UGenesisi 28
1 UIsaka wasebiza uJakobe, wambusisa, wamlaya wathi kuye: Ungathathi umfazi kumadodakazi eKhanani.
Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Don't marry a Canaanite woman,” he ordered him.
2 Sukuma uye ePadani-Arama, endlini kaBethuweli uyise kanyoko, uzithathele khona umfazi kumadodakazi kaLabani umalumakho.
“Leave right away and go to Paddan-aram, to the home of Bethuel, your mother's father. Find yourself a wife there—a daughter of Laban, your mother's brother.
3 Njalo uNkulunkulu uSomandla akubusise, akwenze ube lenzalo akwandise, ukuze ube ngumbuthano wezizwe;
God Almighty bless you and may your descendants be so numerous that you become the ancestor of many nations.
4 abesekupha isibusiso sikaAbrahama, kuwe lenzalweni yakho kanye lawe, ukuze udle ilifa lelizwe lapho ohlala khona njengowezizwe, uNkulunkulu alinika uAbrahama.
May he grant you and your descendants the same blessing he gave to Abraham, so that you may take over the land where you now live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 UIsaka wasethuma uJakobe waya ePadani-Arama kuLabani indodana kaBethuweli umSiriya, umfowabo kaRebeka unina kaJakobe loEsawu.
So Isaac sent Jacob on his way. He traveled to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 UEsawu wasebona ukuthi uIsaka umbusisile uJakobe, wamthuma ePadani-Arama ukuze azithathele khona umfazi, lapho embusisa wamlaya esithi: Ungathathi umfazi kumadodakazi eKhanani;
Esau found out that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife there, and that when he blessed him he ordered him, “Don't marry a Canaanite woman.”
7 lokuthi uJakobe walalela oyise lonina, waya ePadani-Arama.
He also discovered that Jacob had done what his father and mother told him and had left for Paddan-aram.
8 UEsawu wasebona ukuthi amadodakazi eKhanani ayemabi emehlweni kaIsaka uyise.
This made Esau realize how much his father disliked Canaanite women.
9 Ngakho uEsawu waya kuIshmayeli, wazithathela uMahalathi indodakazi kaIshmayeli, indodana kaAbrahama, udadewabo kaNebayothi, abe ngumkakhe phezu kwabafazi ayelabo.
So he went to Ishmael's family and married an additional wife—Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth.
10 UJakobe wasephuma eBherishebha waya eHarani.
In the meantime Jacob had set off from Beersheba on his way to Haran.
11 Wafika endaweni, achitha khona ubusuku ngoba ilanga lalitshonile. Wasethatha ilitshe ematsheni aleyondawo, wenza umqamelo wakhe, walala kuleyondawo.
He arrived after sunset at a particular place and stopped there for the night. He picked up a stone, put it under his head, lay down and went to sleep.
12 Waphupha, khangela-ke, ilele limisiwe emhlabeni, isihloko salo sifinyelela emazulwini, khangela-ke, ingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zisenyuka zisehla kulo.
He dreamed he saw a stairway that started on earth, and the top reached all the way into heaven. He saw God's angels going up and down on it.
13 Khangela-ke, iNkosi yema phezu kwalo, yathi: NgiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama uyihlo loNkulunkulu kaIsaka; ilizwe olele kulo, ngizakunika lona, lenzalo yakho;
Then he saw the Lord standing over him, who said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I'm giving you and your descendants the land you're lying on.
14 njalo inzalo yakho izakuba ngangothuli lomhlaba, uzasabalalela entshonalanga lempumalanga lenyakatho leningizimu; njalo zizabusiswa kuwe zonke insendo zomhlaba, lasenzalweni yakho.
Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and will spread out west and east, and north and south. Everyone on earth will be blessed by your descendants.
15 Khangela-ke, ngilawe, ngizakulondoloza kuzo zonke indawo lapha oya khona, ngikubuyise kulelilizwe; ngoba kangiyikukutshiya ngize ngikwenze lokho engikhulume ngakho kuwe.
Listen! I am with you and will take care of you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this country. I won't leave you because I'm going to do what I've promised you.”
16 Kwathi uJakobe ephaphama ebuthongweni bakhe, wathi: Isibili iNkosi ikulindawo, mina-ke bengingakwazi.
When Jacob woke up he said to himself, “The Lord is right here, in this place, and I didn't realize it!”
17 Wasesesaba wathi: Yesabeka kangakanani lindawo! Kayisilutho ngaphandle kokuthi yindlu kaNkulunkulu, laleli lisango lamazulu.
He became frightened and said, “This is a scary place! It must be the house of God and the entrance to heaven.”
18 UJakobe wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wathatha ilitshe alenza laba ngumqamelo wakhe, walimisa laba yinsika, wathela amagcobo phezu kwesihloko salo.
When Jacob got up in the morning he took the stone he'd put under his head and set it upright as a stone pillar and poured some olive oil on it.
19 Wasebiza ibizo laleyondawo iBhetheli; kodwa-ke kuqala ibizo lomuzi laliyiLuzi.
He named the place “Bethel,” (previously it was called Luz).
20 UJakobe wasethembisa isithembiso esithi: Uba uNkulunkulu ezakuba lami, angilondoloze kulindlela engiyihambayo, angiphe isinkwa sokudla, lesembatho sokwembatha,
Jacob also made a solemn promise, saying, “God, if you will be with me, and take care of me on my journey, and give me food to eat and clothes to wear
21 njalo ngibuyele ngokuthula endlini kababa, khona iNkosi izakuba nguNkulunkulu wami,
so I can return safely to my father's home, then you Lord will be my God.
22 lelitshe leli engilimise ukuthi libe yinsika lizakuba yindlu kaNkulunkulu; kukho konke ozangipha khona, isibili ngizakunika okwetshumi.
This stone pillar that I've set up will be the house of God, and I will give you one tenth of all you give me.”
