Genesis 30 (EWE)

1Esi Rahel kpɔ be yemele vi dzim o la, eʋã ŋu nɔvia nyɔnu. Egblɔ na Yakob be, “Na madzi vi, ne menye nenema o la, maku.”When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

2Yakob do dɔmedzoe, eye wòbiae be, “Alo nyee nye Mawu, ame si na nètsi koa?”Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

3Rahel gblɔ nɛ be, “Metsɔ nye subɔla Bilha na wò, dɔ egbɔ ne wòadzi vi, eye viawo nazu vinyewo.”Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

4Ale wòtsɔ Bilha nɛ wòzu srɔ̃a, eye wòdɔ egbɔ;So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

5efɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi na Yakob.and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son.

6Rahel na ŋkɔe be Dan si gɔmee nye “Afiatsotso,” elabena egblɔ be, “Mawu tso afia nam, ese nye gbedodoɖa, eye wòna ŋutsuvim.”Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

7Bilha, Rahel ƒe subɔla gafɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi evelia na Yakob.And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8Rahel na ŋkɔe be Naftali si gɔmee nye “Hoʋiʋli,” elabena egblɔ be, “Mele ho ʋlim sesĩe kple nɔvinye, eye mele dzi ɖum!”Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9Azɔ esi Lea kpɔ be yemegale fu fɔm o la, etsɔ eƒe subɔla Zilpa na Yakob wòɖe.When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

10Le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe la, Lea ƒe kosi Zilpa dzi ŋutsuvi na Yakob.And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11Lea na ŋkɔe be Gad si gɔmee nye “Dzɔgbenyui ɖi kpem!”Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

12Zilpa dzi ŋutsuvi evelia na Yakob, eye Lea na ŋkɔe be Aser si gɔmee nye “Dzidzɔ”,When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,

13elabena egblɔ be, “Dzi dzɔm ale gbegbe! Nyɔnu bubuwo abu be woyram vavã!”Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14Gbe ɖeka le lũŋeɣi la, Ruben gbe agbitsa aɖewo tso gbe me vɛ na dadaa Lea. Rahel ɖe kuku na Lea be wòana agbitsa la ƒe ɖe ye.Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15Ke Lea ɖo eŋu nɛ kple dɔmedzoe be, “Èxɔ srɔ̃nye le asinye sesẽtɔe! Ɖe esia mesɔ gbɔ na wò oa? Azɔ ɖe nèdi be yeagaxɔ vinye ƒe agbitsa hã?” Rahel gblɔ nublanuitɔe be, “Ne àna agbitsa la ƒe ɖem la, mana mɔ srɔ̃nye wòadɔ gbɔwò ɖe agbitsa la nu.”But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16Gbe ma gbe fiẽ, esi Yakob tso gbedzi gbɔna la, Lea yi ɖakpee, gblɔ nɛ be, “Egbe la, nye gbɔe nàdɔ, elabena metsɔ agbitsa siwo vinye gbe vɛ la na Rahel ɖe tawò!” Ale Yakob dɔ Lea gbɔ.When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

17Mawu se Lea ƒe gbedodoɖa, eye wòfɔ fu dzi ŋutsuvi atɔ̃lia nɛ.And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob.

18Lea na ŋkɔe be Isaka si gɔmee nye “Fetu,” elabena egblɔ be, “Mawu tu fe nam, elabena metsɔ nye kosivi na srɔ̃nye wòɖe.”Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19Egafɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi adelia na Yakob.Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20Ena ŋkɔe be Zebulon si gɔmee nye “Nunana,” elabena egblɔ be, “Mawu tsɔ nu nyuiwo to dzinye na srɔ̃nye. Azɔ la, srɔ̃nye abum, elabena medzi ŋutsuvi ade nɛ.”“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

21Emegbe la, edzi nyɔnuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Dina.After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22Tete Mawu ɖo ŋku Rahel dzi le eƒe xaxa me, eye wòse eƒe gbedodoɖa heʋu eƒe vidzidɔ nu.Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

23Efɔ fu, dzi ŋutsuvi, eye wògblɔ be, “Mawu ɖe nye ŋukpe ɖa.”and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

24Ena ŋkɔ ɖevi la be Yosef, eye wògblɔ be, “Yehowa natsɔ ŋutsuvi bubu akpee nam.”She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

25Esi Rahel dzi Yosef vɔ megbe teti ko la, Yakob gblɔ na Laban be, “Medi be matrɔ ayi aƒe.Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.

