Mwanzo 30
1 Raheli alipoona kwamba hamzalii Yakobo watoto, Raheli akamwonea wivu dada yake. Akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, sivyo nitakufa.”
Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any children for Jacob. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, “Enable me to become pregnant and give birth to children. If you do not do that, I [think I will]!”
2 Hasira ya Yakobo ikawaka juu ya Raheli. Akasema, “Mimi ni badala ya Mungu, aliyekuzuilia usipate watoto?
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “(I am not God!/Am I God?) [RHQ] He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!”
3 Akasema, “Tazama, kuna mjakazi wangu Bilha. Lala naye, hivyo aweze kuzaa watoto magotini pangu, nami nitapata watoto kwake.
Then she said, “Look, here is my female slave, Bilhah. (Sleep with/Have sex with) [EUP] her, so that she may become pregnant and give birth to children for me. In that way it will be as though (I have children/her children are mine).”
4 Hivyo akampa Bilha mjakazi kama mke wake, na Yakobo akalala naye.
So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob had sex [EUP] with her.
5 Bilha akashika mimba na kumzalia Yakobo mwana.
She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.
6 Kisha Raheli akasema, “Mungu ameamua kwa faida yangu. Ameyasikiliza maombi yangu na kunipa mwana.” Kwa sababu hiyo akamwita jina lake Dani
Rachel said, “God has (vindicated me/judged my case and has decided that what I have done is right). He has also heard my requests and has given me a son.” So she named him Dan, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘he judged’].
7 Bilha, mjakazi wa Raheli, akashika mimba tena na kumzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Later, Rachel’s slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.
8 Raheli akasema, “Kwa mashindano yenye nguvu nimeshindana na dada yangu na kushinda.” Akamwita jina lake Naftali.
Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son.” So she named him Naphtali, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘struggle’].
9 Lea alipoona kwamba ameacha kuzaa, akamchukua Zilpa, mjakazi wake, na kumpa Yakobo kama mke wake.
When Leah realized that she was not becoming pregnant and giving birth to any more children, she took her female slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.
10 Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
11 Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati njema!” Hivyo akamwita jina lake Gadi.
Leah said, “I am truly fortunate!” So she named him Gad, [which means ‘fortunate’].
12 Kisha Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Later Leah’s slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.
13 Lea akasema, “Nina furaha! Kwa maana mabinti wataniita furaha.” Hivyo akamwita jina lake Asheri.
Leah said, “Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy.” So she named him Asher, [which means ‘happy].’
14 Siku za mavuno ya ngano Rubeni akaenda shambani na kuona tunguja. Akazileta kwa mama yake. Kisha Raheli akamwambia Lea, “Nipe baadhi ya tunguja za mwanao.”
When it was time to harvest wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some (mandrakes/plants that women eat to help them to become pregnant). He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, “Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!”
15 Lea akamwambia, “Je ni jambo dogo kwako, kumchukua mme wangu? Je na sasa unataka kuchukua tunguja za mwanangu pia? Raheli akasema, “Kisha atalala nawe leo usiku, kwa kubadilishana na tunguja za mwanao.
But Leah said to her, “No! (It was bad that you stole my husband!/Is it not bad enough that you stole my husband?) [RHQ] Now (are you going to take my son’s mandrake plants?/You want to take my son’s mandrake plants also, [so that you can become pregnant]!)” [RHQ] So Rachel said, “All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son’s mandrake plants.” [So Leah (agreed/gave her some)].
16 Jioni Yakobo akaja kutoka uwandani. Lea akaenda kumlaki na kusema, “Leo usiku utalala nami, kwani nimekuajiri kwa tunguja za mwanangu.” Hivyo Yakobo akalala na Lea usiku huo.
When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some of my son’s mandrakes [that enable women to become pregnant], to pay her for allowing us to do that.” So Jacob slept with her that night.
17 Mungu akamsikia Lea, na akashika mimba na kumzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
God answered Leah’s prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
18 Lea akasema, “Mungu amenipa ujira wangu, kwa sababu nilimpa mme wangu mjakazi wangu.” Akamwita jina lake Isakari.
Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him.” So she named him Issachar, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘reward’].
19 Lea akashika mimba tena na kuzaa mwana wa tano kwa Yakobo.
Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
20 Lea akasema, “Mungu amenipa zawadi njema. Sasa mme wangu ataniheshimu, kwa sababu nimemzalia wana sita.” Akamwita jina lake Zabuloni.
Leah said, “God has given me a precious gift. (This time/Now) my husband will honor/respect me, because I have given birth to six sons for him.” So she named him Zebulon, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘accepted gift’].
21 Baadaye akazaa binti na kumwita jina lake Dina.
Later she gave birth to a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli na kumsikiliza. Akampa kushika mimba.
Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her prayers and enabled her to become pregnant.
23 Akashika mimba na kuzaa mwana. Akasema, “Mungu ameiondoa aibu yangu.”
She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has caused that no longer will I be ashamed [for not having children].”
24 Akamwita jina lake Yusufu, akisema, Yahwe ameniongeza mwana mwingine.”
She named him Joseph, [which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean ‘may he give another’] and she said, ‘want Yahweh to give me another son.’
