Mwanzo 30
1 Raheli alipoona hamzalii Yakobo watoto, akamwonea ndugu yake wivu. Hivyo akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, la sivyo nitakufa!”
And Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.
2 Yakobo akamkasirikia, akamwambia, “Je, mimi ni badala ya Mungu, ambaye amekuzuia usizae watoto?”
And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy 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 here my servant Bala: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I may have children by her.
4 Hivyo Raheli akampa Yakobo Bilha awe mke wake. Yakobo akakutana naye kimwili,
And she gave him Bala in marriage: who,
5 Bilha akapata mimba, naye akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
When her husband had gone in unto her, 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 hath judged for me, and hath heard my voice, giving me a son, and therefore she called his name Dan.
7 Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
And again Bala conceived and bore another,
8 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Nilikuwa na mashindano makubwa na ndugu yangu, nami nimeshinda.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Naftali.
For whom Rachel said: God hath compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called him Nephtali.
9 Lea alipoona kuwa amekoma kuzaa watoto, alimchukua mtumishi wake wa kike Zilpa, naye akampa Yakobo awe mke wake.
Lia, perceiving that she had left off bearing, gave Zelpha her handmaid to her husband.
10 Mtumishi wa Lea yaani Zilpa, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
And when she had conceived and brought forth a son,
11 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati nzuri aje!” Kwa hiyo akamwita Gadi.
She said: Happily. And therefore called his name Gad.
12 Mtumishi wa kike wa Lea akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Zelpha also bore another.
13 Ndipo Lea aliposema, “Jinsi gani nilivyo na furaha! Wanawake wataniita furaha.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Asheri.
And Lia said: This is for my happiness: for women will call me blessed. Therefore she called him Aser.
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.”
And Ruben, going out in the time of the wheat harvest into the field, found mandrakes: which he brought to his mother Lia. And Rachel said: Give me part of thy 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 answered: Dost thou think it a small matter, that thou hast taken my husband from me, unless thou take also my son’s mandrakes? Rachel said: He shall sleep with thee this night, for thy 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 at even from the field, Lia went out to meet him, and said: Thou shalt come in unto me, because I have hired thee for 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 the fifth son,
18 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Mungu amenizawadia kwa kumpa mume wangu mtumishi wangu wa kike.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Isakari.
And said: God hath given me a reward, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar.
19 Lea akapata mimba tena akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa sita.
And Lia conceived again, and bore the 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 said: God hath endowed me with a good dowry: this turn also my husband will be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and therefore she called his name Zabulon.
21 Baadaye akamzaa mtoto wa kike akamwita Dina.
After whom she bore a daughter, named Dina.
22 Ndipo Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli, akasikia maombi yake na akafungua tumbo lake.
The Lord also remembering Rachel, heard 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 hath taken away my reproach.
24 Akamwita Yosefu na kusema, “Bwana na anipe mwana mwingine.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying: The Lord give me also another son.
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yosefu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Nipe ruhusa nirudi katika nchi yangu.
And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father in law: Send me away that I may return into my 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 thee, that I may depart: thou knowest the service that I have rendered thee.
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: Let me find favour in thy sight: I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake.
28 Akaongeza kumwambia, “Taja ujira wako nami nitakulipa.”
Appoint thy wages which I shall give thee.
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua jinsi ambavyo nimekutumikia na jinsi ambavyo wanyama wako walivyolishwa vizuri chini ya uangalizi wangu.
But he answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how great thy possession hath been 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?”
Thou hadst but little before I came to thee, and now thou art become rich: and the Lord hath blessed thee at my coming. It is reasonable therefore that I should now provide also 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 thee? But he said: I require nothing: but if thou wilt do what I demand, I will feed, and keep thy 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 round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled: and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep, as among the goats, shall 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 shall answer for me tomorrow before thee when the time of the bargain shall come: and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.
34 Labani akasema, “Ninakubali na iwe kama ulivyosema.”
And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.
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 he separated the same day the she goats, and the sheep, and the he goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted: and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and 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 set the space of three days’ journey betwixt himself and his son in law, who fed the rest 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.
And Jacob took green rods of poplar, and of almond, and of plane trees, and pilled them in part: so when the bark was taken off, in the parts that were pilled, there appeared whiteness: but the parts that were whole remained green: and by this means the colour was divers.
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 put them in the troughs, where the water was poured out: that when the flocks should come to drink, they might have the rods before their eyes, and in the sight of them 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 came to pass that in the very heat of coition, the sheep beheld the rods, and brought forth spotted, and of divers colours, and speckled.
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 separated the flock, and put the rods in the troughs before the eyes of the rams: and all the white and the black were Laban’s: and the rest were Jacob’s, when the flocks were separated one from the other.
41 Kila mara wanyama wenye nguvu walipohitaji mbegu, Yakobo aliweka zile fito kwenye mabirika mbele ya hao wanyama, ili wapandwe karibu na hizo fito,
So when the ewes went first to ram, Jacob put the rods in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams, and of the ewes, that they might conceive while they were looking upon them:
42 lakini ikiwa wanyama walikuwa wadhaifu hakuziweka hizo fito. Hivyo wanyama wadhaifu wakawa wa Labani, na wanyama wenye nguvu wakawa wa Yakobo.
But when the latter coming was, and the last conceiving, he did not put them. And those that were lateward, became Laban’s: and they of the first time, 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 exceedingly, and he had many flocks, maid servants and men servants, camels and asses.
