UGenesisi 30
1 URasheli wathi ebona ukuthi wayengazaleli uJakhobe abantwana, wasekhwelezela udadewabo. Wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Ngipha abantwana, kumbe ngife!”
And Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.
2 UJakhobe wamzondela wathi, “Sengisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu yini mina, onguye okuvale ukuthi ungazali?”
And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?
3 Yena wasesithi, “Nangu uBhiliha incekukazi yami. Lala laye ukuze angizalele abantwana, ukuze kuthi ngaye ngibe lemuli.”
But she said: I have here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.
4 Ngakho wasemupha incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha njengomfazi. UJakhobe wembatha laye,
And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,
5 wazithwala wamzalela indodana.
When her husband had gone in unto her, 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 hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son, and therefore she called his name Dan.
7 Incekukazi kaRasheli, uBhiliha, yathatha isisu njalo yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.
And again Bala conceived and bore another,
8 URasheli wasesithi, “Kade kuyimpi phakathi kwami lodadewethu, mina senginqobile.” Wasemuthi nguNafithali.
For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephtali.
9 ULeya wathi ngokubona ukuthi kasazali wathatha incekukazi yakhe uZilipha wayipha uJakhobe njengomfazi.
Lia, perceiving that she had left off bearing, gave Zelpha her handmaid to her husband.
10 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana.
And when she had conceived and brought forth a son,
11 ULeya wasesithi, “Inhlanhla engakanani!” Wamutha ibizo wathi nguGadi.
She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.
12 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili.
Zelpha also bore another.
13 ULeya wathi, “Uthi ngiyathaba yini! Abafazi bazakuthi ngiyathaba.” Yikho wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Asheri.
And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.
14 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi uRubheni waya emasimini wafumana izihlahlakazana zamamandraki waziletha kunina uLeya. URasheli wathi kuLeya, “Ngicela ezinye zezihlahlakazana zendodana yakho.”
And Ruben, going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part of thy 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 answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son’s mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy 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 at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for 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 the fifth son,
18 ULeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe umvuzo ngenxa yokuthi nganika indoda yami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wamutha wathi ngu-Isakhari.
And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.
19 ULeya waphinda wasithatha njalo isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesithupha.
And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son,
20 Ngakho uLeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe isipho esiligugu. Khathesi umkami usezangiphatha ngenhlonipho, ngoba sengimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.” Wasemutha wathi nguZebhuluni.
And said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry: this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.
21 Emva kwesikhathi esithile wazala intombazana wayithi nguDina.
After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.
22 UNkulunkulu wamkhumbula uRasheli; wezwa ukukhala kwakhe wavula isibeletho sakhe.
The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb.
23 Wathatha isisu wazala indodana, wathi, “UNkulunkulu uselisusile ihlazo lami.”
And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach.
24 Wamutha wathi nguJosefa, wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angangipha enye indodana.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying: The Lord give me also another son.
25 URasheli esezele uJosefa uJakhobe wathi kuLabhani, “Ngivumela ukuthi ngibuyele elizweni lakithi.
And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father in law: Send me away that I may return into my 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 thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee.
27 Kodwa uLabhani wathi kuye, “Nxa ungithanda, hlala. Sengibonile ngokwambulelwa ukuthi uThixo ungibusisile ngenxa yakho.”
Laban said to him: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.
28 Wengeza ngokuthi, “Qamba loba yiphi inhlawulo oyifunayo, ngizakupha.”
Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.
29 UJakhobe wathi kuye, “Uyakwazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho zigcinakale njani ziphethwe yimi.
But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been 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?”
Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable therefore that I should now provide also 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 thee? But he said: I require nothing: but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed, and keep thy 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 round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled: and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep, as among the goats, shall 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 shall answer for me tomorrow before thee when the time of the bargain shall come: and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.
34 ULabhani wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwakho.”
And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.
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 he separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted: and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and 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 set the space of three days’ journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest of his flock.
37 Kwathi uJakhobe wagamula ingatsha zesihlahla sephopla, eze-alimondi lezepulane wahamba ezixoza amaxolo wenza imidwa kwavela kuzo isigodo esimhlophe.
And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole remained green: and by this means the colour was divers.
38 Ingatsha lezi ezixoziweyo wazibeka kuyo yonke imikolo yokunathela imihlambi ukuthi zime ziqondane lezifuyo nxa zinatha. Kwakusithi lezozifuyo ezidabuleyo zizonatha
And he put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out: that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them might conceive.
39 zifike zixakane phambi kwezingatsha. Zazizala amazinyane alamabala ayimidwa loba alamachatha kumbe amabala nje.
And it came to pass that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.
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 separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams: and all the white and the black were Laban’s: and the rest were Jacob’s, when the flocks were separated one from the other.
41 Kwakusithi kungadabula ezinsikazi eziqinileyo, uJakhobe wayefaka imiqwayi emikolweni phambi kwezifuyo ukuze zixakane eduze kwayo,
So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them:
42 kodwa nxa ezinsikazi zingezibuthakathaka wayengayifaki imiqwayi. Ngakho izifuyo ezibuthakathaka zaba ngezikaLabhani, eziqinileyo zabuya ngoJakhobe.
But when the latter coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban’s: and they of the first time, Jacob’s.
43 Ngale indlela indoda le yanotha kakhulu yaba lemihlambi emikhulu, lezincekukazi, lezinceku kanye lamakamela labobabhemi.
And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid servants and men servants, camels and asses.
