< Mwanzo 28 >
1 Isaka akamwita Yakobo, akambariki, na kumwagiza, “Usichukuwe mwanamke katika wanawake wa Kikanaani.
And Isaac having called for Jacob, blessed him, and charged him, saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of the Chananites.
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.
Rise and depart quickly into Mesopotamia, to the house of Bathuel the father of your mother, and take to yourself thence a wife of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
3 Mungu Mwenyezi na akubariki, akupe uzao na akuzidishe, hata uwe wingi wa watu.
And may my God bless you, and increase you, and multiply you, and you shall become gatherings of nations.
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 you the blessing of my father Abraam, even to you and to your seed after you, to inherit the land of your sojourning, which God gave to Abraam.
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 away Jacob, and he went into Mesopotamia to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebecca 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.”
And Esau saw that Isaac blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Mesopotamia of Syria as he blessed him, to take to himself a wife thence, and [that] he charged him, saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of the Chananites;
7 Esau pia akaona kwamba Yakobo alikuwa amemtii baba yake na mama yake, na alikuwa amekwenda Padani Aramu.
and [that] Jacob listened to his father and his mother, and went to Mesopotamia of Syria.
8 Esau akaona kwamba wanawake wa Kanaani hawakumpendeza Isaka baba yake.
And Esau also having seen that the daughters of Chanaan were evil before his father Isaac,
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 Ismael, and took Maeleth the daughter of Ismael, the son of Abraam, the sister of Nabeoth, a wife in addition to his [other] wives.
10 Yakobo akatoka Beersheba na akaelekea Harani.
And Jacob went forth from the well of the oath, and departed into Charrhan.
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.
And came to a certain place and slept there, for the sun had gone down; and he took [one] of the stones of the place, and put it at his head, and lay down to sleep in that place,
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 dreamed, and behold a ladder fixed on the earth, whose top reached to heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended on it.
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 the Lord stood upon it, and said, I am the God of your father Abraam, and the God of Isaac; fear not, the land on which you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
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.
And your seed shall be as the sand of the earth; and it shall spread abroad to the sea, and the south, and the north, and to the east; and in you and in your seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed.
15 Tazama, mimi nipo nawe, na nitakulinda kila uendako, Nitakurudisha katika nchi hii tena; kwani sitakuacha. Nitafanya kila nililokuahidi.”
And behold I am with you to preserve you continually in all the way wherein you shall go; and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not desert you, until I have done all that I have said to you.
16 Yakobo akaamka katika usingizi, na akasema, “Hakika Yahwe yupo mahali hapa, sikujua hili.”
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.
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 fearful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and 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.
And Jacob rose up in the morning, and took the stone he [had] laid there by his head, and he set it up [as] a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it.
19 Akapaita pale Betheli, lakini jina la kawaida la mji lilikuwa Luzu.
And he called the name of that place, the House of God; and the name of the city before was Ulam-luz.
20 Yakobo akatoa nadhiri, kusema, “Ikiwa Mungu atakuwa nami na atanilinda katika njia nipitayo, na atanipa mkate wa kula, na mavazi ya kuvaa,
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If the Lord God will be with me, and guard me throughout on this journey, on which I am going, and give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 hata nikarudi salama katika nyumba ya baba yangu, ndipo Yahwe atakapokuwa Mungu wangu.
and bring me back in safety to the house of my father, then shall the Lord be for a God to me.
22 Kisha jiwe hili nililoliweka kama nguzo litakuwa jiwe takatifu. Kutoka katika kila utakachonipa, kwa hakika nitakupa tena sehemu ya kumi.”
And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be to me a house of God; and of all whatever you shall give me, I will tithe a tenth for you.