Genesis 29

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
1 And so Jacob, setting out, arrived in the eastern land.	1 Jacob se mit en route et s’en alla au pays d’Orient.
2 And he saw a well in a field, and also three flocks of sheep reclining near it. For the animals were watered from it, and its mouth was closed with a great stone.	2 Il aperçut un puits dans la campagne et trois troupeaux de petit bétail couchés près de ce puits. C’est là qu’on leur donnait à boire, mais l’ouverture du puits était recouverte d’une grande pierre.
3 And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone. And when the flocks had been refreshed, they placed it over the mouth of the well again.	3 Quand tous les troupeaux y étaient rassemblés, on roulait la pierre de dessus l’ouverture du puits, on donnait à boire au petit bétail, et puis l’on remettait la pierre en place sur l’ouverture du puits.
4 And he said to the shepherds, “Brothers, where are you from?” And they answered. “From Haran.”	4 Jacob dit aux bergers: “D’où êtes-vous, mes frères?” Ils répondirent: “Nous sommes de Harrân.”
5 And questioning them, he said, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.”	5 Il leur dit: “Connaissez-vous Laban, le fils de Nahor?” Ils répondirent: “Nous le connaissons bien.”
6 He said, “Is he well?” “He is very well,” they said. “And behold, his daughter Rachel approaches with his flock.”	6 Jacob leur dit: “Est-il en bonne santé?” “Il est en bonne santé, répondirent-ils, voici d’ailleurs Rachel, sa fille, qui arrive avec le petit bétail.”
7 And Jacob said, “There is still much daylight remaining, and it is not time to return the flocks to the sheepfold. Give the sheep to drink first, and then lead them back to pasture.”	7 Jacob leur dit: “Il fait encore grand jour, ce n’est pas l’heure de rassembler les bêtes. Donnez-leur à boire et emmenez-les pour paître.”
8 They responded, “We cannot, until all the animals are gathered together and we remove the stone from the mouth of the well, so that we may water the flocks.”	8 Les bergers répondirent: “Nous ne pouvons pas avant que tous les troupeaux soient rassemblés. Alors on roule la pierre de dessus l’ouverture du puits et on donne à boire au petit bétail.”
9 They were still speaking, and behold, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep; for she pastured the flock.	9 Jacob parlait encore, lorsque Rachel arriva avec le petit bétail de son père: elle était bergère.
10 When Jacob had seen her, and he realized that she was his maternal first cousin, and that these were the sheep of his uncle Laban, he removed the stone which closed the well.	10 Dès que Jacob vit Rachel, la fille de son oncle Laban, avec le petit bétail de Laban, il s’approcha du puits, roula la pierre qui le couvrait et donna à boire au petit bétail de son oncle Laban.
11 And having watered the flock, he kissed her. And lifting up his voice, he wept.	11 Ensuite il embrassa Rachel et pleura abondamment.
12 And he revealed to her that he was a brother of her father, and the son of Rebekah. And so, hurrying, she announced it to her father.	12 Jacob apprit à Rachel qu’il était de la parenté de son père, et le fils de Rébecca. Aussitôt celle-ci courut l’annoncer à son père.
13 And when he had heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, had arrived, he ran to meet him. And embracing him, and kissing him heartily, he brought him into his house. But when he had heard the reasons for his journey,	13 Quand Laban sut qu’il s’agissait de son neveu Jacob, il courut à sa rencontre, il l’embrassa, le couvrit de baisers et le fit entrer dans sa maison. Là Jacob le mit au courant de tout.
14 he responded, “You are my bone and my flesh.” And after the days of one month were completed,	14 Laban lui dit: “En vérité tu es de mes os et de ma chair.” Jacob resta chez lui tout un mois.
15 he said to him: “Though you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would accept.”	15 Laban dit alors à Jacob: “Ce n’est pas parce que tu es mon frère que tu vas travailler chez moi pour rien. Quel salaire me demandes-tu?”
16 In truth, he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah; and truly the younger was called Rachel.	16 Laban avait deux filles. L’aînée s’appelait Léa et la plus jeune Rachel.
17 But while Leah was bleary-eyed, Rachel had an elegant appearance and was attractive to behold.	17 Léa avait des yeux sans éclat, alors que Rachel avait belle allure et beau visage.
