UGenesisi 31:1-55
31 Ngokuya kwesikhathi wezwa lokho okwakukhulunywa ngamadodana kaLabhani esithi: “UJakhobe usethethe zonke izinto zikababa njalo yonke inotho yakhe uyibuthelele ngezinto ezivela empahleni kababa.”+
2 Kanti njalo uJakhobe wayesithi nxa ekhangela ubuso bukaLabhani abone ukuthi wayesetshintshile engasamthandi njengakuqala.+
3 UJehova wasesithi kuJakhobe: “Buyela elizweni laboyihlo lasezihlotsheni zakho,+ mina ngizaqhubeka ngilawe.”
4 UJakhobe wasethumela umbiko kuRasheli loLeya ebatshela ukuthi babuye emadlelweni lapho okwakulemihlambi yakhe khona,
5 wathi kubo:
“Ngiyabona sibili ukuthi indlela uyihlo angikhangela ngayo isitshintshile, kasangithandi njengakuqala,+ kodwa uNkulunkulu kababa ubelokhu elami.+
6 Lani likwazi mhlophe ukuthi uyihlo ngimsebenzele ngamandla ami wonke.+
7 Uyihlo ubelokhu ezama ukungiqila njalo watshintsha lomholo wami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi, lanxa kunjalo uNkulunkulu kazange amvumele ukuthi angilimaze.
8 Kwakusithi nxa angangitshela athi, ‘Ezilamatshathatshatha yizo ezizakuba ngumholo wakho,’ umhlambi wonke uzale ezilamatshatha. Kuthi nxa angathi, ‘Ezilemizilazila yizo ezizakuba ngumholo wakho,’ umhlambi wonke uzale ezilemizilazila.+
9 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wayelokhu ethatha izifuyo zikayihlo engipha zona.
10 Ngelinye ilanga umhlambi wathi usudabule, ngaba lephupho, ngabona ukuthi impongo ezazilandela ezinsikazi emhlambini yilezo ezazilemizilazila lamatshathatshatha kanye lamachathachatha.+
11 Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso yasikhuluma lami ephutsheni yathi, ‘Jakhobe!’ mina ngathi, ‘Ngilapha.’
12 Yaqhubeka yathi, ‘Ngicela uphakamise amehlo akho, uzabona ukuthi zonke impongo ezilandela ezinsikazi emhlambini ngezilemizilazila lamatshathatshatha kanye lamachathachatha, ngoba ngikubonile konke uLabhani akwenzayo kuwe.+
13 NginguNkulunkulu weqiniso waseBhetheli+ lapho owagcoba khona insika ngamafutha, wenza lesifungo kimi.+ Khathesi suka uphume elizweni leli ubuyele elizweni owazalelwa kulo.’”+
14 URasheli loLeya bathi kuye: “Kambe sisesekhona yini isabelo esingaba lilifa lethu endlini kababa?
15 Sesibalwa njengabezizweni kuye. Phela wasithengisa kuwe futhi lemali esayikhitshelwayo ubelokhu eyisebenzisa.+
16 Yonke inotho uNkulunkulu ayithethe kubaba ngeyethu labantwabethu.+ Ngakho yenza konke uNkulunkulu athe ukwenze.”+
17 Ngemva kwalokho uJakhobe wasukuma wagadisa abantwabakhe lamakhosikazi akhe phezu kwamakamela,+
18 waqalisa ukuqhuba yonke imihlambi yakhe, zonke nje izifuyo zakhe+ ayezithole ngesikhathi esePhadani-aramu, wathwala lazo zonke impahla ayeselazo waqonda elizweni laseKhenani kuyise u-Isaka.+
19 Ngalesosikhathi uLabhani wayehambe wayagela izimvu zakhe, uRasheli wasetshontsha izithombe zamatherafimu*+ ezazingezikayise.+
20 Kanti njalo uJakhobe wamhlakaniphela uLabhani um-Aramu ngoba kazange amtshele ukuthi usehamba.
21 Wabaleka lakho konke ayelakho wachapha umfula,*+ waseqonda esabelweni seGiliyadi+ ezintabeni.
22 Ngelanga lesithathu uLabhani watshelwa ukuthi uJakhobe usebalekile.
23 Ngakho uLabhani wathatha abafowabo* bahamba umango wamalanga ayisikhombisa bemlandela waze wamthola esabelweni seGiliyadi ezintabeni.
