UGenesisi 32
1 UJakobe wasehamba indlela yakhe, lengilosi zikaNkulunkulu zamhlangabeza.
Jacob went on his way and some angels of God came to meet him.
2 UJakobe ezibona wasesithi: Leli libutho likaNkulunkulu. Wayitha ibizo laleyondawo iMahanayimi.
When he saw them he said, “This must be God's camp!” He named the place “Two Camps.”
3 UJakobe wasethuma izithunywa phambi kwakhe kuEsawu umnewabo, elizweni iSeyiri, ilizwe lakoEdoma.
He sent messengers on ahead to meet his brother Esau who was living in the region of Seir in the country of Edom.
4 Wasezilaya esithi: Likhulume kanje enkosini yami uEsawu lithi: Itsho njalo inceku yakho uJakobe ithi: KoLabani bengihlala njengowezizwe ngalibala kuze kube khathesi;
He told them, “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau. Your servant Jacob sends you this message. I've been staying with Laban up till now,
5 njalo ngilezinkabi labobabhemi, izimvu lezinceku lezincekukazi; sengithumele ukubika enkosini yami ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho.
and I have cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats, and male and female slaves. I've sent these messengers to explain this to you my lord, hoping you'll be pleased to see me.”
6 Izithunywa zasezibuyela kuJakobe zathi: Sifikile kumnewenu, kuEsawu, laye uyeza ukukuhlangabeza lamadoda angamakhulu amane laye.
The messengers returned to Jacob and told him, “Your brother Esau is coming to meet you with 400 armed men!”
7 UJakobe wasesesaba kakhulu, wakhathazeka. Wehlukanisa abantu ababelaye lezimvu lezinkomo lamakamela, kwaba ngamaqembu amabili;
When Jacob heard this, he was absolutely terrified. He split all the people with him, along with the sheep, goats, cattle, and camels, into two groups,
8 ngoba wathi: Uba uEsawu efika kwelinye iqembu alitshaye, iqembu eliseleyo lizaphepha.
saying to himself, “If Esau comes and destroys one group, the other one can get away.”
9 UJakobe wathi futhi: Nkulunkulu kababa uAbrahama, loNkulunkulu kababa uIsaka, Nkosi owathi kimi: Buyela elizweni lakini lezihlotsheni zakho, njalo ngizakwenzela okuhle;
Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham, God of my father Isaac! Lord, you were the one who told me, ‘Return to your own country and your family home, and I will treat you well.’
10 kangiwufanele wonke umusa lakho konke ukuthembeka okwenzele inceku yakho; ngoba ngilodondolo lwami ngachapha le iJordani, khathesi-ke sengingamaqembu amabili.
I don't deserve all the trustworthy love and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I crossed the Jordan years ago with just my walking stick, and now I have two large camps.
11 Ake ungophule esandleni somnewethu, esandleni sikaEsawu; ngoba ngiyamesaba, hlezi afike angitshaye, unina phezu kwabantwana.
Please save me from my brother; defend me from Esau! I'm terrified that he's coming to attack me, my wives, and my children.
12 Wena-ke wathi: Ukwenza okuhle ngizakwenzela okuhle, njalo ngizayenza inzalo yakho ibe njengetshebetshebe lolwandle elingelakubalwa ngenxa yobunengi.
You yourself told me, ‘I will definitely treat you well. I will make your descendants as numerous as the sand of the seashore—too many to count.’”
13 Waselala lapho ngalobobusuku; wathatha kulokho okwafika esandleni sakhe, isipho sikaEsawu umfowabo,
Jacob stayed the night there. Then he picked out animals as a gift to his brother Esau:
14 izibhuzikazi ezingamakhulu amabili lempongo ezingamatshumi amabili, izimvukazi ezingamakhulu amabili lenqama ezingamatshumi amabili,
200 female goats, 20 male goats; 200 ewes, 20 rams;
15 amakamela enyisayo angamatshumi amathathu lamathole awo, amankomokazi angamatshumi amane, lamajongosi alitshumi, obabhemikazi abangamatshumi amabili lamathole abobabhemi alitshumi.
30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls; 20 female donkeys, 10 male donkeys.
16 Wasezinikela esandleni senceku zakhe umhlambi ngomhlambi wodwa, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Dlulani phambi kwami, libeke ibanga phakathi komhlambi lomhlambi.
