IGenesisi 29

29 ¹UJakobe waqhubeka nohambo lwakhe, wafika ezweni labantu basempumalanga. ²Wabona umthombo ensimini, kukhona imihlambi emithathu elele eceleni kwawo, ngokuba kulowo mthombo kwakuphuziswa imihlambi; itshe elikhulu laliphezu komlomo wawo. ³Lapho yayibuthana khona yonke imihlambi; abelusi babegingqa itshe lisuke emlonyeni womthombo, baphuzise izimvu, babuyisele itshe endaweni yalo phezu komlomo womthombo. ⁴UJakobe wathi kubo: “Bafowethu, nivelaphi na?” Baphendula bathi: “Sivela eHarani.”

⁵Wababuza wathi: “Niyamazi yini uLabani, indodana kaNahori?” Baphendula bathi: “Siyamazi.”

⁶Wayesebuza wathi: “Uyaphila na?” Bathi: “Uyaphila.” “Bheka, nansi indodakazi yakhe uRasheli iza nezimvu.”

⁷“Bhekani,” kusho uJakobe, “ilanga lisaphezulu, akukabi yisikhathi sokubuthela ndawonye imihlambi. Phuzisani izimvu, bese niyozelusa.”

⁸“Asikwazi,” basho, “kuze kubuthane yonke imihlambi, litshe ligingqwe lisuke emlonyeni womthombo. Khona-ke siyoziphuzisa izimvu.”

⁹Esakhuluma nabo uJakobe, kwafika uRasheli nomhlambi kayise, ngokuba nguye owawelusayo. ¹⁰Kwathi uJakobe ebona uRasheli, indodakazi kaLabani umfowabo kanina, nezimvu zikaLabani umfowabo kanina, wasondela wagingqa itshe lisuke emlonyeni womthombo, waphuzisa izimvu zikaLabani umfowabo kanina. ¹¹UJakobe wayeseyanga uRasheli, wakhala kakhulu. ¹²UJakobe watshela uRasheli ukuthi uyisihlobo sikayise, indodana kaRebheka. Wagijima wayotshela uyise.

¹³Kwathi uLabani ezwa izindaba zikaJakobe indodana kadadewabo, wagijima wayomhlangabeza, wamgona wamanga, wamletha ekhaya. UJakobe watshela uLabani konke okwakwenzekile.

Inyanga Endlini KaLabani

¹⁴ULabani wathi kuye: “Impela wena ulithambo lami nenyama yami.” UJakobe wahlala naye inyanga yonke. ¹⁵ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Ungangisebenzela mahhala nje ngoba uyisihlobo sami na? Ngitshele, umholo wakho uyakuba yini?”

¹⁶ULabani wayenamadodakazi amabili. Omdala igama lakhe kwakunguLeya, omncane igama lakhe kwakunguRasheli. ¹⁷Amehlo kaLeya ayebuthakathaka, kodwa uRasheli wayemuhle emzimbeni, ebukeka kahle. ¹⁸UJakobe wayemthanda uRasheli, wathi: “Ngizokusebenzela iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngenxa kaRasheli indodakazi yakho encane.”

¹⁹ULabani wathi: “Kungcono ukuba ngimnike wena kunokuba ngimnike omunye umuntu. Hlala lapha nami.” ²⁰UJakobe wasebenza iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngenxa kaRasheli; yaba sengathi yizinsuku ezimbalwa kuye ngenxa yokuthi wayemthanda.

²¹UJakobe wathi kuLabani: “Nginike umkami, ngokuba isikhathi sami sesiphelele, ukuze ngingene kuye.”

²²ULabani wayesebutha ndawonye wonke amadoda aleyo ndawo, wenza idili. ²³Kwathi kusihlwa, wathatha indodakazi yakhe uLeya, wamyisa kuJakobe; walala naye. ²⁴ULabani wanika indodakazi yakhe uLeya incekukazi yakhe uZilipha ukuba ibe yincekukazi yakhe. ²⁵Kwathi ekuseni, bheka, kwakunguLeya! UJakobe wathi kuLabani: “Yini le oyenze kimi? Angikusebenzelanga yini ngenxa kaRasheli? Ungikhohliseleni na?”

²⁶ULabani waphendula wathi: “Akuwona umkhuba kule ndawo ukwendisa omncane ngaphambi kwezibulo. ²⁷Qeda isonto lomshado lwalo, bese sikunika nalowaya, ngenxa yeminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa yomsebenzi.” ^a a v27 Umshado wawuvame ukugujwa izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ezigcwele.

²⁸UJakobe wenze njalo, waliqeda isonto layo, uLabani wayesemnika indodakazi yakhe uRasheli ukuba ibe ngumkakhe. ²⁹ULabani wanika indodakazi yakhe uRasheli incekukazi yakhe uBiliha ukuba ibe yincekukazi yakhe. ³⁰UJakobe walala noRasheli naye, wamthanda uRasheli kunoLeya. Wasebenzela uLabani eminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

UBaba Wethu Ubona uLeya

³¹Kwathi uBaba wethu ebona ukuthi uLeya akathandwa, wavula isibeletho sakhe; kodwa uRasheli wayeyinyumba. ³²ULeya wakhulelwa wazala indodana, wayetha igama lokuthi uRubeni, ngokuba wathi: “UBaba wethu ukubonile ukuhlupheka kwami; impela manje umyeni wami uzongithanda.” ^b b v32 Indodana ngayinye kaJakobe iqanjwe ngokudlala ngamazwi kanina ngesikhathi izalwa — ukulwa kwakhe, injabulo, noma ithemba elikhulunywe egameni lomntwana. ³³Waphinde wakhulelwa wazala indodana, wathi: “Ngokuba uBaba wethu uzwile ukuthi angithandwa, unginike nalona.” Ngakho wayetha igama lokuthi uSimeyoni. ^c c v33 Igama elithi uSimeyoni lisho “lowo ozwayo.” ³⁴Waphinde wakhulelwa wazala indodana, wathi: “Kulokhu umyeni wami uyohlangana nami, ngokuba ngimzalele amadodana amathathu.” Ngakho waqanjwa igama lokuthi uLevi. ^d d v34 Igama elithi uLevi lisho “ohlangene.” ³⁵Waphinde wakhulelwa wazala indodana, wathi: “Kulokhu ngiyodumisa uBaba wethu.” Ngakho wayetha igama lokuthi uJuda. Wayesayeka ukuzala. ^e e v35 Igama likaJuda lisho “udumo.” Esizweni sikaJuda kwavela iNkosi uDavide — nasohlwini lukaDavide kwavela uJesu, iBhubesi lesizwe sakwaJuda (IsAmbulo 5:5).