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Genèse 29

La Bible du Semeur



1 Jacob reprit sa marche et se dirigea vers les pays de l’Orient[1]. 2 Un jour, il aperçut dans la campagne un puits où l’on menait boire les troupeaux. Trois troupeaux de moutons et de chèvres étaient couchés alentour. L’ouverture du puits était fermée par une grosse pierre 3 que l’on roulait de côté lorsque tous les troupeaux y étaient rassemblés. Après avoir abreuvé les bêtes, on remettait la pierre sur l’ouverture. 4 Jacob demanda aux bergers: D’où êtes-vous, les amis? – Nous sommes de Harân, lui répondirent-ils. 5 – Alors, reprit-il, connaissez-vous Laban, descendant de Nahor? – Oui, nous le connaissons. 6 – Comment va-t-il? – Il va bien. D’ailleurs, voici justement sa fille Rachel qui vient avec le troupeau. 7 – Mais, dit Jacob, il fait encore grand jour! Ce n’est pas le moment de rassembler le bétail. Faites-donc boire les bêtes et ramenez-les aux pâturages! 8 – Nous ne pouvons rien faire, lui répondirent-ils, avant que tous les troupeaux soient rassemblés; alors seulement nous roulons la pierre qui bouche l’ouverture du puits et nous faisons boire les bêtes. 9 Pendant qu’il s’entretenait ainsi avec eux, Rachel arriva avec le troupeau de son père. Elle était en effet bergère. 10 Lorsque Jacob vit Rachel, la fille de son oncle Laban et les bêtes de son oncle, il s’approcha, roula la pierre de l’ouverture du puits et fit boire le troupeau de son oncle. 11 Puis il embrassa Rachel et éclata en pleurs. 12 Il apprit à la jeune fille qu’il était un parent de son père, un fils de Rébecca. Rachel courut prévenir son père. 13 Dès que Laban entendit parler de Jacob, le fils de sa sœur, il se précipita à sa rencontre, le serra contre lui et l’embrassa, puis il le conduisit dans sa maison. Alors Jacob lui raconta tout ce qui s’était passé. 14 Laban lui dit: Tu es bien du même sang que moi! Pendant tout un mois, Jacob demeura chez lui. 



15 Puis Laban lui dit: Travailleras-tu pour rien chez moi parce que tu es mon neveu? Dis-moi ce que tu voudrais comme salaire. 16 Or, Laban avait deux filles, l’aînée s’appelait Léa, et la cadette Rachel. 17 Léa avait le regard tendre, mais Rachel était bien faite et d’une grande beauté. 18 Jacob s’était épris de Rachel et il dit à Laban: Je te servirai pendant sept ans si tu me donnes Rachel, ta fille cadette, en mariage[2]. (Gn 34:12) 19 Et Laban répondit: Je préfère te la donner à toi plutôt qu’à un autre. Reste chez moi. 20 Jacob travailla sept ans pour obtenir Rachel, et ces années furent à ses yeux comme quelques jours parce qu’il l’aimait. 21 Puis il dit à Laban: Donne-moi maintenant ma femme, car j’ai accompli mon temps de service et je voudrais l’épouser. 22 Alors Laban fit un festin auquel il invita tous les habitants de la localité. 23 La nuit venue, il prit sa fille Léa et l’amena à Jacob qui s’unit à elle[3]. 24 Laban donna sa servante Zilpa à sa fille Léa. 25 Le lendemain matin, Jacob se rendit compte que c’était Léa. Jacob dit à Laban: Que m’as-tu fait? N’est-ce pas pour Rachel que j’ai travaillé chez toi? Pourquoi alors m’as-tu trompé? 26 Laban répondit: Chez nous, il n’est pas d’usage de marier la cadette avant l’aînée. 27 Mais termine la semaine de noces avec celle-ci, et nous te donnerons aussi l’autre en contrepartie de sept autres années de travail chez moi[4]. 28 Jacob accepta: il termina cette semaine-là avec Léa, et Laban lui donna sa fille Rachel pour épouse. 29 Il donna aussi à Rachel sa servante Bilha[5]. 30 Jacob s’unit aussi à Rachel qu’il aimait plus que Léa. Il travailla encore sept autres années chez Laban. 



31 L’Eternel vit que Léa était mal aimée et il lui accorda des enfants, tandis que Rachel était stérile. 32 Ainsi Léa devint enceinte et donna naissance à un fils qu’elle appela Ruben (Voyez, un fils!), car elle dit: L’Eternel a vu ma misère; à présent, mon mari m’aimera. 33 Puis elle fut de nouveau enceinte et eut encore un fils. Elle dit: L’Eternel a entendu que je n’étais pas aimée et il m’a encore accordé celui-ci. Et elle le nomma Siméon (Il entend). 34 Elle devint encore enceinte et enfanta un fils. Elle dit: Cette fois-ci, mon mari s’attachera à moi, car je lui ai donné trois fils. C’est pourquoi elle l’appela Lévi (Il s’attache). 35 De nouveau, elle devint enceinte et eut un fils. Elle s’écria: Cette fois, je louerai l’Eternel. C’est pourquoi elle le nomma Juda (Il loue). Puis elle cessa d’avoir des enfants. 

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Genèse 29

English Standard Version



1 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. (Nb 23:7; Jg 6:3) 2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3 and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” (Gn 27:43) 5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” 6 He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” 7 He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. (Ex 2:16) 10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. (Gn 13:8; Gn 14:14; Gn 14:16; Gn 24:28) 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, (Gn 29:12) 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month. (Gn 2:23; Gn 37:27; Jg 9:2; 2S 5:1; 2S 19:12; 1Ch 11:1) 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak,[1] but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” (Gn 30:26; Gn 31:41; Os 12:12) 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. (Gn 29:18) 21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. (Jg 14:10; Jn 2:1) 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave[2] his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) (Gn 30:9) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” (Jg 14:12) 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) (Gn 30:3) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. (Gn 29:20; Gn 31:41) 



31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. (Gn 30:22; Dt 21:15) 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,[3] for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” (Gn 31:42; Ex 3:7; Ex 4:31; Dt 26:7) 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[4] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[5] (Nb 18:2; Nb 18:4) 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.[6] Then she ceased bearing. (Gn 49:8; Mt 1:2) 

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