Ukubuyela eBhetele

Ebizelwa emva eBhetele, uYakobi wangcwaba oothixo bezizwe ababesaphethwe ngabendlu yakhe. UBawo wethu waqinisekisa igama elinguSirayeli. Kwaza kwaqokelelana ilahleko: umongikazi wakhe wafa, uRakeli wafa emthiya uBhenjamin igama, uRubheni wangcolisa ibhedi kayise, waza u-Isake wangcwatywa.

Isahluko 35.

Waza uBawo wethu wathi kuYakobi: “Vuka, uye eBhetele, uhlale khona, undakhele isibingelelo mna, mna ndabonakala kuwe ngexesha wawubaleka umkhuluwa wakho u-Esawu.”

UYakobi wathi kwabendlu yakhe nakubo bonke ababenaye: “Lahlani oothixo bezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, nizihlambulule, niguqule neempahla zenu. Masenyuke siye eBhetele. Ndiza kwakha khona isibingelelo kuBawo wethu, owandiphendulayo ngemini yokubandezeleka kwam, waza wahlala nam naphi na apho ndaya khona.”

Banika uYakobi bonke oothixo bezizwe ababesezandleni zabo namacici ababeseendlebeni zabo; wawafihla phantsi komoki waseShekem. Basuka bahamba; uloyiko oluvela kuBawo wethu lwazihlasela izixeko ezazingqongile, ngako oko akubangakho namnye owabasukelayo oonyana bakaYakobi. UYakobi wafika eLuzi (eyiBhetele) kwelaseKanan, enabo bonke abantu bakhe. Wakha khona isibingelelo, wasithiya igama elingu-El-Bhetele—indlu kaBawo wethu—kuba kulapho wazityhila khona kuYakobi oko wayebaleka umkhuluwa wakhe. UDebhora, umongikazi kaRebheka, wafa waza wangcwatywa ngezantsi kweBhetele phantsi komoki, owathiywa igama elingu-Alon-bhakuti, umoki wesililo.

UBawo wethu wabuya wabonakala kuYakobi, oko wayevela ePadan-aram, waza wamsikelela.

UBawo wethu wathi kuye: “Igama lakho unguYakobi, kodwa akusayi kuba nguYakobi—igama lakho ungu-Israyeli.” Wamthiya igama elingu-Israyeli. UBawo wethu wathi kuye: “Ndingu-El-Shadayi, uBawo wakho uSomandla. Qhama, wande. Uhlanga, nendibano yezizwe, iya kuphuma kuwe; ookumkani baya kuphuma esiqwini sakho. Ilizwe endalinika u-Abraham no-Isake, ndiza kulinika wena; ndiza kulinika nembewu yakho emva kwakho.”

Waza uBawo wethu wenyuka wemka kuye kuloo ndawo wayethethe naye kuyo. UYakobi wamisa intsika apho uBawo wethu wayethethe naye khona, intsika yelitye, waza wathulula phezu kwayo umnikelo wesiselo, wagalela neoli phezu kwayo. UYakobi wayithiya loo ndawo uBawo wethu wayethethe naye kuyo igama elinguBhetele.

Unyana wokugqibela kaRakeli

Bemka eBhetele, kwathi besekude kancinane ne-Efrata, uRakeli wangenwa yinimba—inimba enzima. Ngexesha lenimba yakhe enzima, umzalisikazi wathi kuye: “Musa ukoyika—nalo ngunyana.”

Kwathi umphefumlo wakhe usemka kuye—esifa—wamthiya igama elinguBen-oni, unyana wentlungu yam; kodwa uyise wambiza ngokuba nguBhenjamin, unyana wasekunene. ^a Ngako oko uRakeli wafa, waza wangcwatywa endleleni eya e-Efrata (eyiBhetelehem). UYakobi wamisa intsika engcwabeni lakhe—yintsika yengcwaba likaRakeli unanamhla.

U-Israyeli wahamba waza wamisa iintente ngaphaya kweMigdal-edere, inqaba yomhlambi. Oko u-Israyeli wayehlala kwelo lizwe, uRubhen waya walala noBhiliha, umshweshwe kayise, waza u-Israyeli weva. UYakobi wayenoonyana abalishumi elinambini.

Oonyana bakaLeya: nguRubhen, izibulo likaYakobi, emva koko nguSimon, uLevi, uYuda, u-Isakare, noZebhulon. Oonyana bakaRakeli: nguYosefu noBhenjamin. Oonyana bakaBhiliha, isicakakazi sikaRakeli: nguDan noNafetali. Oonyana bakaZilipa, isicaka sikaLeya: nguGadi no-Ashere. Aba ngoonyana bakaYakobi, awabazalelwa ePadan-aram.

UYakobi wafika kuyise u-Isake eMamre, eKiriyati-arbha (eyiHebron), apho u-Abraham no-Isake babehlala khona.

U-Isake waphila iminyaka elikhulu elinamashumi asibhozo. U-Isake waphuma umphefumlo, wafa, waza wahlanganiselwa kubantu bakubo—emdala, ezele yimihla. Oonyana bakhe u-Esawu noYakobi bamngcwaba.