Mwanzo 35
1 Mungu akamwambia Yakobo, “Inuka, panda kwenda Betheli, na ukae pale. Unijengee madhabahu pale, niliyekutokea pale ulipomkimbia Esau kaka yako.”
About this time, God said to Jacob, “Arise and go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
2 Kisha Yakobo akawambia nyumba yake na wote aliokuwa nao, “Wekeni mbali miungu yote ya kigeni iliyo kati yenu, jitakaseni wenyewe, na kubadili mavazi yenu.
In truth, Jacob, having called together all his house, said: “Cast away the foreign gods that are in your midst and be cleansed, and also change your garments.
3 Kisha tuondoke na kwenda Betheli. Nitajenga pale madhabahu kwa Mungu, aliyenijibu katika siku ya shida yangu, naye amekuwa pamoja nami kila nilikokwenda.
Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, so that we may make an altar there to God, who heeded me in the day of my tribulation, and who accompanied me on my journey.”
4 Hivyo wakampa Yakobo miungu yote ya kigeni iliyokuwa mikononi mwao, na heleni zilizokuwa katika masikio yao. Yakobo akazifukia chini ya mwaloni uliokuwa karibu na Shekemu.
Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.
5 Kwa kadili walivyo safiri, Mungu akaifanya miji yote iliyokuwa karibu nao kuhofu, hivyo watu hao hawakuwafuatia wana wa Yakobo.
And when they had set out, the terror of God invaded all the surrounding cities, and they dared not pursue them as they withdrew.
6 Hivyo Yakobo akafika Luzu(ndiyo Betheli), ulioko katika nchi ya Kanaani, yeye na watu wote aliokuwa nao.
And so, Jacob arrived at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, also named Bethel: he and all the people with him.
7 Alijenge madhabahu na kuliita eneo hilo El Betheli, kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amejifunua kwake, alipokuwa akimkimbia ndugu yake.
And he built an altar there, and he called the name of that place, ‘House of God.’ For there, God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.
8 Debora, mlezi wa Rebeka, akafa. Akazikwa chini kutoka Betheli chini ya mwaloni, hivyo ikaitwa Aloni Bakuthi.
About the same time, Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried at the base of Bethel, under an oak tree. And the name of that place was called, ‘Oak of Weeping.’
9 Yakobo alipokuja kutoka Padani Aramu, Mungu akamtokea tena na kumbariki.
Then God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,
10 Mungu akamwambia, “Jina lako ni Yakobo, lakini jina lako halitakuwa Yakobo tena. Jina lako litakuwa Israeli.” Hivyo Mungu akamwita jina lake Israeli.
saying: “You will no longer be called Jacob, for your name shall be Israel.” And he called him Israel,
11 Mungu akamwambia, “Mimi ni Mungu Mwenyezi, Uwe mwenye kuzaa na kuongezeka. Taifa na wingi wa mataifa watakujia, na wafalme watatoka miongoni mwa uzao wako.
and he said to him: “I am Almighty God: increase and multiply. Tribes and peoples of nations will be from you, and kings will go forth from your loins.
12 Nchi ambayo nilimpa Ibrahimu na Isaka, nitakupa wewe. Nami nitaupa pia uzao wako baada yako nchi hii.”
And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your offspring after you.”
13 Mungu akapanda kutoka mahali alipoongea naye.
And he withdrew from him.
14 Yakobo akaweka nguzo katika eneo ambalo Mungu alikuwa ameongea naye, nguzo ya jiwe. Akamimina juu yake sadaka ya kinywaji na akamimina mafuta juu yake.
In truth, he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out libations over it, and pouring oil,
15 Yakobo akaiita sehemu Mungu aliyoongea naye, Betheli
and he called the name of that place, ‘Bethel.’
16 Wakaendelea na safari kutoka Betheli. Walipokuwa kitambo kabla ya kufika Efrathi, Raheli akashikwa na uchungu.
Then, departing from there, he arrived in springtime at the land that leads to Ephrath. And there, when Rachel was giving birth,
17 Akawa na utungu mzito. Alipokuwa katika utungu mzito zaidi, mkunga akamwambia, “Usiogope, kwani sasa utapata mtoto mwingine wa kiume.”
because it was a difficult birth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”
18 Hata alipokaribia kufa, kwa pumzi yake ya mwisho akamwita jina lake Benoni, lakini baba yake akamwita jina lake Benjamini.
Then, when her life was departing because of the pain, and death was now imminent, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain. Yet truly, his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.
19 Raheli akafa na kuzikwa katika njia iendayo Efrathi (ndio Bethlehemu).
And so Rachel died, and she was buried in the way that leads to Ephrath: this place is Bethlehem.
20 Yakobo akaweka nguzo katika kaburi lake. Ndiyo alama ya kaburi la Raheli hata leo.
And Jacob erected a monument over her sepulcher. This is the monument to Rachel’s tomb, even to the present day.
21 Israeli akaendelea na safari na akaweka hema yake kuvuka mnara wa walinzi wa kondoo.
Departing from there, he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of the Flock.
22 Yakobo alipokuwa akiishi katika nchi hiyo, Rubeni akalala na Bilha suria wa baba yake, na Israeli akasikia kuhusu hilo. Basi Yakobo alikuwa na wana kumi na mbili.
And when he was living in that region, Reuben went out, and he slept with Bilhah the concubine of his father, which was not such a small matter as to be hidden from him. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23 Wanawe kwa Lea walikuwa Rubeni, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yakobo, na Simoni, Lawi, Yuda, Isakari, na Zabuloni.
The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 Wanawe kwa Raheli walikuwa Yusufu na Benjamini.
The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 Wanawe kwa Bilha, mjakazi wa Raheli walikuwa Dani na Naftali.
The sons of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali.
26 Wana wa Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, walikuwa Gadi na Asheri. Hawa wote walikuwa wana wa Yakobo waliozaliwa kwake huko Padani Aramu.
The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.
27 Yakobo akaja kwa Isaka, baba yake, huko Mamre katika Kiriathi Arba (jina sawa na Hebroni), alipoishi Ibrahimu na Isaka.
And then he went to his father Isaac in Mamre, the city of Arba: this place is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 Isaka akaishi miaka mia moja na themanini.
And the days of Isaac were completed: one hundred and eighty years.
29 Isaka akapumua pumzi yake ya mwisho na akafa, na akakusanywa kwa wahenga wake, na mtu mzee amejaa siku. Esau na Yakobo, wanawe, wakamzika.
And being consumed by old age, he died. And he was placed with his people, being old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.