He put his servants in charge of each of the separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep a good distance between the herds.”
17 Waselaya eyokuqala esithi: Nxa uEsawu umnewethu ehlangana lawe, ekubuza esithi: Ungokabani? Njalo uya ngaphi? Ngezikabani-ke lezi eziphambi kwakho?
He gave these instructions to those with the first herd: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who is your master, and where are you going, and whose are these animals with you?’
18 Ubususithi: Ngezenceku yakho ngezikaJakobe, yisipho esithunyelwa enkosini yami uEsawu; khangela-ke, laye uqobo ungemva kwethu.
you are to say to him, ‘Your servant Jacob sends these as a gift to my lord Esau, and he's following us.’”
19 Waselaya leyesibili leyesithathu labo bonke ababelandela imihlambi esithi: Njengalelilizwi lizakhuluma kuEsawu, lapho limthola;
He gave the same instructions to those with the second and third and all the subsequent herds, telling them, “This what you are to say to Esau when he meets you.
20 lithi futhi: Khangela, inceku yakho uJakobe ingemva kwethu. Ngoba uthe: Ngizathoba ubuso bakhe ngesipho esihamba phambi kwami, langemva kwalokho ngizabona ubuso bakhe; mhlawumbe uzakwemukela ubuso bami.
You must also tell him, ‘Your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob said to himself, “Maybe by sending these gifts on ahead Esau won't be angry with me and when I meet him he'll be kind to me.”
21 Lesipho sahamba phambi kwakhe; kodwa yena walala lobobusuku enkambeni.
So the gifts went on ahead while Jacob spent the night at the camp.
22 Wasesukuma ngalobobusuku, wathatha omkakhe bobabili lencekukazi ezimbili labantwana bakhe abalitshumi lanye, wachapha izibuko leJaboki.
He got up during the night and took his two wives and the two personal maids and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River at the ford.
23 Wabathatha, wabachaphisa isifudlana, wachaphisa lokho ayelakho.
After helping them cross he also sent over everything that belonged to him.
24 UJakobe watshiywa yedwa; njalo indoda yabindana laye kwaze kwaba semadabukakusa.
But Jacob stayed there alone. A man came and wrestled with him until dawn.
25 Kodwa isibonile ukuthi kayimehluli, yathinta isikhoxo senyonga yakhe, isikhoxo senyonga kaJakobe saqhuzuka ebindana layo.
When the man realized he couldn't beat Jacob, he hit Jacob's hip socket and put it out of joint as he wrestled with him.
26 Yasisithi: Ngiyekela ngihambe ngoba sekusemadabukakusa. Kodwa wathi: Kangiyikukuyekela uhambe ngaphandle kokuthi ungibusise.
Then the man said, “Let me go because it's almost dawn.” “I won't let you go unless you bless me,” Jacob replied.
27 Yasisithi kuye: Ungubani ibizo lakho? Wasesithi: UJakobe.
“What's your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied.
28 Yasisithi: Ibizo lakho kalisayikuthiwa nguJakobe, kodwa uIsrayeli, ngoba ulwile loNkulunkulu labantu, wanqoba.
“Jacob will no longer be you name,” said the man. “Instead you will be called Israel, because you fought with God and with men and you won.”
29 UJakobe wasebuza wathi: Ake utsho ibizo lakho. Yasisithi: Kungani ubuza ibizo lami? Yambusisa lapho.
“Please tell me your name,” Jacob asked. “Why do you ask me my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 UJakobe waseyitha ibizo lendawo iPeniyeli, ngoba ngibonile uNkulunkulu ubuso ngobuso, njalo impilo yami isindisiwe.
Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “I saw God face to face and I'm still alive!”
31 Njalo ilanga lamphumela esedlula iPenuyeli; wayeqhula enyongeni yakhe.
The sun came up as Jacob left Peniel, limping along because of his damaged hip.
32 Ngakho abantwana bakoIsrayeli kabawudli umsipha womthambo osesikhoxweni senyonga kuze kube lamuhla, ngoba wathinta isikhoxo senyonga kaJakobe esisemsipheni womthambo wenyonga.
(That's why, even today, Israelites don't eat the thigh tendon attached to the hip socket, because that's where the man hit Jacob's hip socket.)
