UGenesisi 31

1 Wasesizwa amazwi amadodana kaLabani esithi: UJakobe uthethe konke okukababa; langalokho okwakungokukababa wenza lonke loludumo.

But after that he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s, and being enriched by his substance is become great:

2 UJakobe wasebona ubuso bukaLabani, futhi khangela, babunganjengamandulo kuye.

And perceiving also that Laban’s countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day,

3 INkosi yasisithi kuJakobe: Buyela elizweni laboyihlo lezihlotsheni zakho; njalo ngizakuba lawe.

Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.

4 UJakobe wasethuma wababiza oRasheli loLeya emadlelweni emhlanjini wakhe,

He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks,

5 wathi kibo: Ngiyabona ubuso bukayihlo ukuthi kabunjengamandulo kimi; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababa ube lami.

And said to them: I see your father’s countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been with me.

6 Futhi lina liyazi ukuthi ngamandla ami wonke ngimsebenzele uyihlo.

And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power.

7 Kodwa uyihlo ungikhohlisile, waphendula iholo lami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi, kanti uNkulunkulu kamvumelanga ukwenza okubi kimi.

Yea, your father also hath overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me.

8 Kwathi esitsho njalo: Ezilamabala zizakuba liholo lakho, khona umhlambi wonke wazala ezilamabala. Kwathi esitsho njalo: Ezingamaqamule zizakuba liholo lakho, khona umhlambi wonke wazala ezingamaqamule.

If at any time he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white ones for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.

9 Ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu uthethe izifuyo zikayihlo, wanginika.

And God hath taken your father’s substance, and given it to me.

10 Kwasekusithi, ngesikhathi umhlambi umitha, ngaphakamisa amehlo ami ngabona ephutsheni, khangela-ke, izimpongo ezikhwela umhlambi zazingamaqamule, zilamabala, lezizinala.

For after that time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled.

11 Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasisithi kimi ephutsheni: Jakobe! Ngathi: Khangela ngilapha.

And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob? And I answered: Here I am.

12 Yasisithi: Ake uphakamise amehlo akho ubone, zonke impongo ezikhwela umhlambi zingamaqamule, zilamabala lezizinala; ngoba ngibonile konke uLabani akwenze kuwe.

And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted, and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee.

13 NginguNkulunkulu weBhetheli lapho owagcoba khona insika, owathembisa khona isithembiso kimi. Khathesi, vuka, uphume kulelilizwe, ubuyele elizweni lokuzalwa kwakho.

I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country.

14 ORasheli loLeya baphendula bathi kuye: Siselesabelo lelifa endlini kababa yini?

And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father’s house?

15 Kasibalwa njengabezizwe kuye yini? Ngoba wasithengisa, futhi wadla lokudla imali yethu.

Hath he not counted us as strangers and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?

16 Ngoba inotho yonke uNkulunkulu ayemuke ubaba ingeyethu leyabantwana bethu; khathesi-ke, konke uNkulunkulu akutsho kuwe, kwenze.

But God hath taken our father’s riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore do all that God hath commanded thee.

17 UJakobe wasesukuma, wakhweza amadodana akhe labomkakhe emakameleni;

Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way.

18 waqhuba izifuyo zakhe zonke, layo impahla yakhe yonke abeyizuzile, izifuyo zenzuzo yakhe, ayezizuze ePadani-Arama, ukuze aye kuIsaka uyise elizweni leKhanani.

And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac his father to the land of Chanaan.

19 Njalo uLabani esehambile ukuyagunda izimvu zakhe, uRasheli weba izithombe uyise ayelazo.

At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father’s idols.

20 UJakobe wasuka enyenya engananzelelwe kuLabani umSiriya, ngoba kamazisanga ukuthi uyabaleka.

And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.

21 Wasebaleka, yena lakho konke ayelakho, wasukuma, wachapha umfula, wakhangelisa ubuso bakhe entabeni yeGileyadi.

And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,

22 Kwasekusaziswa uLabani ngosuku lwesithathu ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile.

It was told Laban on the third day that Jacob fled.

23 Wasethatha abafowabo kanye laye, waxotshana laye ibanga lensuku eziyisikhombisa, wamfica entabeni yeGileyadi.

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad.

24 UNkulunkulu wasesiza kuLabani umSiriya ephutsheni lebusuku, wathi kuye: Ziqaphele, hlezi ukhulume loJakobe okuhle kumbe okubi.

And he saw in a dream God saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

25 ULabani wasemfica uJakobe. Njalo uJakobe wayemise ithente lakhe entabeni; uLabani laye kanye labafowabo bamisa entabeni yeGileyadi.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he with his brethren had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.

26 ULabani wasesithi kuJakobe: Wenzeni, ukuthi usuke unyenye ngingananzelele, uthathe amadodakazi ami ngamandla njengabathunjiweyo ngenkemba?

And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters, as captives taken with the sword.

27 Ubalekeleni ngasese, unginyenyela, ungangazisanga, ukuthi ngabe ngikuvalelise ngokuthokoza langengoma, ngesigubhu langechacho?

Why wouldst thou run away privately and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps?

28 Njalo kawungivumelanga ukuthi ngange amadodana ami lamadodakazi ami. Khathesi wenze ubuthutha ngokwenza lokho.

Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters: thou hast done foolishly: and now, indeed,

29 Kusemandleni esandla sami ukwenza okubi kini; kodwa uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulumile kimi ebusuku obudlulileyo wathi: Ziqaphele ukuthi ungakhulumi loJakobe okuhle kumbe okubi.