18 And Jacob, loving her, said, “I will serve you for seven years, for your younger daughter Rachel.”	18 Jacob aimait Rachel, il répondit: “Je te servirai sept ans pour Rachel, ta seconde fille.”
19 Laban responded, “It is better that I give her to you than to another man; remain with me.”	19 Laban lui répondit: “J’aime mieux te la donner à toi que de la donner à quelqu’un d’autre. Reste chez moi.”
20 Therefore, Jacob served for seven years for Rachel. And these seemed like only a few days, because of the greatness of love.	20 Jacob travailla donc pour Rachel pendant sept ans qui ne lui parurent que quelques jours, tellement il l’aimait.
21 And he said to Laban, “Give my wife to me. For now the time has been fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.”	21 Au bout de ce temps Jacob dit à Laban: “Donne-moi ma femme puisque je t’ai servi le temps que je devais. Maintenant, je veux coucher avec elle.”
22 And he, having called a great crowd of his friends to the feast, agreed to the marriage.	22 Laban invita donc tous les hommes de l’endroit et donna un grand repas.
23 And at night, he brought in his daughter Leah to him,	23 Mais lorsque la nuit fut venue, il prit sa fille Léa et la conduisit vers Jacob qui s’unit à elle.
24 giving his daughter a handmaid named Zilpah. After Jacob had gone in to her, according to custom, when morning had arrived, he saw Leah.	24 Laban donna alors comme servante à sa fille Léa, sa propre servante Zilpa.
25 And he said to his father-in-law, “What is it that you intended to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”	25 Au matin, Jacob s’aperçut que c’était Léa. Il dit à Laban: “Que m’as-tu fait? N’est-ce pas pour Rachel que j’ai travaillé chez toi? Pourquoi m’as-tu trompé?”
26 Laban responded, “It is not the practice in this place to give the younger in marriage first.	26 Laban lui répondit: “Cela ne se fait pas chez nous de marier la plus jeune avant l’aînée.
27 Complete a week of days with this mating. And then I will give this one to you also, for the service that you will provide to me for another seven years.”	27 Terminons cette semaine de noces et nous te donnerons aussi celle-là, mais dans ce cas tu travailleras encore sept ans chez moi.”
28 He agreed to his pleading. And after the week had passed, he took Rachel as a wife.	28 C’est ce que fit Jacob. Terminée la semaine de noces de Léa, Laban lui donna pour femme sa fille Rachel.
29 To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant.	29 Laban donna alors comme servante à sa fille Rachel, Bila, sa propre servante.
30 And, having at last obtained the marriage he desired, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and he served with him another seven years.	30 Jacob s’unit aussi à Rachel et, pour dire vrai, il aimait Rachel plus que Léa. Il travailla donc chez Laban sept années de plus.
31 But the Lord, seeing that he despised Leah, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.	31 Yahvé vit que Léa était délaissée, et il la rendit féconde alors que Rachel était stérile.
32 Having conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, saying: “The Lord saw my humiliation; now my husband will love me.”	32 Léa fut enceinte et donna le jour à un fils qu’elle appela Ruben; car elle disait: “Yahvé a eu pitié de mon humiliation, maintenant mon mari m’aimera.”
33 And again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Because the Lord heard that I was treated with contempt, he has also given this one to me.” And she called his name Simeon.	33 Elle fut encore enceinte et donna le jour à un fils. Elle dit alors: “Yahvé a vu que j’étais délaissée, et il m’a encore donné celui-ci.” C’est pourquoi elle l’appela Siméon.
34 And she conceived a third time, and she gave birth to another son, and she said: “Now likewise my husband will unite with me, because I have borne him three sons.” And because of this, she called his name Levi.	34 Elle fut encore enceinte et donna le jour à un fils. “Cette fois, dit-elle, mon mari s’attachera à moi, car je lui ai donné trois fils.” Aussi on donna à l’enfant le nom de Lévi.
35 A fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Only now will I confess to the Lord.” And for this reason, she called him Judah. And she ceased from child-bearing.	35 Elle fut encore enceinte et donna le jour à un fils. “Cette fois, dit-elle, je chanterai les louanges de Yahvé.” C’est pourquoi elle l’appela Juda. Puis elle cessa d’avoir des enfants.