Mwanzo 35
1 Kisha Mungu akamwambia Yakobo, “Panda uende Betheli ukakae huko na ukamjengee Mungu madhabahu huko, Yeye aliyekutokea ulipokuwa unamkimbia Esau ndugu yako.”
In the meantime God said to Jacob: Arise, and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau thy brother.
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.
And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed and 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, that we may make there an altar to God: who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompanied me in 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.
So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.
5 Kisha wakaondoka, na hofu ya Mungu ikawapata miji yote iliyowazunguka. Kwa hiyo hakuna aliyewafuatia wana wa Yakobo.
And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.
6 Yakobo na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye wakafika Luzu (ndio Betheli), katika nchi ya Kanaani.
And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were 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 there an altar, and called the name of that place, The 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.
At the same time Debora the nurse of Rebecca died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel under an oak: and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.
9 Baada ya Yakobo kurudi kutoka Padan-Aramu, Mungu alimtokea tena na kumbariki.
And 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: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. 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 said to him: I am God Almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.
12 Nchi niliyowapa Abrahamu na Isaki nakupa wewe pia, nami nitawapa wazao wako baada yako.”
And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.
13 Kisha Mungu akapanda juu kutoka kwake mahali pale alipozungumza naye.
And he departed from him.
14 Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo ya jiwe mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye, akamimina sadaka ya kinywaji juu yake, pia akamimina mafuta juu yake.
But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:
15 Yakobo akapaita mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye Betheli.
And calling 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.
And going forth from thence, he came in the springtime to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,
17 Alipokuwa katika shida hii katika kujifungua, mkunga akamwambia, “Usiogope, kwa sababu umempata mwana mwingine.”
By reason of her hard labour she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.
18 Hapo alipopumua pumzi yake ya mwisho, kwa maana alikuwa akifa, akamwita mwanawe Benoni. Lakini babaye akamwita Benyamini.
And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, The son of my pain: but 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).
So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.
20 Juu ya kaburi lake, Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo, ambayo mpaka leo inatambulisha kaburi la Raheli.
And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel’s monument, to this day.
21 Israeli akaendelea tena na safari yake na kupiga hema mbele mnara wa Ederi.
Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.
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 dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala, the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. 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 Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.
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 Bala, Rachel’s handmaid: Dan and Nephtali.
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 Zelpha, Lia’s handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that 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 he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 Isaki aliishi miaka 180.
And the days of Isaac were a 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 spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
