UGenesisi 28
1 Ngakho u-Isaka wabiza uJakhobe wambusisa wamlaya wathi: “Ungathathi umfazi womKhenani.
Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Hamba khathesi uye ePhadani Aramu, emzini kayihlomkhulu uBhethuweli. Thatha khona umfazi, emadodakazini kaLabhani, umnewabo kanyoko.
Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3 Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla angakubusisa akuphe inzalo, andise ubunengi bayo lize libe yizizwe ezinengi.
May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
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 you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.”
5 Ngakho u-Isaka wasemvalelisa uJakhobe, waya ePhadani Aramu, kuLabhani indodana kaBhethuweli umʼAramu, umnewabo kaRabheka, owayengunina kaJakhobe lo-Esawu.
Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s 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,”
Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;”
7 lokuthi uJakhobe wayebalalele uyise lonina wahamba waya ePhadani Aramu.
and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram.
8 U-Esawu wakunanzelela ukuthi abafazi bamaKhenani babeyisinengiso kuyise u-Isaka;
Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn’t please Isaac, his father.
9 ngakho wasesiya ku-Ishumayeli wathatha uMahalathi, udadewabo kaNebhayothi, indodakazi ka-Ishumayeli indodana ka-Abhrahama, phezu kwabanye abafazi ayevele eselabo.
So Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
10 UJakhobe wasuka eBherishebha waqonda eHarani.
Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went towards Haran.
11 Wafika kwenye indawo, wema lapho ukuthi alale khona ngoba ilanga laselitshonile. Wathatha ilitshe khona walenza umqamelo walala.
He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Wehlelwa liphupho wabona ilele ligxile phansi emhlabeni, isiqongo salo sifinyelela ezulwini, kwathi izingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zabe ziqansa zisehla kulo.
He dreamt and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on 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.
Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on 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.
Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.
15 Ngilawe njalo ngizakulinda loba ungaze uye ngaphi, njalo ngizakubuyisa kulelilizwe. Kangizukukudela ngize ngikwenze lokho engikuthembise khona.”
Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”
16 UJakhobe wathi evuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngeqiniso uThixo ukhona kule indawo, kodwa bengingakunanzeleli.”
Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
17 Wesaba wathi, “Yeka ukwesabeka kwale indawo ehloniphekayo! Ngempela iyindlu kaNkulunkulu; leli lisango lasezulwini.”
He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Kusisa ekuseni kakhulu uJakhobe walithatha ilitshe ayelele eliqamele walimisa laba yinsika wathela amafutha phezu kwalo.
Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.
19 Indawo leyo wayibiza wathi yiBhetheli, ikanti idolobho lakhona lalithiwa yiLuzi.
He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20 Ngakho uJakhobe wenza isifungo wathi, “Nxa uNkulunkulu ezakuba lami angilondoloze kuloluhambo engikulo, angiphe ukudla lezigqoko,
Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
21 ngibuyele emzini kababa ngiphilile, lapho uThixo uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami
so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and the LORD will be my God,
22 njalo lelitshe leli engilenze insika lizakuba yindlu kaNkulunkulu, njalo kuzakuthi konke onginika khona ngizakunika wena okwetshumi.”
then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”
