Mwanzo 30
1 Raheli alipoona hamzalii Yakobo watoto, akamwonea ndugu yake wivu. Hivyo akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, la sivyo nitakufa!”
Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, “Give me children, otherwise I will die.”
2 Yakobo akamkasirikia, akamwambia, “Je, mimi ni badala ya Mungu, ambaye amekuzuia usizae watoto?”
Jacob, being angry, responded to her, “Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?”
3 Ndipo Raheli akamwambia, “Hapa yupo Bilha, mtumishi wangu wa kike. Kutana naye kimwili ili aweze kunizalia watoto na kwa kupitia yeye mimi pia niweze kuwa na uzao.”
But she said: “I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.”
4 Hivyo Raheli akampa Yakobo Bilha awe mke wake. Yakobo akakutana naye kimwili,
And she gave him Bilhah in marriage.
5 Bilha akapata mimba, naye akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
And when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son.
6 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Mungu amenipa haki yangu, amesikiliza maombi yangu na kunipa mwana.” Kwa sababu hiyo akamwita Dani.
And Rachel said, “The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son.” And because of this, she called his name Dan.
7 Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
And conceiving again, Bilhah bore another,
8 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Nilikuwa na mashindano makubwa na ndugu yangu, nami nimeshinda.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Naftali.
about whom Rachel said, “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Naphtali.
9 Lea alipoona kuwa amekoma kuzaa watoto, alimchukua mtumishi wake wa kike Zilpa, naye akampa Yakobo awe mke wake.
Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband.
10 Mtumishi wa Lea yaani Zilpa, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
And she, after having borne a son with difficulty,
11 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati nzuri aje!” Kwa hiyo akamwita Gadi.
said: “Happiness!” And for this reason, she called his name Gad.
12 Mtumishi wa kike wa Lea akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Likewise, Zilpah bore another.
13 Ndipo Lea aliposema, “Jinsi gani nilivyo na furaha! Wanawake wataniita furaha.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Asheri.
And Leah said, “This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed.” Because of this, she called him Asher.
14 Wakati wa kuvuna ngano, Reubeni akaenda shambani akakuta tunguja, ambazo alizileta kwa Lea mama yake. Raheli akamwambia Lea, “Tafadhali nakuomba unipe baadhi ya tunguja za mwanao.”
Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, “Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Lakini Lea akamwambia, “Haikukutosha kumtwaa mume wangu? Je, utachukua na tunguja za mwanangu pia?” Raheli akasema, “Vema sana! Yakobo atakutana nawe kimwili leo usiku, kwa malipo ya tunguja za mwanao.”
She responded, “Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel said, “He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.”
16 Kwa hiyo Yakobo alipokuja kutoka shambani jioni ile, Lea akaenda kumlaki, akamwambia, “Lazima ukutane nami kimwili. Nimekukodisha kwa tunguja za mwanangu.” Kwa hiyo akakutana naye kimwili usiku ule.
And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night.
17 Mungu akamsikiliza Lea, naye akapata mimba akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
And God heard her prayers. And she conceived and bore a fifth son.
18 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Mungu amenizawadia kwa kumpa mume wangu mtumishi wangu wa kike.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Isakari.
And she said, “God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.
19 Lea akapata mimba tena akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa sita.
Conceiving again, Leah bore a sixth son.
20 Ndipo Lea aliposema, “Mungu amenizawadia kwa zawadi ya thamani sana. Wakati huu mume wangu ataniheshimu kwa sababu nimemzalia wana sita.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Zabuloni.
And she said: “God has endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him.” And therefore she called his name Zebulun.
21 Baadaye akamzaa mtoto wa kike akamwita Dina.
After him, she bore a daughter, named Dinah.
22 Ndipo Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli, akasikia maombi yake na akafungua tumbo lake.
The Lord, likewise remembering Rachel, heeded her and opened her womb.
23 Akapata mimba na akamzaa mwana na kusema, “Mungu ameniondolea aibu yangu.”
And she conceived and bore a son, saying, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Akamwita Yosefu na kusema, “Bwana na anipe mwana mwingine.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The Lord has added to me another son.”
