UGenesisi 31
1 Wasesizwa amazwi amadodana kaLabani esithi: UJakobe uthethe konke okukababa; langalokho okwakungokukababa wenza lonke loludumo.
Someone told Jacob that Laban’s sons were complaining and saying, “Jacob has become very rich by taking everything [HYP] that belonged to our father.”
2 UJakobe wasebona ubuso bukaLabani, futhi khangela, babunganjengamandulo kuye.
And Jacob noticed that Laban was not acting friendly toward him as he had done before.
3 INkosi yasisithi kuJakobe: Buyela elizweni laboyihlo lezihlotsheni zakho; njalo ngizakuba lawe.
Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will help you there.”
4 UJakobe wasethuma wababiza oRasheli loLeya emadlelweni emhlanjini wakhe,
So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah, telling them to come out to the pastures where his flocks of sheep and goats were.
5 wathi kibo: Ngiyabona ubuso bukayihlo ukuthi kabunjengamandulo kimi; kodwa uNkulunkulu kababa ube lami.
When they arrived, he said to them, “I see that your father does not act friendly toward me as he did previously. But God, whom my father worshiped, has helped me.
6 Futhi lina liyazi ukuthi ngamandla ami wonke ngimsebenzele uyihlo.
You two know that I have worked very hard for your father,
7 Kodwa uyihlo ungikhohlisile, waphendula iholo lami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi, kanti uNkulunkulu kamvumelanga ukwenza okubi kimi.
but many times [HYP] he has cheated me by decreasing my wages. But God has not allowed him to harm 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.
When Laban said, ‘The speckled animals are the ones that I will give you to be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were speckled. When he changed and said, ‘The ones that have black and white stripes on them will be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were striped.
9 Ngokunjalo uNkulunkulu uthethe izifuyo zikayihlo, wanginika.
In that way, God has taken away the livestock that belonged to your father and has given them to me.
10 Kwasekusithi, ngesikhathi umhlambi umitha, ngaphakamisa amehlo ami ngabona ephutsheni, khangela-ke, izimpongo ezikhwela umhlambi zazingamaqamule, zilamabala, lezizinala.
“One time, when the animals were mating, I had a dream. In my dream I [looked up and was surprised to] see that some of the male goats that were mating with the female goats had black and white stripes on them, some were speckled, and some were spotted.
11 Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasisithi kimi ephutsheni: Jakobe! Ngathi: Khangela ngilapha.
An angel who was sent by God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I am here!’
12 Yasisithi: Ake uphakamise amehlo akho ubone, zonke impongo ezikhwela umhlambi zingamaqamule, zilamabala lezizinala; ngoba ngibonile konke uLabani akwenze kuwe.
He said to me, ‘Look up and you will see that all the male goats that are mating have black and white stripes on them, or are speckled or spotted. This is happening because I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 NginguNkulunkulu weBhetheli lapho owagcoba khona insika, owathembisa khona isithembiso kimi. Khathesi, vuka, uphume kulelilizwe, ubuyele elizweni lokuzalwa kwakho.
I am God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you set up a stone to show that the place was holy, and you poured [olive] oil on the stone and made a solemn promise to me. So now leave this land immediately, and return to the land where you were born.’”
14 ORasheli loLeya baphendula bathi kuye: Siselesabelo lelifa endlini kababa yini?
Rachel and Leah replied, “Our father will not give us anything more when he dies [RHQ].
15 Kasibalwa njengabezizwe kuye yini? Ngoba wasithengisa, futhi wadla lokudla imali yethu.
He treats us as though we were foreigners [RHQ]! [Your working for him all these years was like a payment] that you gave him as a price for us, but we will not inherit any of that money that he got as a price for us. He has spent it all!
16 Ngoba inotho yonke uNkulunkulu ayemuke ubaba ingeyethu leyabantwana bethu; khathesi-ke, konke uNkulunkulu akutsho kuwe, kwenze.
