Mwanzo 35
1 Mungu akamwambia Yakobo, “Inuka, panda kwenda Betheli, na ukae pale. Unijengee madhabahu pale, niliyekutokea pale ulipomkimbia Esau kaka yako.”
[Some time later] God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar to worship me, God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your older 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.
So Jacob said to his household and to all the others who were with him, “Get rid of the idols you brought from Mesopotamia. Also, bathe yourselves and put on clean clothes.
3 Kisha tuondoke na kwenda Betheli. Nitajenga pale madhabahu kwa Mungu, aliyenijibu katika siku ya shida yangu, naye amekuwa pamoja nami kila nilikokwenda.
Then we will get ready and go up to Bethel. There I will make an altar to worship God. He is the one who helped me at the time when I was greatly distressed and afraid, and he has been with me wherever I have gone.”
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.
So they gave to Jacob all the idols that they had brought, and all their earrings. Jacob buried them in the ground under the big oak tree that was near Shechem [town].
5 Kwa kadili walivyo safiri, Mungu akaifanya miji yote iliyokuwa karibu nao kuhofu, hivyo watu hao hawakuwafuatia wana wa Yakobo.
As they prepared to leave there, God caused the people who lived in the cities around them to be extremely afraid of Jacob’s family [PRS], so that they did not pursue and attack them.
6 Hivyo Yakobo akafika Luzu(ndiyo Betheli), ulioko katika nchi ya Kanaani, yeye na watu wote aliokuwa nao.
Jacob and all those who were with him came to Luz, which is now called Bethel, in the Canaan region.
7 Alijenge madhabahu na kuliita eneo hilo El Betheli, kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amejifunua kwake, alipokuwa akimkimbia ndugu yake.
There he built an altar. He named the place El-Bethel, [which means ‘God of Bethel]’, because it was there that God revealed himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his older brother Esau.
8 Debora, mlezi wa Rebeka, akafa. Akazikwa chini kutoka Betheli chini ya mwaloni, hivyo ikaitwa Aloni Bakuthi.
Deborah, who had taken care of Isaac’s wife Rebekah when Rebekah was a small girl, was now very old. She died and was buried under an oak tree south of Bethel. So they named that place Allon-Bacuth, [which means ‘oak of weeping’].
9 Yakobo alipokuja kutoka Padani Aramu, Mungu akamtokea tena na kumbariki.
After Jacob and his family returned from Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia, while they were still at Bethel, God appeared to Jacob again and 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.
God said to him again, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. It will be Israel.” So Jacob was then called ‘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.
Then God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Produce many children. Your descendants will become many nations, and some of your descendants will be kings.
12 Nchi ambayo nilimpa Ibrahimu na Isaka, nitakupa wewe. Nami nitaupa pia uzao wako baada yako nchi hii.”
The land that I promised to give to [your grandfather] Abraham and [your father] Isaac, I will give to you. I will also give it to your descendants.”
13 Mungu akapanda kutoka mahali alipoongea naye.
When God finished talking there with Jacob, he left 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.
Jacob set up a large stone at the place where God had talked with him. He poured some wine and some [olive] oil on it to dedicate it to God.
15 Yakobo akaiita sehemu Mungu aliyoongea naye, Betheli
Jacob named that place Bethel, [which means ‘house of God]’, because God had spoken to him there.
16 Wakaendelea na safari kutoka Betheli. Walipokuwa kitambo kabla ya kufika Efrathi, Raheli akashikwa na uchungu.
Jacob and his family left Bethel and traveled south toward Ephrath [town]. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to have severe childbirth pains.
17 Akawa na utungu mzito. Alipokuwa katika utungu mzito zaidi, mkunga akamwambia, “Usiogope, kwani sasa utapata mtoto mwingine wa kiume.”
When her pain was the most severe, the (midwife/woman who helped her to give birth) said to Rachel, “Do not be afraid, because now you have given birth to another son!”
18 Hata alipokaribia kufa, kwa pumzi yake ya mwisho akamwita jina lake Benoni, lakini baba yake akamwita jina lake Benjamini.
But she was dying, and with her last breath she said, “Name him Benoni,” [which means ‘son of my sorrow]’, but his father named him Benjamin, [which means ‘son of my right hand]’.
19 Raheli akafa na kuzikwa katika njia iendayo Efrathi (ndio Bethlehemu).
After Rachel died, she was buried alongside the road to Ephrath, which is [now called] Bethlehem.
20 Yakobo akaweka nguzo katika kaburi lake. Ndiyo alama ya kaburi la Raheli hata leo.
Jacob set up a large stone over her grave, and it is still there, showing where Rachel’s grave is.
21 Israeli akaendelea na safari na akaweka hema yake kuvuka mnara wa walinzi wa kondoo.
Jacob, whose new name was Israel, continued traveling with his family, and he set up his tents on the south side of the watchtower at Eder [town].
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.
While they were living in that area, Jacob’s son Reuben had sex [EUP] with Bilhah, one of his father’s (concubines/female slaves whom he had taken as a secondary wife). Someone told Jacob about it, and it made him very angry. (I will now give you/Here is) a list of Jacob’s twelve sons.
23 Wanawe kwa Lea walikuwa Rubeni, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yakobo, na Simoni, Lawi, Yuda, Isakari, na Zabuloni.
The sons of Leah were Reuben, who was Jacob’s oldest son, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulon.
24 Wanawe kwa Raheli walikuwa Yusufu na Benjamini.
The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 Wanawe kwa Bilha, mjakazi wa Raheli walikuwa Dani na Naftali.
The sons of Rachel’s female slave Bilhah were 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 Leah’s female slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. All those sons of Jacob, except Benjamin, were born while he was living in Paddan-Aram/Mesopotamia.
27 Yakobo akaja kwa Isaka, baba yake, huko Mamre katika Kiriathi Arba (jina sawa na Hebroni), alipoishi Ibrahimu na Isaka.
Jacob had returned back home to see his father Isaac at Mamre, which is also named Kiriath-Arba, and which is now named Hebron. Isaac’s father Abraham had also lived there.
28 Isaka akaishi miaka mia moja na themanini.
Isaac lived until he was 180 years old.
29 Isaka akapumua pumzi yake ya mwisho na akafa, na akakusanywa kwa wahenga wake, na mtu mzee amejaa siku. Esau na Yakobo, wanawe, wakamzika.
He was very old when he died, joining his ancestors who had died previously. His sons Esau and Jacob buried his body.
