UGenesisi 30
1 Kwathi uRasheli esebonile ukuthi wayengamzaleli uJakobe, uRasheli waba lomona ngodadewabo, wathi kuJakobe: Nginika abantwana, kodwa nxa kungenjalo ngife.
And Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.
2 Ngakho lwavutha ulaka lukaJakobe kuRasheli, wathi: Ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu okwenqabele isithelo sesizalo yini?
And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?
3 Wasesithi: Khangela, incekukazi yami uBiliha, ngena kuye, ukuze azalele emadolweni ami, ukuze lami ngakhiwe kuye.
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 Wasemnika uBiliha incekukazi yakhe abe ngumkakhe; uJakobe wasengena kuye.
And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,
5 UBiliha wasethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana.
When her husband had gone in unto her, conceived and bore a son.
6 URasheli wasesithi: UNkulunkulu ungahlulele, njalo uzwile ilizwi lami, wanginika indodana. Ngakho wayitha ibizo layo uDani.
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 UBiliha incekukazi kaRasheli wasebuya ethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili.
And again Bala conceived and bore another,
8 URasheli wasesithi: Ngibindene lokubindana okulamandla lodadewethu, njalo ngehlula; ngakho wayitha ibizo layo uNafithali.
For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephtali.
9 Kwathi uLeya esebonile ukuthi usemi ukuzala, wathatha uZilipa incekukazi yakhe, wamnika uJakobe abe ngumkakhe.
Lia, perceiving that she had left off bearing, gave Zelpha her handmaid to her husband.
10 UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wasemzalela uJakobe indodana.
And when she had conceived and brought forth a son,
11 ULeya wasesithi: Kuyeza inhlanhla. Wayitha ibizo layo uGadi.
She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.
12 UZilipa incekukazi kaLeya wasemzalela uJakobe indodana yesibili.
Zelpha also bore another.
13 ULeya wasesithi: Kungokwentokozo yami, ngoba amadodakazi azakuthi ngilentokozo. Wayitha ibizo layo uAsheri.
And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.
14 URubeni wasehamba ngensuku zokuvuna ingqoloyi, wafica amamandrake ensimini, wawaletha kuLeya unina. URasheli wasesithi kuLeya: Ake ungiphe emamandrakeni endodana 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 Wasesithi kuye. Kuyinto encinyane yini ukuthi uthethe indoda yami? Usuzathatha lamamandrake endodana yami yini? URasheli wasesithi: Ngakho uzalala lawe ngalobubusuku ngenxa yamamandrake 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 Kwathi uJakobe esebuya evela emasimini kusihlwa, uLeya waphuma ukumhlangabeza, wathi: Kimi uzangena, ngoba ukukuqhatsha ngikuqhatshile ngamamandrake endodana yami. Waselala 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 wasemuzwa uLeya; wasethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesihlanu.
And God heard her prayers: and she conceived and bore the fifth son,
18 ULeya wasesithi: UNkulunkulu unginikile umvuzo wami, ngoba ngayinika indoda yami incekukazi yami; waseyitha ibizo layo uIsakari.
And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.
19 ULeya wasephinda ethatha isisu, wamzalela uJakobe indodana yesithupha.
And Lia conceived again, and bore the sixth son,
20 ULeya wasesithi: UNkulunkulu unginikile mina isipho esihle; khathesi indoda yami izahlala lami, ngoba ngiyizalele amadodana ayisithupha, waseyitha ibizo layo uZebuluni.
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 kwalokhu wasezala indodakazi, wayitha ibizo layo uDina.
After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.
22 UNkulunkulu wasemkhumbula uRasheli, uNkulunkulu wasemuzwa, wavula isizalo sakhe.
The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard her, and opened her womb.
23 Wasethatha isisu, wazala indodana, wathi: UNkulunkulu ususile ihlazo lami.
And she conceived, and bore a son, saying: God hath taken away my reproach.
24 Waseyitha ibizo layo uJosefa, esithi: INkosi kayengeze kimi enye indodana.
And she called his name Joseph, saying: The Lord give me also another son.
25 Kwasekusithi uRasheli esemzele uJosefa, uJakobe wathi kuLabani: Ngiyekela ngihambe ukuze ngiye endaweni yakithi, lelizweni 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 bami engibasebenzele kuwe ukuze ngihambe, ngoba wena uyazi umsebenzi wami engikusebenzele wona.
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 ULabani wasesithi kuye: Uba-ke ngithole umusa emehlweni akho; sengibonile ngokukhangela ukuthi iNkosi ingibusisile 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 Wathi futhi: Ngimisela iholo lakho, njalo ngizakupha.
Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.
29 Wasesithi kuye: Wena yazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho bezinjani lami.
But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been in my hands.
30 Ngoba okulutshwana owawulakho mandulo kwami, kwanda kakhulu kwaba yinkithinkithi; iNkosi ikubusisile ekufikeni kwami; pho-ke, ngizayisebenzela nini lami indlu yami?
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 Wasesithi: Ngizakuphani? UJakobe wasesithi: Kawuyikunginika lutho, uba uzangenzela le into; ngizabuya ngeluse izimvu zakho ngizilinde.
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 Ngizadabula phakathi komhlambi wonke wakho lamuhla, ngehlukanise lapho yonke imvu elamabala lelamachatha, layo yonke imvu ensundu phakathi kwezimvu, lezilamabala lezilamachatha ezimbuzini, zibe liholo lami.
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 Njalo ukulunga kwami kuzangifakazela ngosuku oluzayo, uba usiza mayelana leholo lami, phambi kwakho; konke okungelamabala lamachatha ezimbuzini, lokunsundu emawundlwini, kuyabe kuntshontshiwe uba kukimi.
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 ULabani wasesithi: Khangela, ye, kakube njengelizwi lakho.
And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.
35 Wasezehlukanisa mhlalokho impongo ezingamaqamule lezilamabala lazo zonke izibhuzikazi ezilamabala lezilamachatha, lakho konke okulokumhlophe, lakho konke okunsundu emawundlwini, wakunikela esandleni samadodana 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 Wabeka ummango wensuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe loJakobe. UJakobe waseselusa imihlambi eseleyo kaLabani.
And he set the space of three days’ journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest of his flock.
37 UJakobe wasezithathela ingatsha ezimanzi zephophula leze-alimondi lezingelamaxolo, webula kuzo imizila emhlophe, wembula okumhlophe okwakusezingatsheni.
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 Wasefaka ingatsha ayezebulile emigelweni lemikolweni yokunathela yamanzi maqondana lemihlambi, lapho imihlambi efika khona ukunatha; yamitha ekufikeni kwayo ukuzanatha.
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 Kwathi imihlambi isimithi ezingatsheni, imihlambi yazala amaqamule, alamabala lalamachatha.
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 UJakobe wasesehlukanisa amawundlu; wakhangelisa ubuso bomhlambi kwezingamaqamule lazo zonke ezinsundu zomhlambi kaLabani; wabeka imihlambi yakhe yodwa, engayibeki emhlanjini kaLabani.
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 Kwasekusithi loba nini eziqinileyo zomhlambi sezimitha, uJakobe wafaka izingatsha phambi kwamehlo omhlambi emigelweni, ukuze zidabule phakathi kwezingatsha.
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 umhlambi ububuthakathaka kazifakanga; ngalokhu ebuthakathaka yaba ngekaLabani, leqinileyo ngekaJakobe.
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 Lendoda yaqhamuka yaba nkulu kakhulu, yaba lemihlambi eminengi lezincekukazi lezinceku lamakamela labobabhemi.
And the man was enriched exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid servants and men servants, camels and asses.
