Genesis 29

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.

وَتَابَعَ يَعْقُوبُ رِحْلَتَهُ حَتَّى وَصَلَ أَرْضَ حَارَانَ.

There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.

وَتَطَلَّعَ حَوْلَهُ فَشَاهَدَ بِئْراً فِي الْحَقْلِ، تَرْبِضُ عِنْدَهَا ثَلاثَةُ قُطْعَانِ غَنَمٍ، لأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَسْقُونَ الْقُطْعَانَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْبِئْرِ. وَكَانَ الْحَجَرُ الَّذِي عَلَى فَمِ الْبِئْرِ كَبِيراً،

When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

فَكَانَ رُعَاةُ جَمِيعِ الْقُطْعَانِ يَجْتَمِعُونَ هُنَاكَ، وَيُدَحْرِجُونَ الْحَجَرَ عَنْ فَمِ الْبِئْرِ وَيَسْقُونَ الْغَنَمَ. ثُمَّ يَرُدُّونَ الْحَجَرَ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ عَلَى فَمِ الْبِئْرِ.

Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”

“We’re from Harran,” they replied.

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ يَعْقُوبُ: «يَا إِخْوَتِي مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتُمْ؟» فَأَجَابُوا: «نَحْنُ مِنْ حَارَانَ».

He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

فَسَأَلَهُمْ: «أَتَعْرِفُونَ لابَانَ بْنَ نَاحُورَ؟» فَأَجَابُوا: «نَعْرِفُهُ».

Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «أَهُوَ بِخَيْرٍ؟». فَأَجَابُوهُ: «هُوَ بِخَيْرٍ، وَهَا هِيَ رَاحِيلُ ابْنَتُهُ مُقْبِلَةٌ مَعَ الْغَنَمِ».

“Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هُوَذَا النَّهَارُ مَازَالَ طَوِيلاً، وَلَيْسَ هَذَا أَوَانَ اجْتِمَاعِ الْمَوَاشِي، فَاسْقُوا الْغَنَمَ وَامْضُوا بِها إلَى الْمَرَاعِي».

“We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

فَقَالُوا: «لا يُمْكِنُنَا ذَلِكَ إِلّا بَعْدَ أَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ جَمِيعُ الْقُطْعَانِ وَرُعَاتُهَا فَيُدَحْرِجُوا الْحَجَرَ عَنْ فَمِ الْبِئْرِ، فَنَسْقِي الْغَنَمَ».

لقاء يعقوب براحيل

While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd.

وَفِيمَا هُوَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَقْبَلَتْ رَاحِيلُ مَعَ غَنَمِ أَبِيهَا لأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ رَاعِيَةً أَيْضاً.

When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.

وَعِنْدَمَا رَآهَا يَعْقُوبُ، تَقَدَّمَ وَدَحْرَجَ الْحَجَرَ عَنْ فَمِ الْبِئْرِ وَسَقَى غَنَمَ خَالِهِ لابَانَ.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.

وَقَبَّلَ يَعْقُوبُ رَاحِيلَ وَأَجْهَشَ بِالْبُكَاءِ،

He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهَا أَنَّهُ قَرِيبُ وَالِدِهَا وَأَنَّهُ ابْنُ رِفْقَةَ. فَرَكَضَتْ وَأَخْبَرَتْ أَبَاهَا.

As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.

فَعِنْدَمَا سَمِعَ لابَانُ بِخَبَرِ ابْنِ أُخْتِهِ أَسْرَعَ لِلِقَائِهِ وَعَانَقَهُ وَقَبَّلَهُ وَأَحْضَرَهُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ. فَقَصَّ يَعْقُوبُ عَلَى لابَانَ جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ.

Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,

فَقَالَ لَهُ لابَانُ: «حَقّاً إِنَّكَ عَظْمِي وَلَحْمِي». وَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ نَحْوَ شَهْرٍ مِنَ الزَّمَانِ.

زواج يعقوب من ليئة وراحيل

Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

وَقَالَ لابَانُ لِيَعْقُوبَ: «هَلْ لأَنَّكَ قَرِيبِي تَخْدُمُنِي مَجَّاناً؟ أَخْبِرْنِي مَا أُجْرَتُكَ؟»

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

وَكَانَ لِلابَانَ ابْنَتَانِ، اسْمُ الْكُبْرَى لَيْئَةُ وَاسْمُ الصُّغْرَى رَاحِيلُ،

Leah had weak^[a] eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

وَكَانَتْ لَيْئَةُ ضَعِيفَةَ الْبَصَرِ، وَأَمَّا رَاحِيلُ فَكَانَتْ جَمِيلَةَ الصُّورَةِ وَحَسَنَةَ الْمَنْظَرِ.

Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

فَأَحَبَّ يَعْقُوبُ رَاحِيلَ. وَأَجَابَ يَعْقُوبُ خَالَهُ: «أَخْدِمُكَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ لِقَاءَ زَوَاجِي بِرَاحِيلَ ابْنَتِكَ الصُّغْرَى».

Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.”