Surely all of the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you to do!”
17 UJakobe wasesukuma, wakhweza amadodana akhe labomkakhe emakameleni;
Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.
18 waqhuba izifuyo zakhe zonke, layo impahla yakhe yonke abeyizuzile, izifuyo zenzuzo yakhe, ayezizuze ePadani-Arama, ukuze aye kuIsaka uyise elizweni leKhanani.
He made all his livestock go ahead of him. Besides the livestock, he took along all the other things that he had acquired while living in Paddan-Aram. And they prepared to return to his father Isaac, in the Canaan region.
19 Njalo uLabani esehambile ukuyagunda izimvu zakhe, uRasheli weba izithombe uyise ayelazo.
Before they left, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the [small wooden] idols [that were in her father’s tent].
20 UJakobe wasuka enyenya engananzelelwe kuLabani umSiriya, ngoba kamazisanga ukuthi uyabaleka.
Furthermore, Jacob deceived Laban, who belonged to the Aram people-group, by not telling him that they were planning to leave.
21 Wasebaleka, yena lakho konke ayelakho, wasukuma, wachapha umfula, wakhangelisa ubuso bakhe entabeni yeGileyadi.
So Jacob and his family fled with all their possessions, and they crossed the Euphrates River, and then started traveling south toward the hilly Gilead region.
22 Kwasekusaziswa uLabani ngosuku lwesithathu ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile.
On the third day after they left, someone told Laban that Jacob and his family had left.
23 Wasethatha abafowabo kanye laye, waxotshana laye ibanga lensuku eziyisikhombisa, wamfica entabeni yeGileyadi.
So he took some of his relatives with him and started to pursue Jacob. They continued walking for seven days.
24 UNkulunkulu wasesiza kuLabani umSiriya ephutsheni lebusuku, wathi kuye: Ziqaphele, hlezi ukhulume loJakobe okuhle kumbe okubi.
Then God appeared to Laban in a dream at night, and said to him, “When you catch up to Jacob, be sure that you do not say anything at all [HYP] to him in an angry manner!”
25 ULabani wasemfica uJakobe. Njalo uJakobe wayemise ithente lakhe entabeni; uLabani laye kanye labafowabo bamisa entabeni yeGileyadi.
The next day, by the time Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob and his household had set up their tents in the hilly Gilead region. So Laban and his relatives set up their tents there, too.
26 ULabani wasesithi kuJakobe: Wenzeni, ukuthi usuke unyenye ngingananzelele, uthathe amadodakazi ami ngamandla njengabathunjiweyo ngenkemba?
Then Laban went to Jacob and said to him, “Why have you done this? You have deceived me by carrying away my daughters as though you had captured them in a war [MTY]!
27 Ubalekeleni ngasese, unginyenyela, ungangazisanga, ukuthi ngabe ngikuvalelise ngokuthokoza langengoma, ngesigubhu langechacho?
Why did you run away and deceive me? Why did you not tell me that you were going to leave, so that we could have rejoiced and sung while people played music on tambourines and harps before I said ‘goodbye’ to you?
28 Njalo kawungivumelanga ukuthi ngange amadodana ami lamadodakazi ami. Khathesi wenze ubuthutha ngokwenza lokho.
(You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye before they left!/Why did you not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye before they left?) [RHQ] What you have done was foolish!
29 Kusemandleni esandla sami ukwenza okubi kini; kodwa uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulumile kimi ebusuku obudlulileyo wathi: Ziqaphele ukuthi ungakhulumi loJakobe okuhle kumbe okubi.
My relatives and I have the power to harm you, but last night the God whom your father worships said to me in a dream, ‘Be sure that you do not say anything at all to Jacob in an angry way.’
30 Khathesi-ke, ukuhamba uhambile, ngoba ngokukhanuka ukhanukile indlu kayihlo; webeleni onkulunkulu bami?
Now, I know you have left because you long to go back home. But why did you steal my [wooden] idols?”
