Mwanzo 28
1 Isaka akamwita Yakobo, akambariki, na kumwagiza, “Usichukuwe mwanamke katika wanawake wa Kikanaani.
Then Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, —and commanded him and said to him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
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, go thy way to Padan-aram to the house of Bethuel, thy mother’s father, —and take thee from thence a wife, of the daughters of Laban, thy mother’s brother.
3 Mungu Mwenyezi na akubariki, akupe uzao na akuzidishe, hata uwe wingi wa watu.
And, GOD Almighty, bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, so shalt thou become a multitude 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 thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee, —that thou mayest possess the land of thy sojournings, which 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 away Jacob, and he took his journey to Padan-aram, —unto Laban son of Bethuel, the Syrian, brother of Rebekah, 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 beheld that Isaac, when he blessed Jacob, and sent him to Padan-aram, to take to himself from thence a wife, that in blessing him, he laid command upon him, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
7 Esau pia akaona kwamba Yakobo alikuwa amemtii baba yake na mama yake, na alikuwa amekwenda Padani Aramu.
And that Jacob hearkened unto his father and unto his mother, —and took his journey to Padan-aram.
8 Esau akaona kwamba wanawake wa Kanaani hawakumpendeza Isaka baba yake.
So then Esau beheld that displeasing, were the daughters of Caanan, —in the eyes of Isaac his father:
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 therefore went unto Ishmael, —and took Mahalath daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham sister of Nebaioth, to himself to wife, in addition to the wives that he had.
10 Yakobo akatoka Beersheba na akaelekea Harani.
So Jacob went forth from Beer-sheba, and journeyed towards 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.
And he lighted on a place, and tarried the night there, because the sun had gone in, —and he took of the stones of the place, and put for his pillow, and lay down 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 he dreamed, and lo! a stairway, planted earthwards, with, its top, reaching towards the heavens, —and lo! messengers of God, ascending and descending thereon;
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 lo! Yahweh, standing by him, —and he said, I, am Yahweh, God of Abraham thy father and God of Isaac, —The land whereon, thou, art lying, to thee, will I give it and to thy 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 thy seed shall become as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt break forth westward and eastward, and northward and southward, —And all the families of the ground shall be blessed in thee and in thy seed.
15 Tazama, mimi nipo nawe, na nitakulinda kila uendako, Nitakurudisha katika nchi hii tena; kwani sitakuacha. Nitafanya kila nililokuahidi.”
Lo! then, I, am with thee, so will I keep thee in every place whithersoever thou mayest go, and will bring thee back unto this soil, —For I will not forsake thee until I have done that of which I have spoken to thee.
16 Yakobo akaamka katika usingizi, na akasema, “Hakika Yahwe yupo mahali hapa, sikujua hili.”
And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and said. Surely, Yahweh was 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 feared and said, How fearful is this place! None other this, than the house of God! Nor this than the gate of the heavens
18 Yakobo akaamka mapema asubuhi na akachukua jiwe alilokuwa ameliweka chini ya kichwa chake. Akaliweka kama nguzo na kumimina mafuta juu yake.
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he had put for his pillow, and put it for a pillar, —and poured out oil upon the top thereof;
19 Akapaita pale Betheli, lakini jina la kawaida la mji lilikuwa Luzu.
and called the name of that place—Beth-el, —nevertheless, Luz, was the name of the city, aforetime.
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 God will be with me, and will keep me in this way whereon, 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 I come back in prosperity unto the house of my father, Then will Yahweh prove to 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 which I have put for a pillar, shall be the house of God, —And, of all which thou shalt give me, a tenth, will I tithe unto thee.
