Mwanzo 35
1 Kisha Mungu akamwambia Yakobo, “Panda uende Betheli ukakae huko na ukamjengee Mungu madhabahu huko, Yeye aliyekutokea ulipokuwa unamkimbia Esau ndugu yako.”
About this time, God said to Jacob, “Arise and go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
2 Hivyo Yakobo akawaambia watu wa nyumbani mwake pamoja na wote waliokuwa naye, “Iondoeni miungu ya kigeni ile iliyoko katikati yenu, jitakaseni na mkabadilishe nguo zenu.
In truth, Jacob, having called together all his house, said: “Cast away the foreign gods that are in your midst and be cleansed, and also change your garments.
3 Kisha njooni, twende Betheli, mahali nitakapomjengea Mungu madhabahu, aliyenijibu katika siku ya shida yangu, ambaye amekuwa pamoja nami popote nilipokwenda.”
Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, so that we may make an altar there to God, who heeded me in the day of my tribulation, and who accompanied me on my journey.”
4 Kwa hiyo wakampa Yakobo miungu yote ya kigeni waliyokuwa nayo, pamoja na pete zilizokuwa masikioni mwao. Yakobo akavizika chini ya mti wa mwaloni huko Shekemu.
Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.
5 Kisha wakaondoka, na hofu ya Mungu ikawapata miji yote iliyowazunguka. Kwa hiyo hakuna aliyewafuatia wana wa Yakobo.
And when they had set out, the terror of God invaded all the surrounding cities, and they dared not pursue them as they withdrew.
6 Yakobo na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye wakafika Luzu (ndio Betheli), katika nchi ya Kanaani.
And so, Jacob arrived at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, also named Bethel: he and all the people with him.
7 Huko akajenga madhabahu na akapaita mahali pale El-Betheli, kwa sababu mahali pale ndipo Mungu alipojifunua kwake alipokuwa akimkimbia ndugu yake.
And he built an altar there, and he called the name of that place, ‘House of God.’ For there, God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.
8 Wakati huu Debora, mlezi wa Rebeka, akafa na akazikwa chini ya mti wa mwaloni ulioko chini ya Betheli. Kwa hiyo pakaitwa Alon-Bakuthi.
About the same time, Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried at the base of Bethel, under an oak tree. And the name of that place was called, ‘Oak of Weeping.’
9 Baada ya Yakobo kurudi kutoka Padan-Aramu, Mungu alimtokea tena na kumbariki.
Then God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,
10 Mungu akamwambia, “Jina lako ni Yakobo, lakini hutaitwa tena Yakobo, jina lako utakuwa Israeli.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Israeli.
saying: “You will no longer be called Jacob, for your name shall be Israel.” And he called him Israel,
11 Mungu akamwambia, “Mimi ndimi Mungu Mwenyezi, ukazae na kuongezeka. Taifa na jamii ya mataifa itatoka kwako, nao wafalme watatoka viunoni mwako.
and he said to him: “I am Almighty God: increase and multiply. Tribes and peoples of nations will be from you, and kings will go forth from your loins.
12 Nchi niliyowapa Abrahamu na Isaki nakupa wewe pia, nami nitawapa wazao wako baada yako.”
And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your offspring after you.”
13 Kisha Mungu akapanda juu kutoka kwake mahali pale alipozungumza naye.
And he withdrew from him.
14 Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo ya jiwe mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye, akamimina sadaka ya kinywaji juu yake, pia akamimina mafuta juu yake.
In truth, he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out libations over it, and pouring oil,
15 Yakobo akapaita mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye Betheli.
and he called the name of that place, ‘Bethel.’
16 Kisha wakaondoka Betheli. Walipokuwa umbali fulani kabla ya kufika Efrathi, Raheli akaanza kusikia uchungu na alipata shida kuu.
Then, departing from there, he arrived in springtime at the land that leads to Ephrath. And there, when Rachel was giving birth,
17 Alipokuwa katika shida hii katika kujifungua, mkunga akamwambia, “Usiogope, kwa sababu umempata mwana mwingine.”
because it was a difficult birth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”
18 Hapo alipopumua pumzi yake ya mwisho, kwa maana alikuwa akifa, akamwita mwanawe Benoni. Lakini babaye akamwita Benyamini.
Then, when her life was departing because of the pain, and death was now imminent, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain. Yet truly, his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.
19 Kwa hiyo Raheli akafa, akazikwa kando ya njia iendayo Efrathi (ndio Bethlehemu).
And so Rachel died, and she was buried in the way that leads to Ephrath: this place is Bethlehem.
20 Juu ya kaburi lake, Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo, ambayo mpaka leo inatambulisha kaburi la Raheli.
And Jacob erected a monument over her sepulcher. This is the monument to Rachel’s tomb, even to the present day.
21 Israeli akaendelea tena na safari yake na kupiga hema mbele mnara wa Ederi.
Departing from there, he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of the Flock.
22 Wakati Israeli alipokuwa akiishi katika nchi ile, Reubeni mwanawe alikutana kimwili na suria wa baba yake aitwaye Bilha, naye Israeli akasikia jambo hili. Yakobo alikuwa na wana kumi na wawili:
And when he was living in that region, Reuben went out, and he slept with Bilhah the concubine of his father, which was not such a small matter as to be hidden from him. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23 Wana wa Lea walikuwa: Reubeni mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yakobo, Simeoni, Lawi, Yuda, Isakari na Zabuloni.
The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 Wana wa Raheli walikuwa: Yosefu na Benyamini.
The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 Wana waliozaliwa na Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli walikuwa: Dani na Naftali.
The sons of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali.
26 Wana waliozaliwa na Zilpa mtumishi wa kike wa Lea walikuwa: Gadi na Asheri. Hawa walikuwa wana wa Yakobo, waliozaliwa kwake akiwa Padan-Aramu.
The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.
27 Yakobo akarudi nyumbani kwa baba yake Isaki huko Mamre, karibu na Kiriath-Arba (yaani Hebroni), ambapo walikuwa wameishi Abrahamu na Isaki.
And then he went to his father Isaac in Mamre, the city of Arba: this place is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 Isaki aliishi miaka 180.
And the days of Isaac were completed: one hundred and eighty years.
29 Kisha Isaki akapumua pumzi yake ya mwisho akafa, akakusanywa pamoja na watu wake akiwa mzee wa miaka mingi. Nao wanawe Esau na Yakobo wakamzika.
And being consumed by old age, he died. And he was placed with his people, being old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.
