Mwanzo 28
1 Basi Isaki akamwita Yakobo, akambariki na akamwamuru, akisema, “Usioe mwanamke wa Kikanaani.
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: Take not a wife of the stock of Chanaan:
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.
But go, and take a journey to Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bathuel thy mother’s father, and take thee a wife thence of the daughters of Laban thy uncle.
3 Mungu Mwenyezi na akubariki uwe na uzao uongezeke idadi yako upate kuwa jamii kubwa ya watu.
And God almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase, and multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of people.
4 Na akupe wewe na uzao wako baraka aliyopewa Abrahamu, upate kumiliki nchi unayoishi sasa kama mgeni, nchi ambayo Mungu alimpa Abrahamu.”
And give the blessings of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed after thee: that thou mayst possess the land of thy sojournment, which he promised to thy grandfather.
5 Kisha Isaki akamuaga Yakobo, naye akaenda Padan-Aramu, kwa Labani mwana wa Bethueli Mwaramu, ndugu wa Rebeka, aliyekuwa mama wa Yakobo na Esau.
And when Isaac had sent him away, he took his journey and went to Mesopotamia of Syria to Laban the son of Bathuel the Syrian, brother to Rebecca his 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,”
And Esau seeing that his father had blessed Jacob, and had sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria, to marry a wife thence; and that after the blessing he had charged him, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Chanaan:
7 tena kwamba Yakobo amewatii baba yake na mama yake naye amekwenda Padan-Aramu.
And that Jacob obeying his parents was gone into Syria:
8 Esau akatambua jinsi ambavyo baba yake Isaki anavyowachukia binti za Wakanaani.
Experiencing also that his father was not well pleased with the daughters of Chanaan:
9 Ndipo Esau akaenda kwa Ishmaeli, akamwoa Mahalati, ndugu wa Nebayothi na binti wa Ishmaeli mwana wa Abrahamu, kuongezea wale wake wengine aliokuwa nao.
He went to Ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, Maheleth the daughter of Ismael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nabajoth.
10 Yakobo akatoka Beer-Sheba kwenda Harani.
But Jacob being departed from Bersabee, went on to 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.
And when he was come to a certain place, and would rest in it after sunset, he took of the stones that lay there, and putting under his head, slept in the same place.
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.
And he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven: the angels also of God ascending and descending by 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.
And the Lord leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land, wherein thou sleepest, I will give to thee and to thy seed.
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.
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth: thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and IN THEE and thy seed all the tribes of the earth SHALL BE BLESSED.
15 Niko pamoja nawe nami nitakulinda kila uendako na nitakurudisha katika nchi hii. Sitakuacha mpaka nitakapofanya hayo niliyokuahidi.”
And I will be thy keeper whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land: neither will I leave thee, till I shall have accomplished all that I have said.
16 Yakobo alipoamka kutoka usingizini, akawaza, “Hakika Bwana yuko mahali hapa, wala mimi sikujua.”
And when Jacob awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.
17 Kwa hiyo akaogopa, akasema, “Mahali hapa panatisha kama nini! Bila shaka hapa ndipo nyumba ya Mungu ilipo, hili ni lango la mbinguni.”
And trembling he said: How terrible is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and 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.
And Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone, which he had laid under his head, and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of it.
19 Mahali pale akapaita Betheli, ingawa mji ule hapo kwanza uliitwa Luzu.
And he called the name of the city Bethel, which before was called Luza.
20 Kisha Yakobo akaweka nadhiri, akisema, “Kama Mungu akiwa pamoja nami na kunilinda katika safari niendayo, akinipa chakula nile na nguo nivae
And he made a vow, saying: If God shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way by which I walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 na nirudi salama nyumbani kwa baba yangu, hapo ndipo Bwana atakuwa Mungu wangu,
And I shall return prosperously to my father’s house: the Lord shall be my God:
22 nalo jiwe hili nililolisimamisha kama nguzo litakuwa nyumba ya Mungu na katika yote utakayonipa nitakutolea wewe sehemu ya kumi.”
And this stone, which I have set up for a title, shall be called the house of God: and of all things that thou shalt give to me, I will offer tithes to thee.
