Genesi 30

1 E Rachele, veggendo che non faceva figliuoli a Giacobbe, portò invidia alla sua sorella; e disse a Giacobbe: Dammi de' figliuoli; altrimenti io son morta.

Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any children for Jacob. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, “Enable me to become pregnant and give birth to children. If you do not do that, I [think I will]!”

2 E Giacobbe s'accesse in ira contro a Rachele, e disse: [Sono] io in luogo di Dio, il qual t'ha dinegato il frutto del ventre?

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “(I am not God!/Am I God?) [RHQ] He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!”

3 Ed ella disse: Ecco Bilha, mia serva; entra da lei ed ella partorirà sopra le mie ginocchia, ed io ancora avrò progenie da lei.

Then she said, “Look, here is my female slave, Bilhah. (Sleep with/Have sex with) [EUP] her, so that she may become pregnant and give birth to children for me. In that way it will be as though (I have children/her children are mine).”

4 Ed ella diede a Giacobbe Bilha, sua serva, per moglie, ed egli entrò da lei.

So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob had sex [EUP] with her.

5 E Bilha concepette, e partorì un figliuolo a Giacobbe.

She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.

6 E Rachele disse: Iddio mi ha fatto ragione, ed ha eziandio ascoltata la mia voce, e mi ha dato un figliuolo; perciò ella gli pose nome Dan.

Rachel said, “God has (vindicated me/judged my case and has decided that what I have done is right). He has also heard my requests and has given me a son.” So she named him Dan, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘he judged’].

7 E Bilha, serva di Rachele, concepette ancora, e partorì un secondo figliuolo a Giacobbe.

Later, Rachel’s slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.

8 E Rachele disse: Io ho lottate le lotte di Dio con la mia sorella; [ed] anche ho vinto; perciò pose nome a quel [figliuolo] Neftali.

Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son.” So she named him Naphtali, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘struggle’].

9 E Lea, veggendo ch'era restata di partorire, prese Zilpa, sua serva, e la diede a Giacobbe per moglie.

When Leah realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any more children, she took her female slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.

10 E Zilpa, serva di Lea, partorì un figliuolo a Giacobbe.

Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.

11 E Lea disse: Buona ventura è giunta; e pose nome a quel figliuolo Gad.

Leah said, “I am truly fortunate!” So she named him Gad, [which means ‘fortunate’].

12 Poi Zilpa, serva di Lea, partori un secondo figliuolo a Giacobbe.

Later Leah’s slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.

13 E Lea disse: [Quest'è] per farmi beata; conciossiachè le donne mi chiameranno beata; perciò ella pose nome a quel [figliuolo] Aser.

Leah said, “Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy.” So she named him Asher, [which means ‘happy].’

14 Or Ruben andò [fuori] al tempo della ricolta de' grani, e trovò delle mandragole per i campi, e le portò a Lea, sua madre. E Rachele disse a Lea: Deh! dammi delle mandragole del tuo figliuolo.

When it was time to harvest wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some (mandrakes/plants that women eat to help them to become pregnant). He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, “Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!”

15 Ed ella le disse: [È egli] poco che tu [mi] abbi tolto il mio marito, che tu [mi] vuoi ancora togliere le mandragole del mio figliuolo? E Rachele disse: Or su, giacciasi egli questa notte teco per le mandragole del tuo figliuolo.

But Leah said to her, “No! (It was bad that you stole my husband!/Is it not bad enough that you stole my husband?) [RHQ] Now (are you going to take my son’s mandrake plants?/You want to take my son’s mandrake plants also, [so that you can become pregnant]!)” [RHQ] So Rachel said, “All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son’s mandrake plants.” [So Leah (agreed/gave her some)].

16 E come Giacobbe se ne veniva in su la sera da' campi, Lea gli uscì incontro, e [gli] disse: Entra da me; perciocchè io ti ho tolto a prezzo per le mandragole del mio figliuolo. Egli adunque si giacque con lei quella notte.

When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some of my son’s mandrakes [that enable women to become pregnant], to pay her for allowing us to do that.” So Jacob slept with her that night.

17 E Iddio esaudì Lea, talchè ella concepette, e partorì il quinto figliuolo a Giacobbe.

God answered Leah’s prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.

18 Ed ella disse: Iddio [mi] ha dato il mio premio, di ciò che io diedi la mia serva al mio marito; e pose nome a quel [figliuolo] Issacar.

Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him.” So she named him Issachar, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘reward’].

19 E Lea concepette ancora, e partorì il sesto figliuolo a Giacobbe.

Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.

20 E Lea disse: Iddio mi ha dotata d'una buona dote; questa volta il mio marito abiterà meco, poichè io gli ho partoriti sei figliuoli; e pose nome a quel [figliuolo] Zabulon.

Leah said, “God has given me a precious gift. (This time/Now) my husband will honor/respect me, because I have given birth to six sons for him.” So she named him Zebulon, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘accepted gift’].

21 Poi partorì una figliuola, e le pose nome Dina.

Later she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.

22 E Iddio si ricordò di Rachele, e l'esaudì, e le aperse la matrice.

Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her prayers and enabled her to become pregnant.

23 Ed ella concepette, e partorì un figliuolo; e disse: Iddio ha tolto via il mio obbrobrio.

She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has caused that no longer will I be ashamed [for not having children].”

