Ukubuyela eBethele
Ebizwa ukuba abuyele eBethele, uJakobe ungcwaba onkulunkulu bezizwe abendlu yakhe ababesabaphethe. UBaba wethu uqinisekisa igama elithi Israyeli. Bese ukulahlekelwa kuyanqwabelana: umzanyana wakhe uyafa, uRakeli ufa eqamba uBenjamini, uRubeni ungcolisa umbhede kayise, futhi u-Isaka uyangcwatshwa.
35 1UBaba wethu wathi kuJakobe: “Sukuma, uye eBethele, uhlale khona, ungakhele mina i-altare, mina engabonakala kuwe mhla ubaleka kumfowenu u-Esawu.”
2UJakobe wathi kwabendlu yakhe nakubo bonke ababenaye: “Lahlani onkulunkulu bezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, nizihlambulule, nishintshe izingubo zenu. 3Masenyukele eBethele. Ngizakwakhela khona i-altare kuBaba wethu, owangiphendula ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwami, waba nami nomaphi lapho ngangiya khona.”
4Banika uJakobe bonke onkulunkulu bezizwe ababesezandleni zabo namacici ayesezindlebeni zabo; wawafihla ngaphansi komʼoki waseShekemi. 5Basuka bahamba; uvalo oluvela kuBaba wethu lwehlela emizini eyayibazungezile, ngakho akubangakho owaxosha amadodana kaJakobe. 6UJakobe wafika eLuzi (okuyiBethele) ezweni laseKhanani, kanye nabo bonke abantu bakhe. 7Wakha khona i-altare, waliqamba ngokuthi i-Eli-Bethele—indlu kaBaba wethu—ngokuba khona lapho wazibonakalisa kuJakobe mhla ebaleka kumfowabo. 8UDebora, umzanyana kaRebeka, wafa wangcwatshwa ngezansi kweBethele ngaphansi komʼoki, owaqanjwa ngokuthi i-Aloni-bakuthi, umʼoki wokukhala.
9UBaba wethu waphinda wabonakala kuJakobe, mhla efika evela ePhadani-Aramu, wambusisa.
10UBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Igama lakho unguJakobe, kodwa ngeke usabizwa ngokuthi uJakobe—igama lakho ngu-Israyeli.” Wamqamba ngokuthi u-Israyeli. 11UBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Mina ngingu-Eli Shadayi, uBaba wakho uSomandla. Zalani, nande. Isizwe, nesixuku sezizwe, siyakuvela kuwe; amakhosi ayakuphuma esiswini sakho. 12Izwe engalinika u-Abhrahama no-Isaka, ngizakulinika wena; ngizakulinika nenzalo yakho emva kwakho.”
13UBaba wethu wasenyuka esuka kuye kuleyo ndawo ayekhulume naye kuyo. 14UJakobe wamisa insika lapho uBaba wethu ayekhulume naye khona, insika yetshe, wathululela kuyo umnikelo wokuphuzwa, wathela namafutha kuyo. 15UJakobe waqamba leyo ndawo uBaba wethu ayekhulume naye kuyo ngokuthi iBethele.
Indodana kaRasheli yokugcina
16Basuka eBethele, kwathi besasekude kancane ne-Efratha, uRasheli wangenwa imihelo—imihelo enzima. 17Kuthe esesemihelweni enzima, umbelethisi wathi kuye: “Ungesabi—nalo futhi uyindodana.”
18Kwathi umphefumulo wakhe usuphuma kuye—esefa—wamqamba ngokuthi uBeni-oni, indodana yosizi lwami; kodwa uyise wambiza ngokuthi uBhenjamini, indodana yesokunene. a a v18 Izwi likaRasheli lokugcina esefa laqamba indodana yakhe ngokuthi uBeni-oni, “indodana yosizi lwami.” Uyise uJakobe waphinda wayiqamba ngokuthi uBhenjamini, “indodana yesokunene”—eguqula usizi lube yigama lamandla nendawo ekhethiwe. 19Ngakho uRasheli wafa, wangcwatshwa endleleni eya e-Efratha (okuyiBethelehema). 20UJakobe wamisa insika ethuneni lakhe—yinsika yethuna likaRasheli kuze kube namuhla.
21U-Israyeli wahamba wamisa amatende ngaphesheya kweMigidali-ederi, umbhoshongo womhlambi. 22Kwathi u-Israyeli ehlala kulelo zwe, uRubeni waya walala noBiliha, umfazi omncane kayise, u-Israyeli wezwa. UJakobe wayenamadodana ayishumi nambili.
23Amadodana kaLeya: uRubeni, izibulo likaJakobe, bese kulandela uSimeyoni, uLevi, uJuda, u-Isakare, noZebuloni. 24Amadodana kaRasheli: uJosefa noBhenjamini. 25Amadodana kaBiliha, incekukazi kaRasheli: uDani noNafetali. 26Amadodana kaZilipha, incekukazi kaLeya: uGadi no-Asheri. Yiwo lawa amadodana kaJakobe, awazalelwa ePhadani-Aramu.
27UJakobe wafika kuyise u-Isaka eMamre, eKiriyati-Arba (okuyiHebroni), lapho u-Abhrahama no-Isaka ababehlala khona.
28U-Isaka waphila iminyaka eyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili. 29U-Isaka waphefumula okokugcina, wafa, wabuthelwa kubantu bakibo—emdala, enensuku ezigcwele. Amadodana akhe u-Esawu noJakobe amngcwaba.
