Mwanzo 29
1 Kisha Yakobo akaendelea na safari yake na akafika kwenye nchi za mataifa ya mashariki.
Jacob continued on the road [MTY], and he arrived at the land that was east of Canaan.
2 Huko akaona kisima katika shamba, pamoja na makundi matatu ya kondoo yamelala karibu na kisima hicho kwa sababu walikuwa wanakunywa maji kutoka kwenye kisimani hicho. Jiwe lililokuwa mdomoni mwa kisima lilikuwa kubwa.
There he [was surprised to] see a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep were lying near the well. It was the well from which shepherds habitually got water for their sheep. There was a large stone covering the top of the well.
3 Wakati kondoo wanapokuwa wamekusanyika hapo, wachungaji huvingirisha jiwe hilo kutoka kwenye mdomo wa kisima na kunywesha kondoo. Kisha hulirudisha jiwe mahali pake juu ya mdomo wa kisima.
When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would work together to roll the stone away from the top of the well and get water for the sheep. When they finished doing that, they would put the stone back in its place over the top of the well.
4 Yakobo aliwauliza wachungaji, “Ndugu zangu, ninyi mmetoka wapi?” Wakamjibu, “Tumetoka Harani.”
[On that day], Jacob asked the shepherds who were sitting there, “Where are you from?” They replied, “We are from Haran.”
5 Aliwaambia, “Je, mnamjua Labani, mjukuu wa Nahori?” Wakamjibu, “Ndiyo, tunamfahamu.”
He asked them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” They replied, “Yes, we know him.”
6 Kisha Yakobo akawauliza, “Je, yeye ni mzima?” Wakasema, “Ndiyo, ni mzima, na hapa yuaja Raheli binti yake akiwa na kondoo.”
Jacob asked them, “Is Laban well?” They replied, “Yes, he is well. Look! Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep!”
7 Akasema, “Tazama, jua bado liko juu, si wakati wa kukusanya mifugo. Nywesheni kondoo na mwarudishe malishoni.”
Jacob said, “Hey! The sun is still high in the sky. It is not time for the flocks to be gathered for nighttime. Give the sheep some water and then take them back to (graze/eat grass) in the pastures!”
8 Walijibu, “Haiwezekani, mpaka kondoo wote wakusanyike na jiwe liwe limevingirishwa kutoka mdomo wa kisima. Ndipo tutanywesha kondoo.”
They replied, “No, we cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered here and the stone is removed from the top of the well. After that, we will give water to the sheep.”
9 Alipokuwa akizungumza nao, Raheli akaja pamoja na kondoo wa baba yake, kwa maana alikuwa mchunga kondoo.
While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep. She was the one who took care of her father’s sheep.
10 Yakobo alipomwona Raheli binti Labani, ndugu wa mama yake, pamoja na kondoo wa Labani, alikwenda na kulivingirisha jiwe kutoka mdomoni mwa kisima na kuwanywesha kondoo wa mjomba wake.
When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, who was his mother’s brother, [Jacob was so excited that] he went over and [by himself] rolled away the stone that covered the top of the well, and he got water for his uncle’s sheep.
11 Kisha Yakobo akambusu Raheli na akaanza kulia kwa sauti.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel [on the cheek], and he cried loudly [because he was so happy].
12 Yakobo alikuwa amemwambia Raheli kuwa yeye alikuwa jamaa ya baba yake, na kwamba ni mwana wa Rebeka. Basi Raheli alikimbia na kumweleza baba yake.
Jacob told Rachel that he was one of her father’s relatives, the son of her aunt Rebekah. So she ran and told that to her father.
13 Mara Labani aliposikia habari kuhusu Yakobo, mwana wa ndugu yake, aliharakisha kwenda kumlaki. Akamkumbatia na kumbusu, halafu akamleta nyumbani kwake, kisha Yakobo akamwambia mambo yote.
As soon as Laban heard that Jacob, his sister’s son, was there, he ran to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him [on the cheek]. Then he brought him to his home, and Jacob told him all that had happened to him.
14 Ndipo Labani akamwambia, “Wewe ni nyama yangu na damu yangu mwenyewe.” Baada ya Yakobo kukaa kwa Labani mwezi mzima,
Then Laban said to him, “Truly, you are part of my family!” After Jacob had stayed there and worked for Laban for a month,
15 Labani akamwambia, “Kwa vile wewe ni jamaa yangu, ndiyo sababu unifanyie kazi bila ujira? Niambie ujira wako utakuwa nini.”
Laban said to him “(You should not work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine!/Why should you work for me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine?) [RHQ] Tell me how much you want me to pay you.”
16 Labani alikuwa na binti wawili, binti mkubwa aliitwa Lea na binti mdogo aliitwa Raheli.
Well, Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.
17 Lea alikuwa na macho dhaifu, lakini Raheli alikuwa na umbo la kupendeza na mzuri wa sura.
Leah had pretty eyes, but Rachel had a very attractive figure and was beautiful.
