Genesis 30

30 ¹When Rachel see say she no born any pikin give Jacob, jealousy catch am for im sister matter. She tell Jacob say, “Give me pikin, if not I go die!”

²Vex catch Jacob wella for Rachel. He say, “I be our Papa, wey hold di fruit of belle comot from you?”

³She say, “See my servant Bilhah for here. Go meet am, make she fit born pikin for me, so dat through am I too go build my own family.” ^a a v3 For dat old time, to born pikin ‘on person knee’ na adoption sign — dem go put di pikin for di adopting mama knee, and by law di pikin na her own. ⁴So she give am Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob go meet am. ⁵Bilhah come get belle and born one boy give Jacob. ⁶Den Rachel say, “Our Papa don judge my case; he don also hear my voice and give me one boy.” Na why she call im name Dan. ^b b v6 Di name Dan mean “he don judge.” ⁷Bilhah, Rachel her servant, come get belle again and born di second boy give Jacob. ⁸Rachel say, “I don wrestle hard-hard with my sister, and I don win.” So she call im name Naphtali. ^c c v8 Di name Naphtali mean “my wrestle.”

⁹When Leah see say she don stop to born pikin, she carry Zilpah her servant give Jacob as wife. ¹⁰Den Leah her servant Zilpah born one boy give Jacob. ¹¹Leah say, “Good luck don come!” So she call im name Gad. ^d d v11 Di name Gad mean “good luck.” ¹²Leah her servant Zilpah born di second boy give Jacob. ¹³Leah say, “How I take happy reach so! Because women go call me person wey happy.” So she call im name Asher. ^e e v13 Di name Asher mean “happy” or “blessed.”

¹⁴For di time wey dem dey harvest wheat, Reuben go out and find mandrake for di field, and he bring am give im mama Leah. Den Rachel tell Leah say, “Abeg give me small from your pikin mandrake.” ^f f v14 For dat old world, plenty people believe say mandrake dey help woman get belle — na why Rachel dey hungry for am.

¹⁵But Leah answer, “E no do you say you don collect my husband? Now you wan collect my pikin mandrake too?” Rachel say, “Okay—he go fit sleep with you tonight for your pikin mandrake.”

¹⁶When Jacob come from di field for evening, Leah go out meet am and say, “You must sleep with me, because true-true I don hire you with my pikin mandrake.” So he go meet am dat night.

¹⁷And our Papa listen to Leah, and she get belle and born di fifth boy give Jacob. ¹⁸Leah say, “Our Papa don pay me my wages because I give my servant to my husband.” So she call im name Issachar. ^g g v18 Di name Issachar mean “wages” or “reward.” ¹⁹Leah get belle again and born di sixth boy give Jacob. ²⁰Den Leah say, “Our Papa don give me one fine gift. Now my husband go respect me, because I don born six boys give am.” So she call im name Zebulun. ^h h v20 Di name Zebulun mean “respect.” ²¹After dat she born one girl and call her name Dinah.

²²Den our Papa remember Rachel; he listen to am and open her belle. ²³She get belle and born one boy, and say, “Our Papa don comot my shame.” ²⁴She call im name Joseph, and say, “Make our Papa add anoda boy give me.” ⁱ i v24 Di name Joseph mean “make he add.”

Carry Me Go My Home

²⁵As soon as Rachel don born Joseph, Jacob tell Laban say, “Make I go back to my own home and my own country. ²⁶Give me my wives and my pikin dem wey I don work for you take, and make I go. You sabi di work wey I don do for you.”

²⁷But Laban tell am say, “If I don find favor for your eye—I don learn through divination say God don bless me because of you.” ²⁸He say, “Talk your wages, and I go give you.”

²⁹Jacob tell am say, “You yourself sabi how I don serve you, and how your animal dem take multiply for my hand. ³⁰Because di small wey you get before I come, e don grow plenty-plenty; our Papa don bless you for everywhere wey I turn. But now, na when I go take provide for my own house too?”

³¹He ask, “Wetin I go give you?” Jacob answer, “No give me anything. If you go do dis one thing for me, I go go back to dey feed and dey guard your flock.

³²Make I pass through your whole flock today, dey comot every sheep wey get spot and mark, and every black lamb, and di goat dem wey get spot and mark, and dat one go be my wages. ³³So my honest heart go stand witness for me later, when you come check my wages. Any goat wey no get spot and mark, or any lamb wey no black, if you find am with me, na tief thing dem go count am.”

³⁴Laban say, “Good! Make e be as you talk.”

³⁵Dat same day Laban comot di male goat dem wey get line and spot, all di female goat dem wey get spot and mark—every one wey get white for body—and every dark lamb, and he hand dem give im sons. ³⁶He put distance of three days journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob dey feed di rest of Laban im flock.

³⁷Den Jacob take fresh branch from poplar, almond, and plane tree, and he peel white line inside dem, so di white part of di wood show. ³⁸He put di peeled branch dem for di water trough for front of di flock—di place wey dem dey come drink. And since dem dey mate when dem come drink, ³⁹di flock mate for front of di stick dem, and so dem born pikin wey get line, spot, and mark. ⁴⁰Jacob separate di lamb dem and turn di flock make dem face di animal wey get line and all di black one for Laban im flock. He keep im own flock apart and no mix dem with Laban im flock. ⁴¹Anytime di strong animal dem dey mate, Jacob go put di branch for di trough for where di flock go see am, so dem go mate near di branch, ⁴²but for di weak animal dem he no dey put am for there. So di weak animal dem go be Laban own, and di strong one dem go be Jacob own. ⁴³So di man come rich well-well, and he get plenty flock, female servant and male servant, and camel and donkey.