فَقَالَ لابَانُ: «أَنْ أُزَوِّجَهَا مِنْكَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ أزَوِّجَهَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ آخَرَ، فَامْكُثْ عِنْدِي».

So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

فَخَدَمَ يَعْقُوبُ سَبْعَ سَنَوَاتٍ لِيَتَزَوَّجَ مِنْ رَاحِيلَ بَدَتْ فِي نَظَرِهِ كَأَيَّامٍ قَلِيلَةٍ، لِفَرْطِ مَحَبَّتِهِ لَهَا.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”

ثُمَّ قَالَ يَعْقُوبُ لِلابَانَ: «أَعْطِنِي زَوْجَتِي لأَنَّ خِدْمَتِي قَدْ كَمُلَتْ فَأَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهَا».

So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.

فَجَمَعَ لابَانُ سَائِرَ أَهْلِ النَّاحِيَةِ وَأَقَامَ لَهُمْ مَأْدُبَةً.

But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.

وَعِنْدَمَا حَلَّ الْمَسَاءُ حَمَلَ ابْنَتَهُ لَيْئَةَ وَزَفَّهَا إِلَيْهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا

And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

وَوَهَبَ لابَانُ زِلْفَةَ جَارِيَتَهُ لِتَكُونَ جَارِيَةً لابْنَتِهِ لَيْئَةَ.

When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

وَفِي الصَّبَاحِ اكْتَشَفَ يَعْقُوبُ أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ بِلَيْئَةَ، فَقَالَ لِلابَانَ: «مَاذَا فَعَلْتَ بِي؟ أَلَمْ أَخْدِمْكَ سَبْعَ سَنَوَاتٍ لِقَاءَ زَوَاجِي مِنْ رَاحِيلَ؟ فَلِمَاذَا خَدَعْتَنِي؟».

Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.

فَأَجَابَهُ لابَانُ: «لَيْسَ مِنْ عَادَةِ بِلادِنَا أَنْ نُزَوِّجَ الصَّغِيرَةَ قَبْلَ الْبِكْرِ.

Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

أَكْمِلْ أُسْبُوعَ لَيْئَةَ ثُمَّ نُزَوِّجُكَ مِنْ رَاحِيلَ، لِقَاءَ خِدْمَتِكَ لِي سَبْعَ سِنِينَ أُخَرَ».

And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

فَوَافَقَ يَعْقُوبُ، وَأَكْمَلَ أُسْبُوعَ لَيْئَةَ، فَأَعْطَاهُ لابَانُ رَاحِيلَ ابْنَتَهُ زَوْجَةً أَيْضاً.

Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.

وَوَهَبَ لابَانُ بِلْهَةَ جَارِيَتَهُ لِتَكُونَ جَارِيَةً لابْنَتِهِ رَاحِيلَ.

Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

Jacob’s Children

فَدَخَلَ يَعْقُوبُ عَلَى رَاحِيلَ أَيْضاً، وَأَحَبَّ رَاحِيلَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ لَيْئَةَ. وَخَدَمَ خَالَهُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ أُخَرَ.

أبناء يعقوب

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

وَعِنْدَمَا رَأَى الرَّبُّ أَنَّ لَيْئَةَ مَكْرُوهَةٌ جَعَلَهَا مُنْجِبَةً، أَمَّا رَاحِيلُ فَكَانَتْ عَاقِراً.

Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,^[b] for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

فَحَمَلَتْ لَيْئَةُ وَأَنْجَبَتِ ابْناً دَعَتْهُ رَأُوبَيْنَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ: هُوَذَا ابْنٌ) لأَنَّهَا قَالَتْ: «حَقّاً قَدْ نَظَرَ الرَّبُّ إِلَى مَذَلَّتِي، فَالآنَ يُحِبُّنِي زَوْجِي».

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.^[c]

وَحَمَلَتْ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَأَنْجَبَتِ ابْناً، فَقَالَتْ: «لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ سَمِعَ أَنَّنِي كُنْتُ مَكْرُوهَةً رَزَقَنِي هَذَا الابْنَ أَيْضاً». فَدَعَتْهُ شِمْعُونَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ: سَمِيعٌ)

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.^[d]

ثُمَّ حَمَلَتْ مَرَّةً ثَالِثَةً وَأَنْجَبَتِ ابْناً فَقَالَتْ: «الآنَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةِ يَتَّحِدُ بِي زَوْجِي، لأَنَّنِي أَنْجَبْتُ لَهُ ثَلاثَةَ بَنِينَ». لِذَلِكَ دُعِيَ اسْمُهُ لاوِي (وَمَعْنَاهُ: مُتَّحِدٌ)

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.^[e] Then she stopped having children.

وَحَبِلَتْ مَرَّةً رَابِعَةً وَأَنْجَبَتِ ابْناً فَقَالَتْ: «فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةِ أَحْمَدُ الرَّبَّ». لِذَلِكَ دَعَتْهُ يَهُوذَا (وَمَعْنَاهُ: حَمْدٌ). ثُمَّ تَوَقَّفَتْ عَنِ الْوِلادَةِ.