It is in my power to return thee evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

30 Khathesi-ke, ukuhamba uhambile, ngoba ngokukhanuka ukhanukile indlu kayihlo; webeleni onkulunkulu bami?

Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father’s house: why hast thou stolen away my gods?

31 UJakobe wasephendula wathi kuLabani: Ngoba ngesaba, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ungihluthunele amadodakazi akho.

Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force.

32 Lowo ozathola kuye onkulunkulu bakho kangaphili; phambi kwabafowethu zinanzelelele okungokwakho okukimi, uzithathele. Ngoba uJakobe wayengazi ukuthi uRasheli wayebebile.

But whereas thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33 ULabani wasengena ethenteni likaJakobe lethenteni likaLeya, lethenteni lezincekukazi ezimbili, kodwa katholanga. Waphuma ethenteni likaLeya, wangena ethenteni likaRasheli.

So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel’s tent,

34 Kodwa uRasheli wayethethe izithombe, wazifaka esikhwameni sesihlalo sekamela, wahlala phezu kwazo. ULabani waphumputha ithente lonke kodwa katholanga.

She in haste hid the idols under the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing,

35 Wasesithi kuyise: Kalungavuthi ulaka emehlweni enkosi yami ukuthi ngingesukume phambi kwakho, ngoba indlela yabesifazana ikimi. Wabhudula, kodwa kazitholanga izithombe.

She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me, according to the custom of women, So his careful search was in vain.

36 UJakobe wasethukuthela, waphikisana loLabani; uJakobe waphendula wathi kuLabani: Isiphambeko sami siyini, isono sami siyini, ukuthi ungixotshe ngokutshiseka?

And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me,

37 Njengoba usubambabambe kuyo impahla yami yonke, utholeni okwayo impahla yonke yendlu yakho? Ibeke lapha phambi kwabafowethu labafowenu ukuze baqume phakathi kwethu sobabili.

And searched all my household stuff? What hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee.

38 Iminyaka le engamatshumi amabili ngangilawe; izimvukazi zakho lezibhuzikazi zakho kaziphunzanga, lezinqama zemihlambi yakho kangizidlanga.

Have I therefore been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat:

39 Ezadatshulwayo kangizilethanga kuwe, mina ngazihlawula; esandleni sami wazibiza, zebiwe emini loba zebiwe ebusuku.

Neither did I show thee that which the beast had torn, I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me:

40 Nganginjalo emini imbalela yangidla, lamakhaza ebusuku, ubuthongo babaleka emehlweni ami.

Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.

41 Iminyaka le engamatshumi amabili bengisemzini wakho, ngakusebenzela okweminyaka elitshumi lane ngenxa yamadodakazi akho amabili, leminyaka eyisithupha ngenxa yomhlambi wakho; njalo waphendula iholo lami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi.

And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times.

42 Ngaphandle kokuthi uNkulunkulu kababa, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama lokwesaba kukaIsaka ubengelami, isibili khathesi ubuzangixotsha ngize. Inhlupheko zami lomtshikatshika wezandla zami uNkulunkulu ubonile, wakusola izolo ebusuku.

Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday.

43 ULabani wasephendula wathi kuJakobe: Amadodakazi angamadodakazi ami, lamadodana angamadodana ami, lomhlambi ngumhlambi wami, lakho konke okubonayo kungokwami; lemadodakazini ami ngizakwenzani kuwo lamuhla, loba kubantwana bawo abawazeleyo?

Laban answered him: The daughters are mine and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren?

44 Khathesi-ke, woza, asenze isivumelwano, mina lawe, njalo sibe yibufakazi phakathi kwami lawe.

Come therefore, let us enter into a league: that it may be for a testimony between me and thee.

45 UJakobe wasethatha ilitshe, walimisa laba yinsika.

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title:

46 UJakobe wasesithi kubafowabo: Buthani amatshe. Basebethatha amatshe, benza inqumbi; badla khona phezu kwenqumbi.

And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it.

47 ULabani waseyibiza ngokuthi yiJegari-Sahadutha, kodwa uJakobe wayibiza ngokuthi yiGaledi.

And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language.

48 ULabani wasesithi: Linqwaba iyibufakazi phakathi kwami lawe lamuhla. Ngakho bayitha ibizo layo iGaledi,

And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap.

49 leMizipa, ngoba wathi: INkosi kayilinde phakathi kwami lawe, lapho singabonani omunye lomunye.

The Lord behold and judge between us when we shall be gone one from the other.

50 Uba uhlupha amadodakazi ami, njalo uba uthatha abafazi phezu kwamadodakazi ami, kakulamuntu olathi, bona, uNkulunkulu ungumfakazi phakathi kwami lawe.

If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth.

51 ULabani wasesithi kuJakobe: Khangela linqwaba, khangela-ke lensika engiyiphosileyo phakathi kwami lawe.

And he said again to Jacob: Behold, this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee,

52 Linqwaba kayibe yibufakazi, lensika kayibe yibufakazi, bokuthi mina kangiyikuyidlula linqwaba ngiye kuwe, lawe kawuyikuyidlula linqwaba lalinsika uze kimi ngokubi.

Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it, thinking harm to me.

53 UNkulunkulu kaAbrahama loNkulunkulu kaNahori, kahlulele phakathi kwethu, uNkulunkulu kayise wabo. UJakobe wasefunga ngokwesaba kayise uIsaka.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 UJakobe wasehlaba umhlatshelo entabeni, wabiza abafowabo ukuthi badle isinkwa; basebesidla isinkwa, balala entabeni.

And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there:

55 ULabani wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wanga amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe, wawabusisa; uLabani wasehamba wabuyela endaweni yakhe.

But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons, and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.