24 UNkulunkulu wasefika kuLabhani um-Aramu+ ephutsheni ebusuku+ wathi kuye: “Nanzelela okutshoyo kuJakhobe kungelani lokuthi kuhle kumbe kubi.”+
25 Ngakho uLabhani wamlanda uJakhobe futhi uJakhobe wayemise itende lakhe entabeni. ULabhani yena wayefike wakhempa labafowabo esabelweni seGiliyadi ezintabeni.
26 ULabhani wasesithi kuJakhobe: “Kuyini lokhu okwenzileyo? Kungani ukhethe ukungiqila wathatha amadodakazi ami wahamba lawo angathi ngabantu abathunjwe empini?
27 Kungani ungiqilile wasuka ungangitshelanga? Aluba ubungitshelile bengizakuvalelisa ngentokozo langezingoma, sitshaya amathamborini lamahabhu.*
28 Kodwa awuzange unginike ithuba lokuqabuza abazukulu bami* lamadodakazi ami. Wenze ubuthutha.
29 Ngilawo amandla okwenza okubi kuwe kodwa uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulume lami izolo ebusuku wathi, ‘Nanzelela okutshoyo kuJakhobe kungelani lokuthi kuhle kumbe kubi.’+
30 Ngiyabona ukuthi ubusukufuna ngabomvu ukubuyela emzini kayihlo yikho usukile wahamba. Pho onkulunkulu+ bami bona ubatshontsheleni?”
31 UJakhobe waphendula uLabhani wathi: “Ngisuke ngingakutshelanga ngoba bengisesaba njalo bengicabanga ukuthi ungangithathela amadodakazi akho ngenkani.
32 Loba ngubani ozamthola elabonkulunkulu bakho kasoze aphile. Dinga ezintweni engilazo abafowethu bekhangele, ubusuthatha okungokwakho.” Kodwa uJakhobe wayengakwazi ukuthi uRasheli nguye owayetshontshe onkulunkulu bakayise.
33 Ngakho uLabhani wangena etendeni likaJakhobe lasetendeni likaLeya kanye lasetendeni lezigqilikazi ezimbili+ kodwa kazange abathole onkulunkulu bakhe. Wasephuma etendeni likaLeya waya kwelikaRasheli.
34 URasheli wayethethe izithombe zamatherafimu* lezo wazifaka esihlalweni* sekamela wasehlala phezu kwazo. Yikho uLabhani wadinga yonke indawo etendeni lelo kodwa kazange azithole.
35 URasheli wasesithi kuyise: “Ungazondi nkosi yami, angenelisi ukusukuma ngoba ngisesikhathini.”*+ Ngakho uLabhani wadinga esadinga kodwa kazange azithole izithombe zamatherafimu.*+
36 UJakhobe uthe ekubona lokhu wazonda waqalisa ukusola uLabhani, wasesithi kuye: “Kanti ngoneni? Yiliphi icala engilenzileyo uze ungixotshanise kabuhlungu kangaka?
37 Khathesi njengoba usubhudule wabhudula kuzo zonke impahla zami, kuyini okutholileyo okwendlu yakho? Kufake lapha phambi kwabafowethu laphambi kwabafowenu ukuze bahlulele phakathi kwethu sobabili.
38 Iminyaka le engu-20 ngilawe, izimvu zakho lembuzi zakho azizange ziphunze+ njalo angizange ngidle ngitsho lenqama eyodwa emhlambini wakho.
39 Angizange ngibuye lesifuyo sakho sidlithizwe zinyamazana zeganga.+ Nxa sasibulewe ngangikubhadala. Wawufuna imbadalo kimi kungelani lokuthi isifuyo sakho sitshontshwe emini kumbe ebusuku.
