Genesis 29
1 Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
UJakhobe waseqhubeka ngohambo lwakhe wayafika elizweni labantu bempumalanga.
2 There he [was surprised to] see a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds habitually got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering the top of the well.
Wabona khonale umthombo esiqintini, kulemihlambi yezimvu emithathu ilele eduzane kwawo ngoba imihlambi yayinatha khonapho emthonjeni lowo. Ilitshe elalivale umlomo womthombo lalilikhulu.
3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well.
Kwakusithi yonke imihlambi ingabuthana khona, abelusi baligiqe ilitshe balisuse emlonyeni womthombo banathise izimvu. Besebelibuyisela ilitshe endaweni yalo emlonyeni womthombo.
4 [On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
UJakhobe wabuza abelusi wathi, “Bafowethu, livela ngaphi?” Baphendula bathi, “Sivela eHarani.”
5 He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
Wathi, “Liyamazi yini uLabhani, umzukulu kaNahori?” Baphendula bathi, “Yebo, siyamazi.”
6 Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
UJakhobe wasebabuza wathi, “Uyaphila yini?” Bathi, “Yebo, uyaphila; nansi indodakazi yakhe uRasheli esiza lezimvu.”
7 Jacob said, “Hey! The sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Give the sheep some water and then take them back to (graze/eat grass) in the pastures!”
Wathi, “Khangelani, ilanga lilokhu lisemini; akukabi yisikhathi sokuthi imihlambi ibuthwe. Zinathiseni izimvu lezi lizibuyisele emadlelweni.”
8 They replied, “No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep.”
Baphendula bathi, “Asingeke, ize iqale iqoqane yonke imihlambi, ilitshe beselisuswa emlonyeni womthombo. Besesizinathisa-ke izimvu.”
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
Wathi elokhu esakhuluma labo uRasheli wafika lezimvu zikayise, kalokho wayengumelusi.
10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who was his mother’s brother, [Jacob was so excited that] he went over and [by himself] rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle’s sheep.
UJakhobe wathi ebona uRasheli indodakazi kaLabhani, umnewabo kanina esiza lezimvu zikaLabhani, wahamba wayagiqa ilitshe elalisemlonyeni womthombo wanathisa izimvu zikamalumakhe.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
UJakhobe wasesanga uRasheli njalo wakhala kakhulu.
12 Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father’s relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that to her father.
Wayesemtshelile uRasheli ukuthi wayeyisihlobo sikayise lokuthi wayeyindodana kaRabheka. Ngakho intombi yagijima yayabikela uyise.
13 As soon as Laban heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek]. Then he brought him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened to him.
ULabhani wonela ukuwuzwa umbiko ngoJakhobe, indodana kadadewabo, wahle waphuthuma wayamhlangabeza. Wamgona, wamanga, wamletha ngekhaya, lapho uJakhobe amtshela khona izinto lezi.
14 Then Laban said to him, “Truly, you are part of my family!” After Jacob had stayed there and worked for Laban for a month,
ULabhani wasesithi kuye, “Uyinyama yami legazi lami.” UJakhobe esehlale laye okwenyanga yonke,
15 Laban said to him “(You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine!/Why should you work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine?) [RHQ] Tell me how much you want me to pay you.”
uLabhani wathi kuye, “Kambe sekungathi ngoba uyisihlobo sami ubusungisebenzela ungaholi lutho? Akungitshele ukuthi umholo wakho ungaba yini?”
16 Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
ULabhani wayelamadodakazi amabili; ibizo lendala lalinguLeya, encinyane inguRasheli.
17 Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
ULeya wayelamehlo abuthakathaka, kodwa uRasheli wayelesimo esibukekayo, emuhle.
18 Jacob (was in love with/wanted very much to be married to) Rachel, and he said, “I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for your letting me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
UJakhobe wezwa emthanda uRasheli wasesithi, “Ngizakusebenzela okweminyaka eyisikhombisa ukuze ungiphe indodakazi yakho encane uRasheli.”
19 Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
ULabhani wathi, “Kungcono ngimuphe wena kulokuba ngimuphe enye indoda. Hlala lapha lami.”
20 So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days, because he loved her so much.
UJakhobe waseyisebenza iminyaka eyisikhombisa ukuze azuze uRasheli, kodwa yakhanya ingathi yizinsukwana ezimbalwa kuye ngenxa yothando kuye.
21 After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me marry Rachel now, because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you is ended, and I want to marry her. [EUP]”
UJakhobe wasesithi kuLabhani, “Ngipha-ke umkami. Isikhathi sami sesigcwalisekile, sengifuna ukwembatha laye.”
22 So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
Ngakho uLabhani wasenxusa bonke abantu bendawo wenza idili.
23 But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter, Leah, to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he had sex [EUP] with her.
Kodwa kwathi sekusihlwa, wathatha indodakazi yakhe uLeya wamupha uJakhobe, uJakhobe wembatha laye.
24 (Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
ULabhani waphinda wapha uLeya incekukazi yakhe uZilipha ukuba ibe yincekukazi yakhe.
25 The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban [and told him] very angrily, “(What you have done to me is disgusting!/What is this that you have done to me?) [RHQ] I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive me?”
Kwathi sokusile, wabona kunguLeya! UJakhobe wathi kuLabhani, “Kuyini lokhu okwenzileyo kimi? Mina ngasebenzela uRasheli, kakunjalo na? Kungani ungikhohlisile?”
26 Laban replied, “In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter.
ULabhani waphendula wathi, “Kakusiwo mkhuba wethu lapha ukwendisa indodakazi encane endala ingakendi.
27 After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for me for another seven years.”
Qeda iviki yokucola lo omdala; besesikupha lalo omncane njalo ngemva kokumsebenzela eminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa.”
28 So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
UJakhobe wenza njalo. Waqeda iviki eloLeya, uLabhani wasemupha indodakazi yakhe uRasheli ukuba ibe ngumkakhe.
29 Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
ULabhani wanika indodakazi yakhe uRasheli incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha ukuba abe yincekukazi yakhe.
30 Jacob had sex [EUP] with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
UJakhobe waselala loRasheli, wamthanda ukwedlula uLeya. Wasesebenzela uLabhani okweminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa njalo.
31 When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah [very much], he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant.
UThixo wathi ngokubona ukuthi uLeya wayengathandwa, wavula inzalo yakhe, kodwa uRasheli wayeyinyumba.
32 Leah gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘Look, a son]!’ She said, “Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him.”
ULeya wathatha isisu wazala indodana. Wamutha ibizo wathi nguRubheni, ngoba wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi uThixo usebonile ukuhlupheka kwami. Ngempela umkami usezangithanda manje.”
33 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that my husband doesn’t love me, he has given me this son, too.” So she named him Simeon, [which means ‘someone who hears’].
Wathatha isisu njalo, wathi esephinde umfana njalo wathi, “Ngoba uThixo wezwa ukuthi kangithandwa, wanginika lo njalo.” Ngakho wamutha wathi nguSimiyoni.
34 Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him.” So she named him Levi, [which means ‘hold close’].
Wasithatha njalo isisu, kwathi esezele omunye umfana wathi, “Khathesi-ke umkami usezabambelela kimi ngoba sengimzalele amadodana amathathu.” Yikho wathiwa nguLevi.
35 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “(This time/Now) I will praise Yahweh.” So she called his name Judah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘praise’]. After that, she did not give birth to any more children [for several years].
Waphinda wasithatha isisu, wazuza umfana wathi, “Ngalesisikhathi ngizadumisa uThixo.” Wamutha wathi nguJuda. Wasesima ukuzuza abantwana.
