UGenesisi 30

1 Kwathi uRasheli esebonile ukuthi wayengamzaleli uJakobe, uRasheli waba lomona ngodadewabo, wathi kuJakobe: Nginika abantwana, kodwa nxa kungenjalo ngife.

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

2 Ngakho lwavutha ulaka lukaJakobe kuRasheli, wathi: Ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu okwenqabele isithelo sesizalo yini?

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

3 Wasesithi: Khangela, incekukazi yami uBiliha, ngena kuye, ukuze azalele emadolweni ami, ukuze lami ngakhiwe kuye.

Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

4 Wasemnika uBiliha incekukazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe; uJakobe wasengena kuye.

So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

5 UBiliha wasethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana.

and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son.

6 URasheli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu ungahlulele, njalo uzwile ilizwi lami, wanginika indodana. Ngakho wayitha ibizo layo uDani.

Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.

7 UBiliha incekukazi kaRasheli wasebuya ethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili.

And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

8 URasheli wasesithi: Ngibindene lokubindana okulamandla lodadewethu, njalo ngehlula; ngakho wayitha ibizo layo uNafithali.

Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.

9 Kwathi uLeya esebonile ukuthi usemi ukuzala, wathatha uZilipa incekukazi yakhe, wamnika uJakobe abe ngumkakhe.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

10 UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wasemzalela uJakobe indodana.

And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

11 ULeya wasesithi: Kuyeza inhlanhla. Wayitha ibizo layo uGadi.

Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.

12 UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wasemzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili.

When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,

13 ULeya wasesithi: Kungokwentokozo yami, ngoba amadodakazi azakuthi ngilentokozo. Wayitha ibizo layo uAsheri.

Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.

14 URubeni wasehamba ngensuku zokuvuna ingqoloyi, wafica amamandrake ensimini, wawaletha kuLeya unina. URasheli wasesithi kuLeya: Ake ungiphe emamandrakeni endodana yakho.

Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 Wasesithi kuye. Kuyinto encinyane yini ukuthi uthethe indoda yami? Usuzathatha lamamandrake endodana yami yini? URasheli wasesithi: Ngakho uzalala lawe ngalobubusuku ngenxa yamamandrake endodana yakho.

But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 Kwathi uJakobe esebuya evela emasimini kusihlwa, uLeya waphuma ukumhlangabeza, wathi: Kimi uzangena, ngoba ukukuqhatsha ngikuqhatshile ngamamandrake endodana yami. Waselala laye ngalobobusuku.

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

17 UNkulunkulu wasemuzwa uLeya; wasethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesihlanu.

And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob.

18 ULeya wasesithi: UNkulunkulu unginikile umvuzo wami, ngoba ngayinika indoda yami incekukazi yami; waseyitha ibizo layo uIsakari.

Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

19 ULeya wasephinda ethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesithupha.

Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.

20 ULeya wasesithi: UNkulunkulu unginikile mina isipho esihle; khathesi indoda yami izahlala lami, ngoba ngiyizalele amadodana ayisithupha, waseyitha ibizo layo uZebuluni.

“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

21 Emva kwalokhu wasezala indodakazi, wayitha ibizo layo uDina.

After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 UNkulunkulu wasemkhumbula uRasheli, uNkulunkulu wasemuzwa, wavula isizalo sakhe.

Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

23 Wasethatha isisu, wazala indodana, wathi: UNkulunkulu ususile ihlazo lami.

and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

24 Waseyitha ibizo layo uJosefa, esithi: INkosi kayengeze kimi enye indodana.

She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

25 Kwasekusithi uRasheli esemzele uJosefa, uJakobe wathi kuLabani: Ngiyekela ngihambe ukuze ngiye endaweni yakithi, lelizweni lakithi.

Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.

26 Ngipha omkami labantwana bami engibasebenzele kuwe ukuze ngihambe, ngoba wena uyazi umsebenzi wami engikusebenzele wona.

Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”

27 ULabani wasesithi kuye: Uba-ke ngithole umusa emehlweni akho; sengibonile ngokukhangela ukuthi iNkosi ingibusisile ngenxa yakho.

But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

28 Wathi futhi: Ngimisela iholo lakho, njalo ngizakupha.

And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29 Wasesithi kuye: Wena yazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho bezinjani lami.

Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.

30 Ngoba okulutshwana owawulakho mandulo kwami, kwanda kakhulu kwaba yinkithinkithi; iNkosi ikubusisile ekufikeni kwami; pho-ke, ngizayisebenzela nini lami indlu yami?

Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”

31 Wasesithi: Ngizakuphani? UJakobe wasesithi: Kawuyikunginika lutho, uba uzangenzela le into; ngizabuya ngeluse izimvu zakho ngizilinde.

“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.

32 Ngizadabula phakathi komhlambi wonke wakho lamuhla, ngehlukanise lapho yonke imvu elamabala lelamachatha, layo yonke imvu ensundu phakathi kwezimvu, lezilamabala lezilamachatha ezimbuzini, zibe liholo lami.

Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

33 Njalo ukulunga kwami kuzangifakazela ngosuku oluzayo, uba usiza mayelana leholo lami, phambi kwakho; konke okungelamabala lamachatha ezimbuzini, lokunsundu emawundlwini, kuyabe kuntshontshiwe uba kukimi.

So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

34 ULabani wasesithi: Khangela, ye, kakube njengelizwi lakho.

“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”

35 Wasezehlukanisa mhlalokho impongo ezingamaqamule lezilamabala lazo zonke izibhuzikazi ezilamabala lezilamachatha, lakho konke okulokumhlophe, lakho konke okunsundu emawundlwini, wakunikela esandleni samadodana akhe.

That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.

36 Wabeka ummango wensuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe loJakobe. UJakobe waseselusa imihlambi eseleyo kaLabani.

Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 UJakobe wasezithathela ingatsha ezimanzi zephophula leze-alimondi lezingelamaxolo, webula kuzo imizila emhlophe, wembula okumhlophe okwakusezingatsheni.

Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches.

38 Wasefaka ingatsha ayezebulile emigelweni lemikolweni yokunathela yamanzi maqondana lemihlambi, lapho imihlambi efika khona ukunatha; yamitha ekufikeni kwayo ukuzanatha.

Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink,

39 Kwathi imihlambi isimithi ezingatsheni, imihlambi yazala amaqamule, alamabala lalamachatha.

they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

40 UJakobe wasesehlukanisa amawundlu; wakhangelisa ubuso bomhlambi kwezingamaqamule lazo zonke ezinsundu zomhlambi kaLabani; wabeka imihlambi yakhe yodwa, engayibeki emhlanjini kaLabani.

Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

41 Kwasekusithi loba nini eziqinileyo zomhlambi sezimitha, uJakobe wafaka izingatsha phambi kwamehlo omhlambi emigelweni, ukuze zidabule phakathi kwezingatsha.

Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches.

42 Kodwa nxa umhlambi ububuthakathaka kazifakanga; ngalokhu ebuthakathaka yaba ngekaLabani, leqinileyo ngekaJakobe.

But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

43 Lendoda yaqhamuka yaba nkulu kakhulu, yaba lemihlambi eminengi lezincekukazi lezinceku lamakamela labobabhemi.

Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.