26Na makplɔ srɔ̃nyewo kple vinyewo ɖe asi, elabena wò ŋutɔ ènya ale si mesubɔ wò ɖe wo tae.”Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

27Laban gblɔ nɛ be, “Meɖe kuku, mègadzo le gbɔnye o, elabena to nukaka me la, menya be wò afi sia nɔnɔe na mekpɔ yayra geɖe siawo.But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

28Ho neni mada ɖe fetu dzi na wò be nàganɔ gbɔnye? Ho sia ho si wòanye la, maxee na wò.”And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29Yakob ɖo eŋu be, “Ènya ale si mesubɔ wò anukwaretɔe le ƒe geɖe siawo me kple ale si wò lãwo dzii,Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.

30elabena nu sue aɖe koe nɔ asiwò hafi meva gbɔwò. Fifia wò kesinɔnuwo dzi ɖe edzi ŋutɔ. Yehowa yra wò to nu sia nu si mewɔ la me! Ke ɣe ka ɣi nye ya manɔ ɖokuinye si awɔ dɔ na srɔ̃nyewo kple vinyewo?”Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

31Laban gabiae be, “Nu ka mana wò?” Yakob ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Mègana nanekem o. Ke ne àwɔ nu ɖeka sia nam la, mayi wò lãwo dzi kpɔkpɔ dzi.“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.

32Na matsa le wò lãhawo katã me egbe, eye maɖe alẽ siwo katã le ŋɔtaŋɔta la kple alẽvi ɖe sia ɖe si le yibɔ kple gbɔ̃ siwo le ŋɔtaŋɔta la. Woawoe anye nye fetu.Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

33Ekema ɣe sia ɣi si nàkpɔ gbɔ̃ ɣi alo alẽ ɣi aɖe le tɔnyewo dome la, nànya be ɖe mefi wo tso tɔwòwo dome!”So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

34Laban lɔ̃ ɖe edzi be, “Enyo; míawɔe abe ale si nègblɔe ene!”“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”

35Gbe ma gbe ke la, eɖe gbɔ̃tsu siwo katã ŋu fli le alo le ŋɔtaŋɔta kple gbɔ̃nɔ siwo katã ŋu fli le, esiwo katã le ɣie kple alẽvi siwo katã le yibɔ la ɖe aga, eye wòtsɔ wo de via ŋutsuwo ƒe dzikpɔkpɔ te.That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.

36Ena eya ŋutɔ kple Yakob dome didi abe ŋkeke etɔ̃ ƒe azɔlizɔzɔ ene, eye Yakob yi Laban ƒe lãwo dzi kpɔkpɔ dzi.Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37Yakob lã atilɔ fɛ̃ aɖewo, kpa tsro le akpa aɖewo ŋu, ale be wozu ŋɔtaŋɔta, eye fli to ɖewo me.Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches.

38Etsɔ wo da ɖe lãwo ƒe tsinoƒe, ale be lãwo nakpɔ wo ne wova tsinoƒe, afi si lãtsuwo yɔa asi lãnɔwo le la.Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink,

39Lãtsuawo yɔa asi le atilɔawo gbɔ, eye lãnɔawo dzia vi siwo le ŋɔtaŋɔta alo esiwo ŋu fli le la.they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

40Eye Yakob ɖe lãviawo ɖa le tsitsiawo ŋu, ke ena bubuawo dze ŋgɔ lã siwo le ŋɔtaŋɔta kple esiwo le yibɔɔ henye Laban tɔ. Ewɔ lãha aɖe na eɖokui, eye mena wotɔtɔ kple Laban ƒe lãwo o.Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

41Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, ne ekpɔ be lã sesẽwo le asi yɔm la, etsɔa atilɔ siwo wòŋlɔ la dana ɖe tsinoƒea be woafɔ fu ɖe ati ŋɔŋlɔawo ŋu.Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches.

42Ke ne lã beliwo le asi yɔm la, eɖea ati ŋɔŋlɔawo ɖa. Ale alẽ siwo ƒe lãme mesẽ tututu o la zua Laban tɔ, eye esiwo le lãmesẽ me la zua Yakob tɔ!But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

43Esia ta Yakob ƒe alẽwo dzi ɖe edzi kabakaba, eye wòzu hotsuitɔ gã aɖe. Subɔlawo, kposɔwo kple tedziwo sɔ gbɔ ɖe esi fũu.Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 30

You’ve read Genesis 30

Go deeper

Genesis 30

You’ve read Genesis 30

Go deeper