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yosefu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Nipe ruhusa nirudi katika nchi yangu.
But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.
26 Nipe wake zangu na watoto, ambao nimetumika kuwapata, nami niende zangu. Unajua ni kazi kiasi gani ambayo nimekufanyia.”
Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”
27 Lakini Labani akamwambia, “Ikiwa nimepata kibali machoni pako, tafadhali ukae. Nimegundua kwa njia ya uaguzi kwamba Bwana amenibariki kwa sababu yako.”
Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.
28 Akaongeza kumwambia, “Taja ujira wako nami nitakulipa.”
Choose your wages, which I will give you.”
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua jinsi ambavyo nimekutumikia na jinsi ambavyo wanyama wako walivyolishwa vizuri chini ya uangalizi wangu.
But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.
30 Kidogo ulichokuwa nacho kabla sijaja kimeongezeka sana, naye Bwana amekubariki popote nilipokuwa. Lakini sasa, ni lini nitashughulikia mambo ya nyumba yangu mwenyewe?”
You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at some time I also should provide for my own house.”
31 Labani akamuuliza, “Nikupe nini?” Yakobo akamjibu, “Usinipe chochote lakini kama utanifanyia jambo hili moja, nitaendelea kuchunga na kuyaangalia makundi yako.
And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.
32 Niruhusu nipite katika makundi yako yote leo niondoe humo kila kondoo mwenye mabakabaka au madoadoa, kila mwana-kondoo mweusi na kila mbuzi mwenye madoadoa au mabakabaka. Hawa watakuwa ujira wangu.
Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.
33 Uadilifu wangu utanishuhudia siku zijazo, kila utakapochunguza ujira ambao umenilipa mimi. Mbuzi yeyote wangu ambaye hana mabakabaka wala madoadoa, au mwana-kondoo ambaye si mweusi, atahesabika ameibwa.”
And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.”
34 Labani akasema, “Ninakubali na iwe kama ulivyosema.”
And Laban said, “I hold favor for this request.”
35 Siku ile ile Yakobo akawaondoa beberu wote waliokuwa na mistari au madoadoa na mbuzi wake wote waliokuwa na mistari au madoadoa (wote waliokuwa na alama nyeupe juu yao) na wana-kondoo weusi wote, akawaweka chini ya uangalizi wa wanawe.
And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.
36 Kisha Labani akamwacha Yakobo kwa mwendo wa safari ya siku tatu kati yake na Yakobo, wakati Yakobo akiendelea kuchunga lile kundi la Labani lililobaki.
And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.
37 Hata hivyo, Yakobo, akachukua fito mbichi zilizokatwa wakati huo huo za miti ya mlubna, mlozi na mwaramoni akazibambua ili mistari myeupe ionekane katika fito hizo.
Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.
38 Kisha akaweka fito alizozibambua kwenye mabirika yote ya kunyweshea mifugo, ili ziwe mbele ya makundi walipokuja kunywa maji. Wanyama walipokuja kunywa maji, hali wakiwa wanahitaji mbegu,
And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.
39 wakapandwa hizo fito zikiwa mbele yao. Wanyama waliopata mimba mbele ya hizo fito walizaa wanyama wenye mistari, madoadoa na mabakabaka.
And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.
40 Yakobo akawatenga wadogo wa kundi peke yao, lakini akazielekeza nyuso za hao waliobaki kwenye wale wenye mistari na weusi waliokuwa mali ya Labani. Hivyo akatenga makundi yake mwenyewe, na wala hakuwachanganya na wanyama wa Labani.
And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.
41 Kila mara wanyama wenye nguvu walipohitaji mbegu, Yakobo aliweka zile fito kwenye mabirika mbele ya hao wanyama, ili wapandwe karibu na hizo fito,
Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.
42 lakini ikiwa wanyama walikuwa wadhaifu hakuziweka hizo fito. Hivyo wanyama wadhaifu wakawa wa Labani, na wanyama wenye nguvu wakawa wa Yakobo.
Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.
43 Kwa njia hii Yakobo akastawi sana, tena akawa na makundi makubwa, watumishi wa kike na wa kiume na ngamia na punda.
And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.