31 UJakobe wasephendula wathi kuLabani: Ngoba ngesaba, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ungihluthunele amadodakazi akho.
Jacob replied to Laban, saying, “I did not tell you that we were planning to leave, because I was afraid. I thought that [if I told you], you would forcefully take your daughters away from me.
32 Lowo ozathola kuye onkulunkulu bakho kangaphili; phambi kwabafowethu zinanzelelele okungokwakho okukimi, uzithathele. Ngoba uJakobe wayengazi ukuthi uRasheli wayebebile.
But if you find anyone here who has your wooden idols, we will execute that person. While our relatives are watching, search for yourself to see if there is anything that belongs to you that is here with me. If you find anything, you can take it!” When Jacob said that, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the wooden idols.
33 ULabani wasengena ethenteni likaJakobe lethenteni likaLeya, lethenteni lezincekukazi ezimbili, kodwa katholanga. Waphuma ethenteni likaLeya, wangena ethenteni likaRasheli.
Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and then into Leah’s tent, and then into the tents of the two female slaves and searched for the idols, but he did not find them. After he left their tents, he entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Kodwa uRasheli wayethethe izithombe, wazifaka esikhwameni sesihlalo sekamela, wahlala phezu kwazo. ULabani waphumputha ithente lonke kodwa katholanga.
But Rachel had previously taken the idols and put them in the saddle of a camel, and she was sitting on the saddle. So when Laban searched all over for them inside Rachel’s tent, he did not find them.
35 Wasesithi kuyise: Kalungavuthi ulaka emehlweni enkosi yami ukuthi ngingesukume phambi kwakho, ngoba indlela yabesifazana ikimi. Wabhudula, kodwa kazitholanga izithombe.
Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry with me, sir, but I cannot get up in your presence [to show respect for you], because I am having my monthly menstrual period. [EUP]” So when Laban searched some more, he did not find the [wooden] idols.
36 UJakobe wasethukuthela, waphikisana loLabani; uJakobe waphendula wathi kuLabani: Isiphambeko sami siyini, isono sami siyini, ukuthi ungixotshe ngokutshiseka?
Then Jacob became angry. He rebuked Laban, saying, “What crime did I commit? For what sin that I committed have you 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.
Now you have searched through all my possessions, and what did you find from all these possessions that belongs to you? Put it here in front of my relatives and your relatives, so that they can decide who is right, you or me!
38 Iminyaka le engamatshumi amabili ngangilawe; izimvukazi zakho lezibhuzikazi zakho kaziphunzanga, lezinqama zemihlambi yakho kangizidlanga.
I was with you for 20 years. In all that time, your sheep and goats have (not miscarried/always given birth to animals safely). I have not [killed and] eaten any rams from your flocks.
39 Ezadatshulwayo kangizilethanga kuwe, mina ngazihlawula; esandleni sami wazibiza, zebiwe emini loba zebiwe ebusuku.
When one of your animals was attacked and mauled/killed by a wild animal, I did not bring it to you. I replaced the dead animal with a living one of my own animals. Whenever one of your animals was stolen, during the day or during the night, you demanded that I replace it with one of my own animals.
40 Nganginjalo emini imbalela yangidla, lamakhaza ebusuku, ubuthongo babaleka emehlweni ami.
I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was often not even able to sleep [PRS]!
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.
I lived in your household for 20 years. I worked for you for 14 years to buy your two daughters, and for six more years to buy some of your sheep and goats. During that time, you changed and reduced my wages many times [HYP].
42 Ngaphandle kokuthi uNkulunkulu kababa, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama lokwesaba kukaIsaka ubengelami, isibili khathesi ubuzangixotsha ngize. Inhlupheko zami lomtshikatshika wezandla zami uNkulunkulu ubonile, wakusola izolo ebusuku.
