UGenesisi 30

1 URasheli wathi ebona ukuthi wayengazaleli uJakhobe abantwana, wasekhwelezela udadewabo. Wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Ngipha abantwana, kumbe ngife!”

Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.

2 UJakhobe wamzondela wathi, “Sengisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu yini mina, onguye okuvale ukuthi ungazali?”

But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?

3 Yena wasesithi, “Nangu uBhiliha incekukazi yami. Lala laye ukuze angizalele abantwana, ukuze kuthi ngaye ngibe lemuli.”

Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

4 Ngakho wasemupha incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha njengomfazi. UJakhobe wembatha laye,

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.

5 wazithwala wamzalela indodana.

And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.

6 Ngakho uRasheli wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengigezile; ulalele ukuncenga kwami wasenginika indodana.” Ngenxa yalokhu wayitha wathi nguDani.

Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.

7 Incekukazi kaRasheli, uBhiliha, yathatha isisu njalo yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.

And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.

8 URasheli wasesithi, “Kade kuyimpi phakathi kwami lodadewethu, mina senginqobile.” Wasemuthi nguNafithali.

And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

9 ULeya wathi ngokubona ukuthi kasazali wathatha incekukazi yakhe uZilipha wayipha uJakhobe njengomfazi.

When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.

10 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana.

And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.

11 ULeya wasesithi, “Inhlanhla engakanani!” Wamutha ibizo wathi nguGadi.

And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.

12 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.

And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.

13 ULeya wathi, “Uthi ngiyathaba yini! Abafazi bazakuthi ngiyathaba.” Yikho wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Asheri.

And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.

14 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi uRubheni waya emasimini wafumana izihlahlakazana zamamandraki waziletha kunina uLeya. URasheli wathi kuLeya, “Ngicela ezinye zezihlahlakazana zendodana yakho.”

Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.

15 Kodwa wathi kuye, “Kakukwanelisanga na ukuthi wangemuka indoda? Usufuna ukuthatha lamamandraki endodana yami njalo?” URasheli wathi, “Kulungile, angazalala ngakwakho lamuhla ukuze ngizuze amamandraki endodana yakho.”

But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

16 Ngakho kwathi uJakhobe efika evela emasimini ngaleyontambama, uLeya wamhlangabeza wathi, “Kumele ulale ngakwami lamuhla. Ngikuqhatshile ngamamandraki endodana yami.” Ngakho wembatha laye ngalobobusuku.

In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.

17 UNkulunkulu wamlalela uLeya, wathatha isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesihlanu.

And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.

18 ULeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe umvuzo ngenxa yokuthi nganika indoda yami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wamutha wathi ngu-Isakhari.

Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.

19 ULeya waphinda wasithatha njalo isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesithupha.

And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.

20 Ngakho uLeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe isipho esiligugu. Khathesi umkami usezangiphatha ngenhlonipho, ngoba sengimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.” Wasemutha wathi nguZebhuluni.

And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.

21 Emva kwesikhathi esithile wazala intombazana wayithi nguDina.

After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.

22 UNkulunkulu wamkhumbula uRasheli; wezwa ukukhala kwakhe wavula isibeletho sakhe.

Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.

23 Wathatha isisu wazala indodana, wathi, “UNkulunkulu uselisusile ihlazo lami.”

And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.

24 Wamutha wathi nguJosefa, wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angangipha enye indodana.”

And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.

25 URasheli esezele uJosefa uJakhobe wathi kuLabhani, “Ngivumela ukuthi ngibuyele elizweni lakithi.

Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.

26 Ngipha omkami labantwana engibasebenzeleyo kuwe, ngihle ngihambe. Uyawazi umsebenzi engiwusebenzileyo kuwe lapha.”

Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.

27 Kodwa uLabhani wathi kuye, “Nxa ungithanda, hlala. Sengibonile ngokwambulelwa ukuthi uThixo ungibusisile ngenxa yakho.”

And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.

28 Wengeza ngokuthi, “Qamba loba yiphi inhlawulo oyifunayo, ngizakupha.”

Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.

29 UJakhobe wathi kuye, “Uyakwazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho zigcinakale njani ziphethwe yimi.

Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.

30 Okuncinyane owawulakho ngingakafiki sekusele kwanda kakhulu, njalo uThixo ukubusisile langabe kungaphi lapho engike ngaba khona. Kodwa manje ngizaze ngiwenzele nini mina umuzi wami ulutho?”

For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?

31 Wabuza wathi, “Ngikupheni na?” Waphendula uJakhobe wathi, “Ungangiphi lutho. Kodwa ake ungenzele lokhu kodwa, ukuze ngiqhubeke ngisondla imihlambi yakho:

And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:

32 Wothi ngingene emihlambini yakho lamuhla ngikhuphe kuyo zonke izimvu ezilamachatha kumbe amabala, lamazinyane wonke amnyama lembuzi zonke ezilamabala kumbe amachatha. Yizo ezizakuba yinhlawulo yami.

Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.

33 Ngesikhathi esizayo ubuqotho bami buzavela nxa uhlola inhlawulo onginike yona. Ingqe yiphi imbuzi engizabe ngilayo engelamachatha kumbe amabala, loba lizinyane lemvu elingamnyama lizakubalwa njengelebiweyo.”

And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.

34 ULabhani wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwakho.”

And Laban said, Let it be as you say.

35 Mhlalokho wazikhupha zonke impongo ezazingamaqamule kumbe ezilamabala, njalo lezinsikazi ezilamachatha kumbe ezilamabala (zonke ezazilokumhlophe kuzo) lamazinyane ezimvu wonke amnyama zonke wathi zikhangelwe ngamadodana akhe.

So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

36 Wasebeka umango wensuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe loJakhobe, kodwa uJakhobe wayelokhu esondla yonke imihlambi eseleyo kaLabhani.

And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

37 Kwathi uJakhobe wagamula ingatsha zesihlahla sephopla, eze-alimondi lezepulane wahamba ezixoza amaxolo wenza imidwa kwavela kuzo isigodo esimhlophe.

Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.

38 Ingatsha lezi ezixoziweyo wazibeka kuyo yonke imikolo yokunathela imihlambi ukuthi zime ziqondane lezifuyo nxa zinatha. Kwakusithi lezozifuyo ezidabuleyo zizonatha

And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

39 zifike zixakane phambi kwezingatsha. Zazizala amazinyane alamabala ayimidwa loba alamachatha kumbe amabala nje.

And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

40 UJakhobe wawakhetha wawabeka wodwa amazinyane, kodwa lezo ezinye waziyekela zadunga lezo ezingamaqamule lezimnyama ezazingezikaLabhani. Ngaleyondlela, wenza imihlambi ehlukeneyo eyakhe kaze ayihlanganisa lekaLabhani.

These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

41 Kwakusithi kungadabula ezinsikazi eziqinileyo, uJakhobe wayefaka imiqwayi emikolweni phambi kwezifuyo ukuze zixakane eduze kwayo,

And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

42 kodwa nxa ezinsikazi zingezibuthakathaka wayengayifaki imiqwayi. Ngakho izifuyo ezibuthakathaka zaba ngezikaLabhani, eziqinileyo zabuya ngoJakhobe.

But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

43 Ngale indlela indoda le yanotha kakhulu yaba lemihlambi emikhulu, lezincekukazi, lezinceku kanye lamakamela labobabhemi.

So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.