< Mwanzo 28 >
1 Isaka akamwita Yakobo, akambariki, na kumwagiza, “Usichukuwe mwanamke katika wanawake wa Kikanaani.
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded.
2 Inuka, nenda Padani Aramu, katika nyumba ya Bethueli baba wa mama yako, na uchukue mwanamke pale, mmojawapo wa binti za Labani, kaka wa mama yako.
“Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3 Mungu Mwenyezi na akubariki, akupe uzao na akuzidishe, hata uwe wingi wa watu.
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.
4 Na akupe baraka ya Ibrahimu, wewe, na uzao wako baada yako, kwamba uweze kumilki nchi ambapo umekuwa ukiishi, ambayo Mungu alimpa Ibrahimu.”
And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 Hivyo Isaka akamwondoa Yakobo. Yakobo akaenda Padani Aramu, kwa Labani mwana wa Bethueli Mwaramu, kaka wa Rebeka, mama yao Yakobo na Esau.
So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Basi Esau alipoona kwamba Isaka amembariki Yakobo na kumpeleka Padani Aramu, kuchukua mke kutoka pale. Lakini pia akaona kwamba Isaka alikuwa amembariki na kumwagiza, akisema, “Usichukue mke katika wanawake wa Kanaani.”
Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife there, commanding him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”
7 Esau pia akaona kwamba Yakobo alikuwa amemtii baba yake na mama yake, na alikuwa amekwenda Padani Aramu.
and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram.
8 Esau akaona kwamba wanawake wa Kanaani hawakumpendeza Isaka baba yake.
And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
9 Hivyo akaenda kwa Ishmaeli, na kuchukua, mbali na wake aliokuwa nao, Mahalathi binti Ishmaeli, mwana wa Ibrahimu, dada wa Nebayothi, kuwa mke wake.
Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
10 Yakobo akatoka Beersheba na akaelekea Harani.
Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.
11 Akaja mahali fulani na akakaa pale usiku kucha, kwa kuwa jua lilikuwa limekuchwa. Akachukua mojawapo ya mawe katika eneo hilo, akaliweka chini ya kichwa chake, na akalala usingizi katika eneo hilo.
On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
12 Akaota na kuona ngazi imewekwa juu ya nchi. Ncha yake ilifika hata mbinguni na malaika wa Mungu walikuwa wakishuka na kupanda juu yake.
And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.
13 Tazama, Yahwe amesimama juu yake na kusema, “Mimi ni Yahwe, Mungu wa Ibrahimu baba yako, na Mungu wa Isaka. Nchi uliyolala juu yake, nitakupa wewe na uzao wako.
And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
14 Uzao wako utakuwa kama mavumbi ya ardhi, na utaenea mbali kuelekea magharibi, mashariki, kaskazini, na kusini. Kupitia kwako na kupitia uzao wako familia zote za dunia zitabarikiwa.
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
15 Tazama, mimi nipo nawe, na nitakulinda kila uendako, Nitakurudisha katika nchi hii tena; kwani sitakuacha. Nitafanya kila nililokuahidi.”
Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 Yakobo akaamka katika usingizi, na akasema, “Hakika Yahwe yupo mahali hapa, sikujua hili.”
When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.”
17 Akaogopa na kusema, “Eneo hili linatisha kama nini! Hili sio kingine zaidi ya nyumba ya Mungu. Hili ni lango la mbinguni.”
And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”
18 Yakobo akaamka mapema asubuhi na akachukua jiwe alilokuwa ameliweka chini ya kichwa chake. Akaliweka kama nguzo na kumimina mafuta juu yake.
Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,
19 Akapaita pale Betheli, lakini jina la kawaida la mji lilikuwa Luzu.
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
20 Yakobo akatoa nadhiri, kusema, “Ikiwa Mungu atakuwa nami na atanilinda katika njia nipitayo, na atanipa mkate wa kula, na mavazi ya kuvaa,
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
21 hata nikarudi salama katika nyumba ya baba yangu, ndipo Yahwe atakapokuwa Mungu wangu.
so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.
22 Kisha jiwe hili nililoliweka kama nguzo litakuwa jiwe takatifu. Kutoka katika kila utakachonipa, kwa hakika nitakupa tena sehemu ya kumi.”
And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”