UGenesisi 28
1 Ngakho u-Isaka wabiza uJakhobe wambusisa wamlaya wathi: “Ungathathi umfazi womKhenani.
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: Take not a wife of the stock of Chanaan:
2 Hamba khathesi uye ePhadani Aramu, emzini kayihlomkhulu uBhethuweli. Thatha khona umfazi, emadodakazini kaLabhani, umnewabo kanyoko.
But go, and take a journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bathuel thy mother’s father, and take thee a wife thence of the daughters of Laban thy uncle.
3 Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla angakubusisa akuphe inzalo, andise ubunengi bayo lize libe yizizwe ezinengi.
And God almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase, and multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of 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 give the blessings of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed after thee: that thou mayst possess the land of thy sojournment, which he promised to thy grandfather.
5 Ngakho u-Isaka wasemvalelisa uJakhobe, waya ePhadani Aramu, kuLabhani indodana kaBhethuweli umʼAramu, umnewabo kaRabheka, owayengunina kaJakhobe lo-Esawu.
And when Isaac had sent him away, he took his journey and went to Mesopotamia of Syria to Laban the son of Bathuel the Syrian, brother to Rebecca 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,”
And Esau seeing that his father had blessed Jacob, and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to marry a wife thence; and that after the blessing he had charged him, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Chanaan:
7 lokuthi uJakhobe wayebalalele uyise lonina wahamba waya ePhadani Aramu.
And that Jacob obeying his parents was gone into Syria:
8 U-Esawu wakunanzelela ukuthi abafazi bamaKhenani babeyisinengiso kuyise u-Isaka;
Experiencing also that his father was not well pleased with the daughters of Chanaan:
9 ngakho wasesiya ku-Ishumayeli wathatha uMahalathi, udadewabo kaNebhayothi, indodakazi ka-Ishumayeli indodana ka-Abhrahama, phezu kwabanye abafazi ayevele eselabo.
He went to Ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, Maheleth the daughter of Ismael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nabajoth.
10 UJakhobe wasuka eBherishebha waqonda eHarani.
But Jacob being departed from Bersabee, went on to Haran.
11 Wafika kwenye indawo, wema lapho ukuthi alale khona ngoba ilanga laselitshonile. Wathatha ilitshe khona walenza umqamelo walala.
And when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting under his head, 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, and the top thereof touching heaven: the angels also 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 God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land, wherein thou sleepest, I will give to thee and to thy seed.
14 Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba njengothuli lomhlabathi, njalo lizaqhela liye entshonalanga lasempumalanga, enyakatho laseningizimu. Bonke abantu bomhlaba bazabusiswa ngenxa yakho lenzalo yakho.
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and IN THEE and thy seed 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 thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land: neither will I leave thee, till I shall 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 awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.
17 Wesaba wathi, “Yeka ukwesabeka kwale indawo ehloniphekayo! Ngempela iyindlu kaNkulunkulu; leli lisango lasezulwini.”
And trembling he said: How terrible is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven.
18 Kusisa ekuseni kakhulu uJakhobe walithatha ilitshe ayelele eliqamele walimisa laba yinsika wathela amafutha phezu kwalo.
And Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone, which he had laid under his head, and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of 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 Luza.
20 Ngakho uJakhobe wenza isifungo wathi, “Nxa uNkulunkulu ezakuba lami angilondoloze kuloluhambo engikulo, angiphe ukudla lezigqoko,
And he made a vow, saying: If God shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way by which I walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 ngibuyele emzini kababa ngiphilile, lapho uThixo uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami
And I shall return prosperously to my father’s house: the Lord shall 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 for a title, shall be called the house of God: and of all things that thou shalt give to me, I will offer tithes to thee.
