Genesis 29

29 ¹Den Jacob continue im journey come reach di land of di people wey dey for east. ²E see one well for di field, wit three flock of sheep wey lie down for im side, becos na dat well dem dey take give di flock water, and one big stone dey cover im mouth. ³Na for dere all di flock go gada; di shepherd dem go roll di stone comot for di well mouth, give di sheep water, den put di stone back for im place ontop di well mouth. ⁴Jacob tok give dem sey, “My brothers, na where una come from?” Dem answer sey, “Na Haran we come from.”

⁵E ask dem, “Una know Laban, di son of Nahor?” Dem answer sey, “We know am.”

⁶Den e ask, “Im dey fine?” Dem sey, “Im dey fine. Look—im daughter Rachel dey come wit di sheep.”

⁷Jacob sey, “Look, di day still high well-well, e never reach time to gada di herd. Give di sheep water, den go make dem graze.”

⁸Dem sey, “We no fit, until all di flock gada and dem roll di stone comot for di well mouth. Na den we go give di sheep water.”

⁹As Jacob still dey tok wit dem, Rachel come wit her papa flock, becos na she dey mind dem. ¹⁰Wen Jacob see Rachel, di daughter of Laban im mama broda, and di sheep of Laban im mama broda, e come near, roll di stone comot for di well mouth, and give di sheep of Laban im mama broda water. ¹¹Den Jacob kiss Rachel and cry loud-loud. ¹²Jacob tell Rachel sey na im be her papa relative, di son of Rebekah. She run go tell her papa.

¹³Di moment wey Laban hear di news about Jacob im sister son, e run go meet am, hug am and kiss am, and carry am go house. Jacob tell Laban everytin wey happen.

One Month for Laban House

¹⁴Laban tok give am sey, “For true, na my bone and my flesh you be.” So Jacob stay wit am for full one month. ¹⁵Laban tok give Jacob sey, “You go work for me for free just becos na my relative you be? Tell me—wetin your pay go be?”

¹⁶Now Laban get two daughter. Dem call di senior one Leah, and dem call di small one Rachel. ¹⁷Leah eye no get shine, but Rachel body fine and she sweet to look. ¹⁸Jacob love Rachel, so e sey, “I go work for you seven years for your small daughter Rachel.”

¹⁹Laban sey, “E beta make I give am to you pass make I give am to anoda man. Stay here wit me.” ²⁰Jacob work seven years for Rachel; e be like sey na just small days becos e love am.

²¹Jacob tok give Laban sey, “Give me my wife—my time don complete—so I fit go meet am.”

²²So Laban gada all di men of di place come togeda and make one feast. ²³For dat evening e carry im daughter Leah bring give Jacob, and Jacob sleep wit am. ²⁴And Laban give im servant Zilpah to im daughter Leah make she be her servant. ²⁵For morning—na Leah! Jacob tok give Laban sey, “Wetin be dis wey you do me? No be Rachel I work for you for? Why you deceive me?”

²⁶Laban answer, “Na im no be di custom here to give di small one before di firstborn. ²⁷Finish dis one wedding week, den we go give you di oda one too—for anoda seven years of work.” ^a a v27 Custom be sey dem dey celebrate wedding for full seven days.

²⁸Jacob do dis tin, complete her week, and Laban give am im daughter Rachel make she be im wife. ²⁹And Laban give im servant Bilhah to im daughter Rachel make she be her servant. ³⁰Jacob sleep wit Rachel too, and e love am pass Leah. E work for Laban seven more years.

Our Papa See Leah

³¹Wen our Papa see sey dem no dey love Leah, e open her womb; but Rachel no dey born. ³²Leah come get belle and born one son, and she call am Reuben, becos she sey, “Our Papa don see my suffer; for sure now my husband go love me.” ^b b v32 Dem name each one of Jacob im sons based on di play of word wey im mama tok wen dem born am — her struggle, joy, or hope wey she tok inside di pikin name. ³³She come get belle again, born one son, and sey, “Becos our Papa hear sey dem no dey love me, e give me dis one too.” So she call am Simeon. ^c c v33 Di name Simeon mean “person wey dey hear.” ³⁴She get belle again and born one son, and sey, “Dis time my husband go join wit me, since I don born am three sons.” So dem name am Levi. ^d d v34 Di name Levi mean “join.” ³⁵She get belle again and born one son, and sey, “Dis time I go praise our Papa.” So she call am Judah. Den she stop to dey born pikin. ^e e v35 Judah name mean “praise.” Na from Judah tribe King David come—and from David line, Jesus, di Lion of di tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).