban tsɔ eƒe kosivi Bilha na Rahel be wòasubɔe.Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

30Ale Yakob dɔ Rahel hã gbɔ. Elɔ̃ Rahel sãa wu Lea, eye wògasubɔ ƒe adre bubu.Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

31Ke esi Yakob melɔ̃ Lea tututu o ta la, Yehowa na vi Lea, eye wòna Rahel tsi ko.When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

32Ale Lea fɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi. Ena ŋkɔe be Ruben si gɔmee nye “Yehowa kpɔ nye xaxa,” elabena egblɔ be, “Yehowa kpɔ nye xaxa; azɔ la, srɔ̃nye alɔ̃m.”And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

33Eteƒe medidi hafi Lea gafɔ fu o. Egadzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Simeon si gɔmee nye “Yehowa see,” elabena egblɔ be, “Yehowa see be womelɔ̃m o, eya ta wògana ŋutsuvi bubum.”Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.

34Egafɔ fu, eye wògadzi ŋutsuvi. Ena ŋkɔe be Levi si gɔmee nye “Kuku ɖe ame ŋu,” elabena egblɔ be, “Azɔ ya la, esi medzi ŋutsuvi etɔ̃ sɔŋ nɛ ta la, srɔ̃nye alɔ̃m kokoko.”Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

35Lea gafɔ fu, gadzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Yuda si gɔmee nye “Kafukafu,” elabena egblɔ be, “Azɔ makafu Yehowa!” Emegbe la, Lea megadzi vi bubu aɖeke o.And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.

Genesis 29

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Genesis 29

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