If God, the one whom my grandfather Abraham worshiped and before whom my father Isaac trembled in fear, had not been with me and helped me, you would have sent me away (with nothing in my hands/owning nothing)! But God saw how much I was suffering and how hard I was working, so last night he told you that what you have done to me was wrong.”
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 replied, “These two women are my daughters, and their children are my grandchildren, and the animals are my animals. Everything you see here is mine [HYP]! But what can I do today to keep my daughters or the children they have given birth to [RHQ]?
44 Khathesi-ke, woza, asenze isivumelwano, mina lawe, njalo sibe yibufakazi phakathi kwami lawe.
I cannot do anything in order to keep them, so hey, we should make a peace agreement, you and I, and do something that will remind us about our agreement.”
45 UJakobe wasethatha ilitshe, walimisa laba yinsika.
So Jacob took a [large] stone and set it on its end.
46 UJakobe wasesithi kubafowabo: Buthani amatshe. Basebethatha amatshe, benza inqumbi; badla khona phezu kwenqumbi.
Then Jacob said to his relatives, “You also gather some stones.” So they gathered some rocks and put them in a heap, and they ate some food there near the heap.
47 ULabani waseyibiza ngokuthi yiJegari-Sahadutha, kodwa uJakobe wayibiza ngokuthi yiGaledi.
Laban gave the heap the Aramaic name Jegar-Sahadutha, [which means ‘rock-pile to remind us’, ] but Jacob gave the rock-pile the Hebrew name Galeed, [which has the same meaning].
48 ULabani wasesithi: Linqwaba iyibufakazi phakathi kwami lawe lamuhla. Ngakho bayitha ibizo layo iGaledi,
Laban said to Jacob, “This pile of rocks we have put here today will help us to remember our agreement.” That is why Jacob called it Galeed.
49 leMizipa, ngoba wathi: INkosi kayilinde phakathi kwami lawe, lapho singabonani omunye lomunye.
They also named the place Mizpah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘watchtower’, ] because Laban said, “We will ask Yahweh to watch you and me while we are separated from each other, [so that we do not try to harm each other].
50 Uba uhlupha amadodakazi ami, njalo uba uthatha abafazi phezu kwamadodakazi ami, kakulamuntu olathi, bona, uNkulunkulu ungumfakazi phakathi kwami lawe.
If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other women to be your wives, even if no one tells me about it, don’t forget that God sees what you and I are doing!”
51 ULabani wasesithi kuJakobe: Khangela linqwaba, khangela-ke lensika engiyiphosileyo phakathi kwami lawe.
Laban also said to Jacob, “You see this large stone and this pile of rocks that we have set up to be between us.
52 Linqwaba kayibe yibufakazi, lensika kayibe yibufakazi, bokuthi mina kangiyikuyidlula linqwaba ngiye kuwe, lawe kawuyikuyidlula linqwaba lalinsika uze kimi ngokubi.
Both this pile of rocks and this large stone will remind us, that I will not go past these rocks to harm you, and you will not go past these rocks to harm me.
53 UNkulunkulu kaAbrahama loNkulunkulu kaNahori, kahlulele phakathi kwethu, uNkulunkulu kayise wabo. UJakobe wasefunga ngokwesaba kayise uIsaka.
We will ask the God whom [your grandfather] Abraham and [his father] Nahor worshiped to punish [MTY] either one of us, [if we harm the other one].” So Jacob solemnly promised to do what they said in their peace agreement. And he asked God, the one before whom his father Isaac trembled, to listen to what they promised.
54 UJakobe wasehlaba umhlatshelo entabeni, wabiza abafowabo ukuthi badle isinkwa; basebesidla isinkwa, balala entabeni.
He offered a sacrifice to God there in the hilly area, and he invited his relatives to eat with him. After they had eaten, they slept there that night.
55 ULabani wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wanga amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe, wawabusisa; uLabani wasehamba wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
The next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters [goodbye] and asked God to bless them. Then he [and his men] left them and returned home.
