< Mwanzo 30 >

1 Raheli alipoona hamzalii Yakobo watoto, akamwonea ndugu yake wivu. Hivyo akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, la sivyo nitakufa!”
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”
2 Yakobo akamkasirikia, akamwambia, “Je, mimi ni badala ya Mungu, ambaye amekuzuia usizae watoto?”
Jacob’s anger burnt against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the 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.”
She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
4 Hivyo Raheli akampa Yakobo Bilha awe mke wake. Yakobo akakutana naye kimwili,
She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5 Bilha akapata mimba, naye akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
Bilhah conceived, 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 judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.
7 Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8 Ndipo Raheli akasema, “Nilikuwa na mashindano makubwa na ndugu yangu, nami nimeshinda.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Naftali.
Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
9 Lea alipoona kuwa amekoma kuzaa watoto, alimchukua mtumishi wake wa kike Zilpa, naye akampa Yakobo awe mke wake.
When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10 Mtumishi wa Lea yaani Zilpa, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.
11 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati nzuri aje!” Kwa hiyo akamwita Gadi.
Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.
12 Mtumishi wa kike wa Lea akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.
13 Ndipo Lea aliposema, “Jinsi gani nilivyo na furaha! Wanawake wataniita furaha.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Asheri.
Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named 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.”
Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some 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.”
Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes, also?” Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for 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.
Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
17 Mungu akamsikiliza Lea, naye akapata mimba akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Ndipo Lea akasema, “Mungu amenizawadia kwa kumpa mume wangu mtumishi wangu wa kike.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Isakari.
Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.
19 Lea akapata mimba tena akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa sita.
Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to 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 endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun.
21 Baadaye akamzaa mtoto wa kike akamwita Dina.
Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 Ndipo Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli, akasikia maombi yake na akafungua tumbo lake.
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23 Akapata mimba na akamzaa mwana na kusema, “Mungu ameniondolea aibu yangu.”
She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Akamwita Yosefu na kusema, “Bwana na anipe mwana mwingine.”
She named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add another son to me.”
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yosefu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Nipe ruhusa nirudi katika nchi yangu.
When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
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, and let me go; for you know my service 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, “If now I have found favour in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake.”
28 Akaongeza kumwambia, “Taja ujira wako nami nitakulipa.”
He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua jinsi ambavyo nimekutumikia na jinsi ambavyo wanyama wako walivyolishwa vizuri chini ya uangalizi wangu.
Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30 Kidogo ulichokuwa nacho kabla sijaja kimeongezeka sana, naye Bwana amekubariki popote nilipokuwa. Lakini sasa, ni lini nitashughulikia mambo ya nyumba yangu mwenyewe?”
For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. The LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31 Labani akamuuliza, “Nikupe nini?” Yakobo akamjibu, “Usinipe chochote lakini kama utanifanyia jambo hili moja, nitaendelea kuchunga na kuyaangalia makundi yako.
Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
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.
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one amongst the sheep, and the spotted and speckled amongst the goats. This will be my hire.
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.”
So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted amongst the goats, and black amongst the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.”
34 Labani akasema, “Ninakubali na iwe kama ulivyosema.”
Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
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.
That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones amongst the sheep, and gave them into the hand 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.
He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed 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.
Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
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,
He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived 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 flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
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.
Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks towards the streaked and all the black in Laban’s flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.
41 Kila mara wanyama wenye nguvu walipohitaji mbegu, Yakobo aliweka zile fito kwenye mabirika mbele ya hao wanyama, ili wapandwe karibu na hizo fito,
Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive amongst the rods;
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 flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43 Kwa njia hii Yakobo akastawi sana, tena akawa na makundi makubwa, watumishi wa kike na wa kiume na ngamia na punda.
The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

< Mwanzo 30 >