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yusufu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Niache niande, ili kwamba niende nyumbani kwetu na katika nchi yangu.
After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now allow me to quit working for you and let me return to my own land.
26 Nipe wake zangu na watoto wangu niliokutumikia kwa ajili yao, na uniache niondoke, kwani unafahamu nilivyokutumikia.
You know the work that I have done for you [for a long time to get my wives]. So let me take my wives and my children, and leave.”
27 Labani akamwambia, “Ikiwa nimepata kibali machoni pako, subiri, kwa sababu nimejifunza kwa kutumia uaguzi kwamba Yahwe amenibariki kwa ajili yako.”
But Laban said to him, “If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.
28 Kisha akasema, “Taja ujira wako, nami nitalipa.”
Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you.”
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua nilivyokutumikia, na jinsi ambavyo mifugo wako wamekuwa nami.
Jacob replied, “You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.
30 Kwani walikuwa wachache kabla sijaja, na wameongezeka kwa wingi. Popote nilipokutumikia Mungu amekubariki. Je ni lini mimi nitaandaa kwa ajili ya nyumba yangu pia?”
You had only a few animals before I came here. But now you have very many, and Yahweh has caused them to increase greatly in number wherever I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family.”
31 Hivyo Labani akasema, “Je nikulipe nini? Yakobo akasema, 'Usinipe chochote. Ikiwa utafanya jambo hili kwa ajili yangu, nitawalisha tena kondoo wako na kuwatunza.
Laban replied, “What do you want me to give you?” Jacob replied, “I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.
32 Niache nipite kati ya kundi lako lote leo, kwa kuondoa kila kondoo mwenye milia na mabaka, na kila kondoo mweusi kati yao, na kati ya wenye mabaka na milia katika mbuzi. Hawa watakuwa ujira wangu.
Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted, [and keep them for myself]. They will be my wages.
33 Uadilifu wangu utashuhudia kwa ajili yangu hapo baadaye, utakapokuja kuangalia ujira wangu. Kila ambaye hana milia na hana madoa miongoni mwa mbuzi, na mweusi kati ya kondoo, ikiwa wataonekana kwangu, watahesabiwa kuwa wameibwa.”
In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats are neither speckled or spotted, or if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
34 Labani akasema, “Nakubali. Na iwe kama yalivyo maneno yako.”
Laban agreed and said, “Okay, we will do as you have said.”
35 Siku hiyo Labani akaondoa mabeberu yaliyokuwa na milia na madoa, na majike ya mbuzi yaliyokuwa na milia na madoa, kila aliyekuwa mweupe, na weusi wote katika mbuzi, akawakabidhi katika mikono ya wanaye.
But that same day Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them and told his sons to take care of them.
36 Pia Labani akaweka safari ya siku tatu kati yake na Yakobo. Hivyo Yakobo akabaki kuchunga wale kondoo wa Labani waliosalia.
Then he took these flocks and walked a distance of three days, in order that he could be that far from Jacob. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Yakobo akachukua matawi mabichi yaliyokatwa ya mipopla, mlozi na mwaramoni mbichi akatoa maganda ili michilizi myeupe ionekane, na akaifanya sehemu nyeupe ya ndani ya mti iliyokuwa ndani ya fito ionekane.
Then Jacob cut some branches of (poplar, almond, and plane trees/three kinds of trees that had white wood). He peeled strips of bark from the branches, so that where the bark had been peeled off, the branches were light in color.
38 Kisha akaziweka fito alizokuwa amezibambua mbele ya makundi ya kondoo, mbele ya mabirika yakunyweshea walipokuja kunywa maji. Wakashika mimba walipokuja kunywa maji.
Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the branches would be in front of the flocks when they came to drink.
39 Wanyama wakapandana mbele ya fito; nao wakazaa watoto wenye milia, mabaka na wenye madoa.
The animals also mated in front of the branches, and eventually they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.
40 Yakobo akawatenga hawa wanakondoo, lakini akawafanya waliosalia kuelekea wanyama wenye milia na kondoo weusi wote katika kundi la Labani. Kisha akayatenga makundi yake mwenyewe pekee na hakuwaweka pamoja na wale wa Labani.
Furthermore, Jacob separated the female sheep in his flock from the other sheep and goats in Laban’s flock. And when his female sheep mated, he made them look toward the animals that belonged to Laban that had black and white stripes on them, and the dark-colored animals. He did that so that the female sheep would give birth to animals that were striped or dark-colored. By doing that, he made bigger flocks for himself, and he kept them separate from Laban’s flocks.
41 Pindi kondoo wenye nguvu katika kundi walipopandana, Yakobo alilaza fito katika mabirika ya maji mbele ya macho ya kundi, ili kwamba washike mimba kati ya fito.
In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.
42 Lakini wakati waliodhaifu walipokuja, hakuweka fito mbele yao. Hivyo wanyama dhaifu wakawa wa Labani, na wenye nguvu wakawa wa Yakobo.
But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So the weak ones became part of Laban’s flock, and the strong ones became part of Jacob’s flock.
43 Mtu huyo akastawi sana. Akawa na kundi kubwa la kondoo, wajakazi na wajoli, ngamia na punda.
As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks of sheep and goats, and many male and female slaves, and many camels and donkeys.
