URasheli noLeya
Odade ababili bayancintisana ngezincekukazi zabo, ngamadudayimi nangokubeletha, beqamba indodana ngayinye ngokwempi abayilwayo nangalokho uBaba wethu akuzwile. Bese uJakobe, efuna ukubuyela ekhaya, edlula uLabani ngobuhlakani ngemihlambi enemigqa nenamabala, anothe ngezilwane ezinamandla.
30 1Kwathi uRasheli ebona ukuthi akamzaleli bantwana uJakobe, waba nomona ngodadewabo. Wathi kuJakobe: “Ngiphe abantwana, uma kungenjalo ngizakufa!”
2UJakobe wamthukuthelela kakhulu uRasheli. Wathi: “Kanti ngisesikhundleni sikaBaba wethu yini, ogodle kuwe isithelo sesizalo?”
3Wathi: “Nansi incekukazi yami uBiliha. Ngena kuyo, ukuze ingizalele abantwana, ngize nami ngakhe umndeni ngayo.” a a v3 Ukuzala umntwana ‘emadolweni’ kwakuyisenzo sasendulo sokutholwa komntwana — umntwana obekwa emadolweni omama omtholayo wayethathwa ngokomthetho njengowakhe. 4Ngakho wamnika uBiliha incekukazi yakhe ukuba abe ngumkakhe, uJakobe walala naye. 5UBiliha wakhulelwa, wamzalela uJakobe indodana. 6URasheli wathi: “UBaba wethu ungahlulele; uphinde wezwa izwi lami, wanginika indodana.” Ngakho-ke wamqamba igama elithi uDani. b b v6 Igama elithi uDani lisho ukuthi “wahlulela.” 7UBiliha, incekukazi kaRasheli, wabuye wakhulelwa, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili. 8URasheli wathi: “Ngibambene ngamandla nodadewethu, nganqoba.” Ngakho wamqamba igama elithi uNafithali. c c v8 Igama elithi uNafithali lisho ukuthi “umzabalazo wami.”
9Kwathi uLeya ebona ukuthi useyekile ukuzala, wathatha uZilipa incekukazi yakhe, wamnika uJakobe ukuba abe ngumkakhe. 10UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wamzalela uJakobe indodana. 11ULeya wathi: “Yinhlanhla!” Ngakho wamqamba igama elithi uGadi. d d v11 Igama elithi uGadi lisho ukuthi “inhlanhla.” 12UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili. 13ULeya wathi: “Yeka ukujabula kwami! Ngokuba abesifazane bayakungibiza ngojabulayo.” Ngakho wamqamba igama elithi u-Asheri. e e v13 Igama elithi u-Asheri lisho ukuthi “ojabulayo” noma “obusisiwe.”
14Ngezinsuku zokuvuna ukolweni uRubeni waphuma, wathola amamandrake endle, wawaletha kunina uLeya. URasheli wathi kuLeya: “Ake unginike amanye amamandrake endodana yakho.” f f v14 Amamandrake ayesitshalo okwakukholelwa kabanzi ezweni lasendulo ukuthi asiza ekukhulelweni — yingakho uRasheli ayewalangazelela.
15Kodwa uLeya waphendula: “Bekunganele yini ukungithathela umyeni wami? Manje usufuna nokuthatha amamandrake endodana yami na?” URasheli wathi: “Kulungile—angalala nawe kulobu busuku ngenxa yamamandrake endodana yakho.”
16Kwathi uJakobe efika evela endle kusihlwa, uLeya waphuma ukuyomhlangabeza, wathi: “Kumele ulale nami, ngokuba ngempela ngikuqashile ngamamandrake endodana yami.” Ngakho walala naye ngalobo busuku.
17UBaba wethu wamlalela uLeya, wakhulelwa, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesihlanu. 18ULeya wathi: “UBaba wethu unginike inkokhelo yami ngokuba nginike umyeni wami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wamqamba igama elithi u-Isakare. g g v18 Igama elithi u-Isakare lisho ukuthi “inkokhelo” noma “umvuzo.” 19ULeya wabuye wakhulelwa, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesithupha. 20ULeya wathi: “UBaba wethu unginike isipho esihle. Manje umyeni wami uzakungihlonipha, ngokuba ngimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.” Ngakho wamqamba igama elithi uZebuloni. h h v20 Igama elithi uZebuloni lisho ukuthi “udumo.” 21Emva kwalokho wazala indodakazi, wayiqamba igama elithi uDina.
