UGenesisi 30
1 URasheli wathi ebona ukuthi wayengazaleli uJakhobe abantwana, wasekhwelezela udadewabo. Wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Ngipha abantwana, kumbe ngife!”
Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, “Give me children, otherwise I will die.”
2 UJakhobe wamzondela wathi, “Sengisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu yini mina, onguye okuvale ukuthi ungazali?”
Jacob, being angry, responded to her, “Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?”
3 Yena wasesithi, “Nangu uBhiliha incekukazi yami. Lala laye ukuze angizalele abantwana, ukuze kuthi ngaye ngibe lemuli.”
But she said: “I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.”
4 Ngakho wasemupha incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha njengomfazi. UJakhobe wembatha laye,
And she gave him Bilhah in marriage.
5 wazithwala wamzalela indodana.
And when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son.
6 Ngakho uRasheli wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengigezile; ulalele ukuncenga kwami wasenginika indodana.” Ngenxa yalokhu wayitha wathi nguDani.
And Rachel said, “The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son.” And because of this, she called his name Dan.
7 Incekukazi kaRasheli, uBhiliha, yathatha isisu njalo yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.
And conceiving again, Bilhah bore another,
8 URasheli wasesithi, “Kade kuyimpi phakathi kwami lodadewethu, mina senginqobile.” Wasemuthi nguNafithali.
about whom Rachel said, “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Naphtali.
9 ULeya wathi ngokubona ukuthi kasazali wathatha incekukazi yakhe uZilipha wayipha uJakhobe njengomfazi.
Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband.
10 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana.
And she, after having borne a son with difficulty,
11 ULeya wasesithi, “Inhlanhla engakanani!” Wamutha ibizo wathi nguGadi.
said: “Happiness!” And for this reason, she called his name Gad.
12 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.
Likewise, Zilpah bore another.
13 ULeya wathi, “Uthi ngiyathaba yini! Abafazi bazakuthi ngiyathaba.” Yikho wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Asheri.
And Leah said, “This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed.” Because of this, she called him Asher.
14 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi uRubheni waya emasimini wafumana izihlahlakazana zamamandraki waziletha kunina uLeya. URasheli wathi kuLeya, “Ngicela ezinye zezihlahlakazana zendodana yakho.”
Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, “Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.”
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.”
She responded, “Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel said, “He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.”
16 Ngakho kwathi uJakhobe efika evela emasimini ngaleyontambama, uLeya wamhlangabeza wathi, “Kumele ulale ngakwami lamuhla. Ngikuqhatshile ngamamandraki endodana yami.” Ngakho wembatha laye ngalobobusuku.
And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night.
17 UNkulunkulu wamlalela uLeya, wathatha isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesihlanu.
And God heard her prayers. And she conceived and bore a fifth son.
18 ULeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe umvuzo ngenxa yokuthi nganika indoda yami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wamutha wathi ngu-Isakhari.
And she said, “God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.
19 ULeya waphinda wasithatha njalo isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesithupha.
Conceiving again, Leah bore 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 endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him.” And therefore she called his name Zebulun.
21 Emva kwesikhathi esithile wazala intombazana wayithi nguDina.
After him, she bore a daughter, named Dinah.
22 UNkulunkulu wamkhumbula uRasheli; wezwa ukukhala kwakhe wavula isibeletho sakhe.
The Lord, likewise remembering Rachel, heeded her and opened her womb.
23 Wathatha isisu wazala indodana, wathi, “UNkulunkulu uselisusile ihlazo lami.”
And she conceived and bore a son, saying, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Wamutha wathi nguJosefa, wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angangipha enye indodana.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The Lord has added to me another son.”
25 URasheli esezele uJosefa uJakhobe wathi kuLabhani, “Ngivumela ukuthi ngibuyele elizweni lakithi.
But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.
26 Ngipha omkami labantwana engibasebenzeleyo kuwe, ngihle ngihambe. Uyawazi umsebenzi engiwusebenzileyo kuwe lapha.”
Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”
27 Kodwa uLabhani wathi kuye, “Nxa ungithanda, hlala. Sengibonile ngokwambulelwa ukuthi uThixo ungibusisile ngenxa yakho.”
Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.
28 Wengeza ngokuthi, “Qamba loba yiphi inhlawulo oyifunayo, ngizakupha.”
Choose your wages, which I will give you.”
29 UJakhobe wathi kuye, “Uyakwazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho zigcinakale njani ziphethwe yimi.
But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.
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?”
You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at some time I also should provide for my own house.”
31 Wabuza wathi, “Ngikupheni na?” Waphendula uJakhobe wathi, “Ungangiphi lutho. Kodwa ake ungenzele lokhu kodwa, ukuze ngiqhubeke ngisondla imihlambi yakho:
And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.
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.
Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.
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 my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.”
34 ULabhani wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwakho.”
And Laban said, “I hold favor for this request.”
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.
And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.
36 Wasebeka umango wensuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe loJakhobe, kodwa uJakhobe wayelokhu esondla yonke imihlambi eseleyo kaLabhani.
And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.
37 Kwathi uJakhobe wagamula ingatsha zesihlahla sephopla, eze-alimondi lezepulane wahamba ezixoza amaxolo wenza imidwa kwavela kuzo isigodo esimhlophe.
Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.
38 Ingatsha lezi ezixoziweyo wazibeka kuyo yonke imikolo yokunathela imihlambi ukuthi zime ziqondane lezifuyo nxa zinatha. Kwakusithi lezozifuyo ezidabuleyo zizonatha
And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.
39 zifike zixakane phambi kwezingatsha. Zazizala amazinyane alamabala ayimidwa loba alamachatha kumbe amabala nje.
And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.
40 UJakhobe wawakhetha wawabeka wodwa amazinyane, kodwa lezo ezinye waziyekela zadunga lezo ezingamaqamule lezimnyama ezazingezikaLabhani. Ngaleyondlela, wenza imihlambi ehlukeneyo eyakhe kaze ayihlanganisa lekaLabhani.
And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.
41 Kwakusithi kungadabula ezinsikazi eziqinileyo, uJakhobe wayefaka imiqwayi emikolweni phambi kwezifuyo ukuze zixakane eduze kwayo,
Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.
42 kodwa nxa ezinsikazi zingezibuthakathaka wayengayifaki imiqwayi. Ngakho izifuyo ezibuthakathaka zaba ngezikaLabhani, eziqinileyo zabuya ngoJakhobe.
Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.
43 Ngale indlela indoda le yanotha kakhulu yaba lemihlambi emikhulu, lezincekukazi, lezinceku kanye lamakamela labobabhemi.
And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.
