Mwanzo 28
1 Basi Isaki akamwita Yakobo, akambariki na akamwamuru, akisema, “Usioe mwanamke wa Kikanaani.
Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Nenda mara moja mpaka Padan-Aramu, kwenye nyumba ya Bethueli baba wa mama yako. Uchukue mke kati ya binti za Labani ambaye ni ndugu wa mama yako.
Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3 Mungu Mwenyezi na akubariki uwe na uzao uongezeke idadi yako upate kuwa jamii kubwa ya watu.
May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
4 Na akupe wewe na uzao wako baraka aliyopewa Abrahamu, upate kumiliki nchi unayoishi sasa kama mgeni, nchi ambayo Mungu alimpa Abrahamu.”
and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.”
5 Kisha Isaki akamuaga Yakobo, naye akaenda Padan-Aramu, kwa Labani mwana wa Bethueli Mwaramu, ndugu wa Rebeka, aliyekuwa mama wa Yakobo na Esau.
Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
6 Sasa Esau akajua kuwa Isaki amembariki Yakobo na kumtuma kwenda Padan-Aramu ili achukue mke huko na kwamba alipombariki alimwamuru akisema, “Usioe mke katika binti za Wakanaani,”
Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;”
7 tena kwamba Yakobo amewatii baba yake na mama yake naye amekwenda Padan-Aramu.
and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram.
8 Esau akatambua jinsi ambavyo baba yake Isaki anavyowachukia binti za Wakanaani.
Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, his father.
9 Ndipo Esau akaenda kwa Ishmaeli, akamwoa Mahalati, ndugu wa Nebayothi na binti wa Ishmaeli mwana wa Abrahamu, kuongezea wale wake wengine aliokuwa nao.
So Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
10 Yakobo akatoka Beer-Sheba kwenda Harani.
Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 Alipofika mahali fulani, akalala hapo kwa sababu jua lilikuwa limetua. Akachukua jiwe moja la mahali pale, akaliweka chini ya kichwa chake akajinyoosha akalala usingizi.
He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Akaota ndoto ambayo aliona ngazi imesimamishwa juu ya ardhi, ncha yake ikiwa imefika mbinguni na malaika wa Mungu wakawa wakipanda na kushuka juu yake.
He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 Juu yake alisimama Bwana, akasema, “Mimi ni Bwana, Mungu wa baba yako Abrahamu na Mungu wa Isaki. Nchi ambayo umelala juu yake, nitakupa wewe na uzao wako.
Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring.
14 Uzao wako utakuwa kama mavumbi ya nchi, nawe utaenea upande wa magharibi na mashariki, kaskazini na kusini. Kupitia wewe na uzao wako mataifa yote ya duniani yatabarikiwa.
Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.
15 Niko pamoja nawe nami nitakulinda kila uendako na nitakurudisha katika nchi hii. Sitakuacha mpaka nitakapofanya hayo niliyokuahidi.”
Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”
16 Yakobo alipoamka kutoka usingizini, akawaza, “Hakika Bwana yuko mahali hapa, wala mimi sikujua.”
Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 Kwa hiyo akaogopa, akasema, “Mahali hapa panatisha kama nini! Bila shaka hapa ndipo nyumba ya Mungu ilipo, hili ni lango la mbinguni.”
He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Asubuhi yake na mapema, Yakobo akalichukua lile jiwe aliloliweka chini ya kichwa chake, akalisimamisha kama nguzo na kumimina mafuta juu yake.
Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.
19 Mahali pale akapaita Betheli, ingawa mji ule hapo kwanza uliitwa Luzu.
He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20 Kisha Yakobo akaweka nadhiri, akisema, “Kama Mungu akiwa pamoja nami na kunilinda katika safari niendayo, akinipa chakula nile na nguo nivae
Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
21 na nirudi salama nyumbani kwa baba yangu, hapo ndipo Bwana atakuwa Mungu wangu,
so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and the LORD will be my God,
22 nalo jiwe hili nililolisimamisha kama nguzo litakuwa nyumba ya Mungu na katika yote utakayonipa nitakutolea wewe sehemu ya kumi.”
then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”
