Genesis 29 (RIV)

1Poi Giacobbe si mise in cammino e andò nel paese degli Orientali.Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

2E guardò, e vide un pozzo in un campo; ed ecco tre greggi di pecore, giacenti lì presso; poiché a quel pozzo si abbeveravano i greggi; e la pietra sulla bocca del pozzo era grande.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.

3Quivi s’adunavano tutti i greggi; i pastori rotolavan la pietra di sulla bocca del pozzo, abbeveravano le pecore, poi rimettevano al posto la pietra sulla bocca del pozzo.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.

4E Giacobbe disse ai pastori: “Fratelli miei, di dove siete?” E quelli risposero: “Siamo di Charan”.“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.

5Ed egli disse loro: “Conoscete voi Labano, figliuolo di Nahor?” Ed essi: “Lo conosciamo”.“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.

6Ed egli disse loro: “Sta egli bene?” E quelli: “Sta bene; ed ecco Rachele, sua figliuola, che viene con le pecore”.“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”

7Ed egli disse: “Ecco, è ancora pieno giorno, e non è tempo di radunare il bestiame; abbeverate le pecore e menatele al pascolo”.“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.”

8E quelli risposero: “Non possiamo, finché tutti i greggi siano radunati; allora si rotola la pietra di sulla bocca del pozzo, e abbeveriamo le pecore”.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.”

9Mentr’egli parlava ancora con loro, giunse Rachele con le pecore di suo padre; poich’ella era pastora.While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

10E quando Giacobbe vide Rachele figliuola di Labano, fratello di sua madre, e le pecore di Labano fratello di sua madre, s’avvicinò, rotolò la pietra di sulla bocca del pozzo, e abbeverò il gregge di Labano fratello di sua madre.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.

11E Giacobbe baciò Rachele, alzò la voce, e pianse.Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

12E Giacobbe fe’ sapere a Rachele ch’egli era parente del padre di lei, e ch’era figliuolo di Rebecca. Ed ella corse a dirlo a suo padre.He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.

13E appena Labano ebbe udito le notizie di Giacobbe figliuolo della sua sorella, gli corse incontro, l’abbracciò, lo baciò, e lo menò a casa sua. Giacobbe raccontò a Labano tutte queste cose;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.

14e Labano gli disse: “Tu sei proprio mie ossa e mia carne!” Ed egli dimorò con lui durante un mese.Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,

15Poi Labano disse a Giacobbe: “Perché sei mio parente dovrai tu servirmi per nulla? Dimmi quale dev’essere il tuo salario”.Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

16Or Labano aveva due figliuole: la maggiore si chiamava Lea, e la minore Rachele.Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.

17Lea aveva gli occhi delicati, ma Rachele era avvenente e di bell’aspetto.Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

18E Giacobbe amava Rachele, e disse a Labano: “Io ti servirò sette anni, per Rachele tua figliuola minore”.Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19E Labano rispose: “E’ meglio ch’io la dia a te che ad un altr’uomo; sta’ con me”.Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”

20E Giacobbe servì sette anni per Rachele; e gli parvero pochi giorni, per l’amore che le portava.So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

21E Giacobbe disse a Labano: “Dammi la mia moglie, poiché il mio tempo è compiuto, ed io andrò da lei”.Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”

22Allora Labano radunò tutta la gente del luogo, e fece un convito.So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.

23Ma, la sera, prese Lea, sua figliuola, e la menò da Giacobbe, il quale entrò da lei.But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.

24E Labano dette la sua serva Zilpa per serva a Lea, sua figliuola.And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

25L’indomani mattina, ecco che era Lea. E Giacobbe disse a Labano: “Che m’hai fatto? Non è egli per Rachele ch’io t’ho servito? Perché dunque m’hai ingannato?”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?”

26E Labano rispose: “Non è usanza da noi di dare la minore prima della maggiore. Finisci la settimana di questa;Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.

27e ti daremo anche l’altra, per il servizio che presterai da me altri sette anni”.Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”

28Giacobbe fece così, e finì la settimana di quello sposalizio; poi Labano gli dette in moglie Rachele sua figliuola.And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.

29E Labano dette la sua serva Bilha per serva a Rachele, sua figliuola.Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

30E Giacobbe entrò pure da Rachele, ed anche amò Rachele più di Lea, e servì da Labano altri sette anni.Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

31L’Eterno, vedendo che Lea era odiata, la rese feconda; ma Rachele era sterile.When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

32E Lea concepì e partorì un figliuolo, al quale pose nome Ruben; perché disse: “L’Eterno ha veduto la mia afflizione; e ora il mio marito mi amerà”.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.”

33Poi concepì di nuovo e partorì un figliuolo, e disse: “L’Eterno ha udito ch’io ero odiata, e però m’ha dato anche questo figliuolo”. E lo chiamò Simeone.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.

34E concepì di nuovo e partorì un figliuolo, e disse: “Questa volta, il mio marito sarà ben unito a me, poiché gli ho partorito tre figliuoli”. Per questo fu chiamato Levi.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.

35E concepì di nuovo e partorì un figliuolo, e disse: “Questa volta celebrerò l’Eterno”. Perciò gli pose nome Giuda. E cessò d’aver figliuoli.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.

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