22UBaba wethu wamkhumbula uRasheli; wamlalela, wavula isizalo sakhe. 23Wakhulelwa, wazala indodana, wathi: “UBaba wethu ususile ihlazo lami.” 24Wamqamba igama elithi uJosefa, ethi: “Sengathi uBaba wethu angangenezelela enye indodana.” i i v24 Igama elithi uJosefa lisho ukuthi “sengathi angenezelela.”
Ngivumele Ngibuyele Ekhaya
25Kwathi uRasheli esemzele uJosefa, uJakobe wathi kuLabani: “Ngivumele ngibuyele ekhaya lami nasezweni lakithi. 26Nginike amakhosikazi ami nabantwana bami engikukhonzele bona, ngimuke. Uyakwazi ukukhonza engikwenzele khona.”
27Kodwa uLabani wathi kuye: “Uma ngithole umusa emehlweni akho—ngifunde ngokubhula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ungibusisile ngenxa yakho.” 28Wathi: “Sho inkokhelo yakho, ngizakuyinika.”
29UJakobe wathi kuye: “Wena ngokwakho uyazi ukuthi ngikukhonze kanjani, nokuthi imfuyo yakho iphathwe kahle kanjani ngaphansi kokunakekela kwami. 30Ngokuba wawunokuncane ngaphambi kokufika kwami, kwase kwanda kakhulu; uBaba wethu ukubusisile nomaphi engaphenduka khona. Kodwa manje, ngiyakuwondla nini nawo umndeni wami?”
31Wabuza: “Ngikunikeni na?” UJakobe waphendula: “Unganginiki lutho. Uma ungangenzela le nto eyodwa, ngizakubuyela ekwaluseni nasekulindeni umhlambi wakho.
32Ngivumele ngidabule phakathi kwawo wonke umhlambi wakho namuhla, ngisuse kuwo yonke imvu enamachashaza nenamabala nalo lonke iwundlu elimnyama, nezinamabala nezinamachashaza phakathi kwezimbuzi, lokho-ke kuyakuba yinkokhelo yami. 33Ngakho ukuthembeka kwami kuyakungifakazela kamuva, lapho uza ukuzohlola inkokhelo yami. Zonke ezingenawo amachashaza namabala phakathi kwezimbuzi nezingemnyama phakathi kwamawundlu, uma zitholakala kimi, ziyakubalwa njengezebiwe.”
34ULabani wathi: “Kulungile! Makube njengokusho kwakho.”
35Ngalolo suku uLabani wasusa izimpongo ezinemidwa nezinamabala, zonke izimbuzi ezinamachashaza nezinamabala—leyo naleyo enokumhlophe kuyo—nalo lonke iwundlu elimnyama, wazinikela emadodaneni akhe. 36Wabeka ibanga lohambo lwezinsuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe noJakobe, uJakobe welusa umhlambi kaLabani oseleyo.
37UJakobe wathatha amagatsha amasha ompopula, nom-alimondi, nomplatane, wawaxebula imidwa emhlophe kuwo, waveza okumhlophe kokhuni. 38Wabeka amagatsha awaxebulile emikhombeni yamanzi phambi kwemihlambi—ezindaweni lapho yayiza khona ukuphuza. Njengoba yayikhwelana ekufikeni kwayo ukuzophuza, 39imihlambi yakhwelana phambi kwezinti, kanjalo yazala amazinyane anemidwa, anamachashaza, nanamabala. 40UJakobe wawahlukanisa amawundlu, waphendulela umhlambi ukuba ubheke izilwane ezinemidwa nazo zonke ezimnyama emhlanjini kaLabani. Wayigcina eyakhe imihlambi yodwa, akayixubanga nomhlambi kaLabani. 41Kwakuthi njalo lapho izilwane ezinamandla zikhwelana, uJakobe abeke amagatsha emikhombeni phambi kwamehlo omhlambi, ukuze zikhwelane phakathi kwamagatsha, 42kodwa ezilwaneni ezibuthakathaka wayengawabeki lapho. Ngakho izilwane ezibuthakathaka zaya kuLabani, kanti ezinamandla zaya kuJakobe. 43Ngakho lo muntu wacebe kakhulu kakhulu, waba nemihlambi eminingi, nezincekukazi nezinceku, namakamela nezimbongolo.
