Mwanzo 30
1 Raheli alipoona hamzalii Yakobo watoto, akamwonea ndugu yake wivu. Hivyo akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, la sivyo nitakufa!”
Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any children for Jacob. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, “Enable me to become pregnant and give birth to children. If you do not do that, I [think I will]!”
2 Yakobo akamkasirikia, akamwambia, “Je, mimi ni badala ya Mungu, ambaye amekuzuia usizae watoto?”
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “(I am not God!/Am I God?) [RHQ] He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!”
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.”
Then she said, “Look, here is my female slave, Bilhah. (Sleep with/Have sex with) [EUP] her, so that she may become pregnant and give birth to children for me. In that way it will be as though (I have children/her children are mine).”
4 Hivyo Raheli akampa Yakobo Bilha awe mke wake. Yakobo akakutana naye kimwili,
So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob had sex [EUP] with her.
5 Bilha akapata mimba, naye akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.
6 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Mungu amenipa haki yangu, amesikiliza maombi yangu na kunipa mwana.” Kwa sababu hiyo akamwita Dani.
Rachel said, “God has (vindicated me/judged my case and has decided that what I have done is right). He has also heard my requests and has given me a son.” So she named him Dan, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘he judged’].
7 Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Later, Rachel’s slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.
8 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Nilikuwa na mashindano makubwa na ndugu yangu, nami nimeshinda.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Naftali.
Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son.” So she named him Naphtali, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘struggle’].
9 Lea alipoona kuwa amekoma kuzaa watoto, alimchukua mtumishi wake wa kike Zilpa, naye akampa Yakobo awe mke wake.
When Leah realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any more children, she took her female slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.
10 Mtumishi wa Lea yaani Zilpa, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
11 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati nzuri aje!” Kwa hiyo akamwita Gadi.
Leah said, “I am truly fortunate!” So she named him Gad, [which means ‘fortunate’].
12 Mtumishi wa kike wa Lea akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Later Leah’s slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.
13 Ndipo Lea aliposema, “Jinsi gani nilivyo na furaha! Wanawake wataniita furaha.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Asheri.
Leah said, “Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy.” So she named him Asher, [which means ‘happy].’
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.”
When it was time to harvest wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some (mandrakes/plants that women eat to help them to become pregnant). He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, “Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!”
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.”
But Leah said to her, “No! (It was bad that you stole my husband!/Is it not bad enough that you stole my husband?) [RHQ] Now (are you going to take my son’s mandrake plants?/You want to take my son’s mandrake plants also, [so that you can become pregnant]!)” [RHQ] So Rachel said, “All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son’s mandrake plants.” [So Leah (agreed/gave her some)].
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.
When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some of my son’s mandrakes [that enable women to become pregnant], to pay her for allowing us to do that.” So Jacob slept with her that night.
17 Mungu akamsikiliza Lea, naye akapata mimba akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
God answered Leah’s prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
18 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Mungu amenizawadia kwa kumpa mume wangu mtumishi wangu wa kike.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Isakari.
Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him.” So she named him Issachar, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘reward’].
19 Lea akapata mimba tena akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa sita.
Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
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.
Leah said, “God has given me a precious gift. (This time/Now) my husband will honor/respect me, because I have given birth to six sons for him.” So she named him Zebulon, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘accepted gift’].
21 Baadaye akamzaa mtoto wa kike akamwita Dina.
Later she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 Ndipo Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli, akasikia maombi yake na akafungua tumbo lake.
Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her prayers and enabled her to become pregnant.
23 Akapata mimba na akamzaa mwana na kusema, “Mungu ameniondolea aibu yangu.”
She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has caused that no longer will I be ashamed [for not having children].”
24 Akamwita Yosefu na kusema, “Bwana na anipe mwana mwingine.”
She named him Joseph, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘may he give another’] and she said, ‘want Yahweh to give me another son.’
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yosefu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Nipe ruhusa nirudi katika nchi yangu.
After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now allow me to quit working for you and let me return to my own land.
26 Nipe wake zangu na watoto, ambao nimetumika kuwapata, nami niende zangu. Unajua ni kazi kiasi gani ambayo nimekufanyia.”
You know the work that I have done for you [for a long time to get my wives]. So let me take my wives and my children, and leave.”
27 Lakini Labani akamwambia, “Ikiwa nimepata kibali machoni pako, tafadhali ukae. Nimegundua kwa njia ya uaguzi kwamba Bwana amenibariki kwa sababu yako.”
But Laban said to him, “If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.
28 Akaongeza kumwambia, “Taja ujira wako nami nitakulipa.”
Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you.”
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua jinsi ambavyo nimekutumikia na jinsi ambavyo wanyama wako walivyolishwa vizuri chini ya uangalizi wangu.
Jacob replied, “You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.
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 only a few animals before I came here. But now you have very many, and Yahweh has caused them to increase greatly in number wherever I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family.”
31 Labani akamuuliza, “Nikupe nini?” Yakobo akamjibu, “Usinipe chochote lakini kama utanifanyia jambo hili moja, nitaendelea kuchunga na kuyaangalia makundi yako.
Laban replied, “What do you want me to give you?” Jacob replied, “I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.
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.
Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted, [and keep them for myself]. They 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.”
In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats are neither speckled or spotted, or if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
34 Labani akasema, “Ninakubali na iwe kama ulivyosema.”
Laban agreed and said, “Okay, we will do as you have said.”
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.
But that same day Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them and told his sons to take care of them.
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.
Then he took these flocks and walked a distance of three days, in order that he could be that far from Jacob. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
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 cut some branches of (poplar, almond, and plane trees/three kinds of trees that had white wood). He peeled strips of bark from the branches, so that where the bark had been peeled off, the branches were light in color.
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,
Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the branches would be in front of the flocks when they came to drink.
39 wakapandwa hizo fito zikiwa mbele yao. Wanyama waliopata mimba mbele ya hizo fito walizaa wanyama wenye mistari, madoadoa na mabakabaka.
The animals also mated in front of the branches, and eventually they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.
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.
Furthermore, Jacob separated the female sheep in his flock from the other sheep and goats in Laban’s flock. And when his female sheep mated, he made them look toward the animals that belonged to Laban that had black and white stripes on them, and the dark-colored animals. He did that so that the female sheep would give birth to animals that were striped or dark-colored. By doing that, he made bigger flocks for himself, and he kept them separate from Laban’s flocks.
41 Kila mara wanyama wenye nguvu walipohitaji mbegu, Yakobo aliweka zile fito kwenye mabirika mbele ya hao wanyama, ili wapandwe karibu na hizo fito,
In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.
42 lakini ikiwa wanyama walikuwa wadhaifu hakuziweka hizo fito. Hivyo wanyama wadhaifu wakawa wa Labani, na wanyama wenye nguvu wakawa wa Yakobo.
But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So the weak ones became part of Laban’s flock, and the strong ones became part of Jacob’s flock.
43 Kwa njia hii Yakobo akastawi sana, tena akawa na makundi makubwa, watumishi wa kike na wa kiume na ngamia na punda.
As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks of sheep and goats, and many male and female slaves, and many camels and donkeys.