24 E pose nome a quel [figliuolo] Giuseppe, dicendo: Il Signore mi aggiunga un altro figliuolo.

She named him Joseph, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘may he give another’] and she said, ‘want Yahweh to give me another son.’

25 E, dopo che Rachele ebbe partorito Giuseppe, Giacobbe disse a Labano: Dammi licenza, acciocchè io me ne vada al mio luogo, ed al mio paese.

After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now allow me to quit working for you and let me return to my own land.

26 [Dammi] le mie mogli, per le quali io ti ho servito, ed i miei figliuoli; acciocchè io me ne vada; perciocchè tu sai il servigio che io t'ho renduto.

You know the work that I have done for you [for a long time to get my wives]. So let me take my wives and my children, and leave.”

27 E Labano gli disse: Deh! se pure ho trovato grazia appo te: Io ho veduto che il Signore mi ha benedetto per cagion tua.

But Laban said to him, “If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.

28 Poi disse: Significami appunto qual salario mi ti converrà dare, ed io te [lo] darò.

Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you.”

29 Ed egli gli disse: Tu sai come io ti ho servito, e quale è divenuto il tuo bestiame meco.

Jacob replied, “You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.

30 Perciocchè poco [era] quello che tu avevi, avanti che io venissi; ma ora egli è cresciuto sommamente; e il Signore ti ha benedetto per lo mio governo; ed ora quando [mi] adopererò io ancora per la mia famiglia?

You had only a few animals before I came here. But now you have very many, and Yahweh has caused them to increase greatly in number wherever I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family.”

31 Ed egli disse: Che ti darò io? E Giacobbe disse: Non darmi nulla; se tu mi fai questo, io tornerò a pasturare, [ed] a guardar le tue pecore.

Laban replied, “What do you want me to give you?” Jacob replied, “I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.

32 Io passerò oggi per mezzo tutte le tue gregge, levandone, d'infra le pecore, ogni agnello macchiato e vaiolato; e ogni agnello di color fosco; e, d'infra le capre, le vaiolate e le macchiate; e [tal] sarà [da ora innanzi] il mio salario.

Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted, [and keep them for myself]. They will be my wages.

33 Così da questo dì innanzi, quando tu mi contenderai il mio salario, la mia giustizia risponderà per me nel tuo cospetto; tutto ciò che non sarà macchiato o vaiolato fra le capre, e di color fosco fra le pecore, [e sarà trovato] appo me, sarà furto.

In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats are neither speckled or spotted, or if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”

34 E Labano disse: Ecco, sia come tu hai detto.

Laban agreed and said, “Okay, we will do as you have said.”

35 Ed in quel dì mise da parte i becchi, e i montoni macchiati e vaiolati; e tutte le capre macchiate e vaiolate; e tutte quelle in cui [era] alcuna [macchia] bianca; e, d'infra le pecore, tutte quelle [ch'erano] di color fosco; e le mise tra le mani de' suoi figliuoli.

But that same day Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them and told his sons to take care of them.

36 E frappose il cammino di tre giornate fra sè e Giacobbe. E Giacobbe pasturava il rimanente delle gregge di Labano.

Then he took these flocks and walked a distance of three days, in order that he could be that far from Jacob. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 E Giacobbe prese delle verghe verdi di pioppo, di nocciuolo, e di castagno; e vi fece delle scorzature bianche, scoprendo il bianco ch' [era] nelle verghe.

Then Jacob cut some branches of (poplar, almond, and plane trees/three kinds of trees that had white wood). He peeled strips of bark from the branches, so that where the bark had been peeled off, the branches were light in color.

38 Poi piantò le verghe ch'egli avea scorzate, dinanzi alle gregge, ne' canali dell'acqua, [e] negli abbeveratoi, ove le pecore venivano a bere; e [le pecore] entravano in calore quando venivano a bere.

Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the branches would be in front of the flocks when they came to drink.

39 Le pecore adunque e le capre entravano in calore, [vedendo] quelle verghe; onde figliavano [parti] vergati, macchiati, e viaolati.

The animals also mated in front of the branches, and eventually they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.

40 Poi, come Giacobbe avea spartiti gli agnelli, faceva volger gli occhi alle pecore delle gregge di Labano, verso le vaiolate, [e verso] tutte quelle [ch'erano] di color fosco; e metteva le sue gregge da parte, e non le metteva di rincontro alle pecore di Labano.

Furthermore, Jacob separated the female sheep in his flock from the other sheep and goats in Laban’s flock. And when his female sheep mated, he made them look toward the animals that belonged to Laban that had black and white stripes on them, and the dark-colored animals. He did that so that the female sheep would give birth to animals that were striped or dark-colored. By doing that, he made bigger flocks for himself, and he kept them separate from Laban’s flocks.

41 E ogni [volta] che le pecore primaiuole entravano in calore, Giacobbe metteva quelle verghe ne' canali, alla vista delle pecore e delle capre; acciocchè entrassero in calore, [alla vista di] quelle verghe.

In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.

42 Ma, quando le pecore erano serotine, egli non ve le poneva; e così le pecore serotine [erano] di Labano, e le primaiuole di Giacobbe.

But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So the weak ones became part of Laban’s flock, and the strong ones became part of Jacob’s flock.

43 E quell'uomo crebbe sommamente in facoltà, ed ebbe molte gregge, e servi, e serve, e cammelli, ed asini.

As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks of sheep and goats, and many male and female slaves, and many camels and donkeys.