40 Emini ngangitshona ngitshiswa lilanga, ebusuku ngitshazwa ngumqando futhi ngiswela ubuthongo.+
41 Sengihlale lawe iminyaka engu-20. Ngikusebenzele iminyaka engu-14 ukuze ungiphe amadodakazi akho amabili, ngaphinda ngakusebenzela eyisithupha ukuze ngithole lami emhlambini wakho, futhi waqhubeka utshintsha umholo wami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi.+
42 Aluba uNkulunkulu kababa,+ uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, lowo owesatshwa ngu-Isaka+ ubengekho eceleni kwami, ubuzangikhipha emzini wakho ngilengise izandla. UNkulunkulu ukubonile ukuhlupheka kwami lokusebenza nzima kwami, yikho ekukhuzile izolo ebusuku.”+
43 ULabhani wasephendula uJakhobe wathi: “Amadodakazi la ngawami, labantwana laba ngabami, lomhlambi lo ngowami, yonke nje into oyikhangeleyo ngeyami lamadodakazi ami. Kambe kuyini okubi engingakwenza kubo lamuhla futhi kuyini okubi engingakwenza kubantwababo ababazeleyo?
44 Khathesi woza senze isivumelwano, mina lawe, esizakuba yibufakazi phakathi kwethu.”
45 Ngakho uJakhobe wathatha ilitshe walimisa laba njengensika.+
46 UJakhobe wasesithi kubafowabo: “Dobhani amatshe.” Basebedobha amatshe bawabuthelela aba yinqwaba. Ngemva kwalokho badlela khonapho okwakulenqwaba yamatshe.
47 ULabhani wabiza leyonqwaba ngokuthi yiJegari-sahadutha* kodwa uJakhobe wayibiza ngokuthi yiGaledi.*
48 ULabhani wasesithi: “Inqwaba le yamatshe iyibufakazi phakathi kwami lawe lamuhla.” Yikho yabizwa ngokuthi yiGaledi,+
49 langokuthi yiNqabayokulinda ngoba wathi: “UJehova kaqhubeke esilinda mina lawe lanxa siyabe singasabonani.
50 Nxa ungaphatha kubi amadodakazi ami futhi uqalise ukuthatha abanye abafazi phezu kwamadodakazi ami, lanxa kuzabe kungelamuntu obonayo, khumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzakuba ngufakazi phakathi kwami lawe.”
51 ULabhani waphinda wathi kuJakhobe: “Nansi inqwaba yamatshe njalo nansi insika engiyimisileyo phakathi kwami lawe.
52 Inqwaba le yamatshe iyibufakazi njalo insika le layo iveza ubufakazi+ bokuthi angisoze ngidlule inqwaba le yamatshe ngizokwenza okubi kuwe lokuthi lawe awusoze udlule inqwaba le yamatshe lensika le uzokwenza okubi kimi.
53 UNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama+ loNkulunkulu kaNahori loNkulunkulu kayise wabo kabe ngumahluleli phakathi kwethu.” UJakhobe wasefunga ngalowo owesatshwa nguyise u-Isaka.+
54 Ngemva kwalokho uJakhobe wanikela umhlatshelo khonapho entabeni wasenxusa abafowabo ukuthi bazokudla isinkwa. Ngakho badla basebelala kuleyontaba.
55 ULabhani yena wavuka ekuseni kakhulu waqabuza abazukulu bakhe*+ lamadodakazi akhe wababusisa.+ Esuka lapho wangena indlela wabuyela emzini wakhe.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “onkulunkulu bemuli; izithombe.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo umfula uYufrathe.
^ Kumbe, “izihlobo zakhe.”
^ Ihabhu lichacho elilentambo ezifanana lezekatali.
^ NgesiHebheru, “amadodana ami.”
^ Kumbe, “onkulunkulu bemuli; izithombe.”
^ Kukhanya isihlalo lesi esasihlalwa ngabesifazana sasilendawo yokufakela izinto.
^ NgesiHebheru, “okujayele ukwehlela abesifazana kungehlele.”
^ Kumbe, “onkulunkulu bemuli; izithombe.”
^ Leli libizo lesi-Aramu elitsho ukuthi, “Inqwaba yobufakazi.”
^ Leli libizo lesiHebheru elitsho ukuthi, “Inqwaba yobufakazi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “amadodana akhe.”
