< UGenesisi 28 >

1 Ngakho u-Isaka wabiza uJakhobe wambusisa wamlaya wathi: “Ungathathi umfazi womKhenani.
And so Isaac called for Jacob, and he blessed him, and he instructed him, saying: “Do not be willing to accept a mate from the family of Canaan.
2 Hamba khathesi uye ePhadani Aramu, emzini kayihlomkhulu uBhethuweli. Thatha khona umfazi, emadodakazini kaLabhani, umnewabo kanyoko.
But go, and journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and there accept for yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your maternal uncle.
3 Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla angakubusisa akuphe inzalo, andise ubunengi bayo lize libe yizizwe ezinengi.
And may God almighty bless you, and may he cause you to increase and also to multiply, so that you may be influential among the people.
4 Sengathi angakupha wena kanye lezizukulwane zakho isibusiso leso esaphiwa u-Abhrahama, ukuze lilithathe ilizwe leli ohlezi kulo manje njengowezizweni, ilizwe uNkulunkulu alipha u-Abhrahama.”
And may he give the blessings of Abraham to you, and to your offspring after you, so that you may possess the land of your sojourning, which he promised to your grandfather.”
5 Ngakho u-Isaka wasemvalelisa uJakhobe, waya ePhadani Aramu, kuLabhani indodana kaBhethuweli umʼAramu, umnewabo kaRabheka, owayengunina kaJakhobe lo-Esawu.
And when Isaac had dismissed him, setting out, he went to Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Syrian, the brother to Rebekah, his mother.
6 U-Esawu wezwa ukuthi u-Isaka wayembusisile uJakhobe njalo wamthumela ePhadani Aramu ukuthi ayothatha umfazi khona, lokuthi wathi embusisa wamlaya wathi, “Ungathathi umfazi ongumKhenani,”
But Esau, seeing that his father had blessed Jacob and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to take a wife from there, and that, after the blessing, he had instructed him, saying: ‘You shall not accept a wife from the daughters of Canaan,’
7 lokuthi uJakhobe wayebalalele uyise lonina wahamba waya ePhadani Aramu.
and that Jacob, obeying his parents, had gone into Syria,
8 U-Esawu wakunanzelela ukuthi abafazi bamaKhenani babeyisinengiso kuyise u-Isaka;
having evidence also that his father did not look with favor upon the daughters of Canaan,
9 ngakho wasesiya ku-Ishumayeli wathatha uMahalathi, udadewabo kaNebhayothi, indodakazi ka-Ishumayeli indodana ka-Abhrahama, phezu kwabanye abafazi ayevele eselabo.
he went to Ishmael, and he took as a wife, beside those he had before, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
10 UJakhobe wasuka eBherishebha waqonda eHarani.
Meanwhile Jacob, having departed from Beersheba, continued on to Haran.
11 Wafika kwenye indawo, wema lapho ukuthi alale khona ngoba ilanga laselitshonile. Wathatha ilitshe khona walenza umqamelo walala.
And when he had arrived at a certain place, where he would rest after the setting of the sun, he took some of the stones that lay there, and placing them under his head, he slept in the same place.
12 Wehlelwa liphupho wabona ilele ligxile phansi emhlabeni, isiqongo salo sifinyelela ezulwini, kwathi izingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zabe ziqansa zisehla kulo.
And he saw in his sleep: a ladder standing upon the earth, with its top touching heaven, also, the Angels of God ascending and descending by it,
13 Laphaya ngaphezu kwalo kwakumi uThixo esithi: “nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo u-Abhrahama loNkulunkulu ka-Isaka. Ngizakupha wena kanye lezizukulwane zakho ilizwe leli olele kulo.
and the Lord, leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land, in which you sleep, I will give to you and to your offspring.
14 Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba njengothuli lomhlabathi, njalo lizaqhela liye entshonalanga lasempumalanga, enyakatho laseningizimu. Bonke abantu bomhlaba bazabusiswa ngenxa yakho lenzalo yakho.
And your offspring will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the Meridian. And in you and in your offspring, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.
15 Ngilawe njalo ngizakulinda loba ungaze uye ngaphi, njalo ngizakubuyisa kulelilizwe. Kangizukukudela ngize ngikwenze lokho engikuthembise khona.”
And I will be your guardian wherever you will journey, and I will bring you back into this land. Neither will I dismiss you, until I have accomplished all that I have said.”
16 UJakhobe wathi evuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngeqiniso uThixo ukhona kule indawo, kodwa bengingakunanzeleli.”
And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 Wesaba wathi, “Yeka ukwesabeka kwale indawo ehloniphekayo! Ngempela iyindlu kaNkulunkulu; leli lisango lasezulwini.”
And being terrified, he said: “How terrible this place is! This is nothing other than the house of God and the gateway of heaven.”
18 Kusisa ekuseni kakhulu uJakhobe walithatha ilitshe ayelele eliqamele walimisa laba yinsika wathela amafutha phezu kwalo.
Therefore, Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up as monument, pouring oil over it.
19 Indawo leyo wayibiza wathi yiBhetheli, ikanti idolobho lakhona lalithiwa yiLuzi.
And he called the name of the city, ‘Bethel,’ which before was called Luz.
20 Ngakho uJakhobe wenza isifungo wathi, “Nxa uNkulunkulu ezakuba lami angilondoloze kuloluhambo engikulo, angiphe ukudla lezigqoko,
And then he made a vow, saying: “If God will be with me, and will guard me along the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
21 ngibuyele emzini kababa ngiphilile, lapho uThixo uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami
and if I will return prosperously to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God,
22 njalo lelitshe leli engilenze insika lizakuba yindlu kaNkulunkulu, njalo kuzakuthi konke onginika khona ngizakunika wena okwetshumi.”
and this stone, which I have set up as a monument, will be called ‘the House of God.’ And from all the things that you will give to me, I will offer tithes to you.”

< UGenesisi 28 >