18 Yakobo akampenda Raheli, akamwambia Labani, “Nitakutumikia kwa miaka saba kwa ajili ya kumpata Raheli binti yako mdogo.”
Jacob (was in love with/wanted very much to be married to) Rachel, and he said, “I will work for you for seven years. That will be my payment for your letting me marry your younger daughter, Rachel.”
19 Labani akasema, “Ni bora zaidi nikupe Raheli kuliko kumpa mtu mwingine yeyote. Kaa pamoja na mimi hapa.”
Laban replied, “It is better for me to let you marry her than for her to marry some other man!”
20 Kwa hiyo Yakobo akatumika miaka saba ili kumpata Raheli, lakini ilionekana kwake kama siku chache tu kwa sababu ya upendo wake kwa Raheli.
So Jacob worked for Laban for seven years to get Rachel, but to him it seemed like it was only a few days, because he loved her so much.
21 Ndipo Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Nipe mke wangu. Muda wangu umekamilika, nami nataka nikutane naye kimwili.”
After the seven years were ended, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me marry Rachel now, because the time we agreed upon for me to work for you is ended, and I want to marry her. [EUP]”
22 Basi Labani akaalika watu wote wa mahali pale na akafanya karamu.
So Laban gathered together all the people who lived in that area and made a feast.
23 Lakini ilipofika jioni, akamchukua Lea binti yake akampa Yakobo, naye Yakobo akakutana naye kimwili.
But that evening, instead of taking Rachel to Jacob, Laban took his older daughter, Leah, to him. But because it was already dark, he could not see that it was Leah and not Rachel, and he had sex [EUP] with her.
24 Naye Labani akamtoa Zilpa, mtumishi wake wa kike, kuwa mtumishi wa Lea, binti yake.
(Laban had already given his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid/servant.)
25 Kesho yake asubuhi, Yakobo akagundua kuwa amepewa Lea! Basi Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Ni jambo gani hili ulilonitendea? Nilikutumikia kwa ajili ya Raheli, sivyo? Kwa nini umenidanganya?”
The next morning, Jacob was shocked to see that it was Leah who was with him! So he went to Laban [and told him] very angrily, “(What you have done to me is disgusting!/What is this that you have done to me?) [RHQ] I worked for you to get Rachel, did I not? So why did you deceive me?”
26 Labani akajibu, “Si desturi yetu kumwoza binti mdogo kabla ya kumwoza binti mkubwa.
Laban replied, “In this land, it is not our custom to give a younger daughter to be married before we let someone marry our firstborn daughter.
27 Maliza juma la arusi ya binti huyu, kisha pia nitakupa huyu binti mdogo, kwa kutumika miaka mingine saba.”
After we finish this week of celebration, we will let you marry the younger one also. But in return, you must pay for Rachel by working for me for another seven years.”
28 Naye Yakobo akafanya hivyo. Akamaliza juma na Lea, kisha Labani akampa Raheli binti yake kuwa mke wake.
So that is what Jacob did. After the week of celebration was ended, Laban gave him his daughter, Rachel, to be his wife.
29 Labani akamtoa Bilha mtumishi wake wa kike kwa Raheli ili kuwa mtumishi wake.
Laban gave his slave girl, Bilhah, to Rachel to be her maid/servant.
30 Pia Yakobo akakutana na Raheli kimwili, naye akampenda Raheli zaidi kuliko Lea. Yakobo akamtumikia Labani kwa miaka mingine saba.
Jacob had sex [EUP] with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
31 Bwana alipoona kwamba Lea hapendwi, akampa watoto, lakini Raheli alikuwa tasa.
When Yahweh saw that Jacob did not love Leah [very much], he enabled her to become pregnant. But Rachel was not able to become pregnant.
32 Lea akapata mimba akazaa mwana. Akamwita Reubeni, kwa maana alisema, “Ni kwa sababu Bwana ameona huzuni yangu. Hakika mume wangu sasa atanipenda.”
Leah gave birth to a son, whom she named Reuben, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘Look, a son]!’ She said, “Yahweh has seen that I was miserable, and because of that he has given me a son. Now, surely my husband will love me for giving birth to a son for him.”
33 Akapata tena mimba, naye alipozaa mwana, akasema, “Kwa sababu Bwana alisikia kwamba sipendwi, amenipa tena huyu mwana.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Simeoni.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “Because Yahweh has heard that my husband doesn’t love me, he has given me this son, too.” So she named him Simeon, [which means ‘someone who hears’].
34 Akapata tena mimba, naye alipozaa mwana, akasema, “Sasa afadhali mume wangu ataambatana na mimi, kwa sababu nimemzalia wana watatu.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Lawi.
Later she became pregnant again, and gave birth to another son. She said, “Now, finally, my husband will hold me close to him.” So she named him Levi, [which means ‘hold close’].
35 Akapata tena mimba, naye alipozaa mwana, akasema, “Wakati huu nitamsifu Bwana.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Yuda. Kisha akaacha kuzaa watoto.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She said, “(This time/Now) I will praise Yahweh.” So she called his name Judah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘praise’]. After that, she did not give birth to any more children [for several years].
