Genesise

30 Lapho uRaheli ebona ukuthi akamzalelanga uJakobe abantwana, uRaheli waba nomona ngodadewabo wathi kuJakobe: “Nginike abantwana ngaphandle kwalokho ngizofa.” 2 UJakobe wamthukuthelela kakhulu uRaheli, wabe esethi: “Ingabe ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu, okuvimbele ukuba ube nabantwana?”* 3 URaheli wathi: “Nasi isigqilakazi sami uBhiliha. + Lala naso, ukuze singizalele abantwana* nami ngithole abantwana ngaso.” 4 Ngakho wamnika incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha ukuba abe umkakhe, uJakobe walala naye. + 5 UBhiliha wakhulelwa, ngemva kwesikhathi wazalela uJakobe indodana. 6 URaheli wabe esethi: “UNkulunkulu usebenze njengomahluleli wami, ulilalelile izwi lami, wanginika indodana.” Yingakho ayiqamba ngokuthi uDani.* + 7 UBhiliha, incekukazi kaRaheli, waphinde wakhulelwa, ngemva kwesikhathi wazalela uJakobe indodana yesibili. 8 Ngemva kwalokho uRaheli wathi: “Ngishikashikeke kakhulu ngilwa nodadewethu. Nginqobile!” Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi uNafetali.* +

9 Lapho uLeya ebona ukuthi wayengasabazali abantwana, wathatha incekukazi yakhe uZilipha wayinika uJakobe ukuba ibe umkakhe. + 10 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yabe isizalela uJakobe indodana. 11 Ngemva kwalokho uLeya wathi: “Izinto zingihambela kahle!” Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi uGadi.* + 12 Ngemva kwalokho, uZilipha incekukazi kaLeya, wazalela uJakobe indodana yesibili. 13 ULeya wabe esethi: “Yeka ukuthi ngijabula kanjani! Ngoba nakanjani amadodakazi azothi ngiyajabula.” + Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi u-Asheri.* +

14 Manje uRubeni + wayehamba ngezinsuku zokuvunwa kukakolweni, wathola amamandrake* ensimini. Wawaletha kunina uLeya. URaheli wabe esethi kuLeya: “Ngicela ungiphe amanye amamandrake endodana yakho.” 15 Wabe esethi kuye: “Akwanele yini ukuthi uthathe umyeni wami? + Ingabe manje usuzothatha namamandrake endodana yami?” Ngakho uRaheli wathi: “Kulungile, uzolala nawe namuhla ebusuku wena unginike amamandrake endodana yakho.”

16 Lapho uJakobe efika evela ensimini kusihlwa, uLeya waphuma wamhlangabeza wathi: “Uzolala nami ngoba ngikuqashe ngokuqondile ngamamandrake endodana yami.” Ngakho walala naye ngalobo busuku. 17 UNkulunkulu wamuzwa uLeya wayesemphendula, wakhulelwa kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi wazalela uJakobe indodana yesihlanu. 18 ULeya wabe esethi: “UNkulunkulu unginike inkokhelo yami,* ngoba nginike umyeni wami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi u-Isakare.* + 19 ULeya waphinde wakhulelwa, ngemva kwesikhathi wazalela uJakobe indodana yesithupha. + 20 ULeya wabe esethi: “UNkulunkulu ungiphile, yebo, ungiphe isipho esihle. Ekugcineni, umyeni wami uzongibekezelela, + ngoba ngimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.” + Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi uZebhuloni.* + 21 Kamuva wazala indodakazi wayiqamba ngokuthi uDina. +

22 Ekugcineni uNkulunkulu wamkhumbula uRaheli, uNkulunkulu wamuzwa wayesemphendula ngokumenza ukuba akhulelwe.* + 23 Wakhulelwa wazala indodana. Wabe esethi: “UNkulunkulu usisusile isihlamba sami!” + 24 Ngakho wayiqamba ngokuthi uJosefa,* + ethi: “UJehova ungenezelela enye indodana.”

25 Ngemva kokuba uRaheli ezale uJosefa, uJakobe ngokushesha wathi kuLabani: “Ngihambise ukuze ngiye endaweni yakithi nasezweni lakithi. + 26 Nginike omkami nabantwana bami, engikusebenzele ngenxa yabo, ukuze ngihambe, ngoba wazi kahle ukuthi ngikusebenzele ngokwethembeka.” + 27 ULabani wabe esethi kuye: “Uma ngithole umusa kuwe, ungahambi—ngithole ngamabika* ukuthi uJehova uyangibusisa ngenxa yakho.” 28 Wanezela: “Nquma inkokhelo yakho ngizokunika yona.” + 29 Ngakho uJakobe wathi kuye: “Kumele ukuba uyazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele kanjani nokuthi umhlambi wakho uchume kanjani ukimi; + 30 kuncane owawunakho ngaphambi kokufika kwami, kodwa umhlambi wakho uye wanda, noJehova uye wakubusisa selokhu ngafika. Ngakho ngizoyenzela nini okuthile eyami indlu?” +

31 ULabani wabe esethi: “Ngikunikeni?” UJakobe wathi: “Unganginiki lutho! Uma uzongenzela lokhu, ngizoqhubeka ngalusa umhlambi wakho ngiwugade. + 32 Ngizohamba phakathi kwawo wonke umhlambi wakho namuhla. Wena beka eceleni zonke izimvu ezimagqabhagqabha nezimibalabala, nazo zonke izimvu ezinsundu ngokumnyama phakathi kwamawundlu angamaduna. Uphinde ubeke eceleni izimbuzi zensikazi ezimagqabhagqabha nezimibalabala. Kusukela manje lezi kumele zibe inkokhelo yami. + 33 Ukulunga* kwami kumele kungikhulumele esikhathini esizayo lapho uzobheka inkokhelo yami; noma iyiphi engemagqabhagqabha nengemibalabala phakathi kwezimbuzi zensikazi, nanoma iyiphi phakathi kwamawundlu angamaduna engensundu ngokumnyama iyobhekwa njengeyebiwe uma ikimi.”

34 ULabani wathi: “Kulungile lokho! Makube njengoba usho.” + 35 Ngalolo suku wabeka eceleni izimpongo ezimthende nezimibalabala nazo zonke izimbuzi zensikazi ezimagqabhagqabha nezimibalabala, zonke okwakukhona kuzo umbala omhlophe, nawo wonke amawundlu angamaduna ansundu ngokumnyama wakunika amadodana akhe ukuze akunakekele. 36 Ngemva kwalokho wabeka ibanga lohambo lwezinsuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe noJakobe, uJakobe wayelusa imihlambi kaLabani eyayisele.

37 UJakobe wabe esethatha izinduku ezisemanzi zesihlahla sesitorakisi, esom-alimondi nesompelatani, waxebula amagxolo azo, kwavela okunjengamabala amhlophe. 38 Wabe esebeka lezi zinduku ayezixebulile phambi komhlambi, emiseleni, emikhombeni yokuphuzela, lapho imihlambi yayiza khona izophuza, ukuze ivukelwe phambi kwazo lapho iza izophuza.

39 Ngakho imihlambi yayivukelwa phambi kwezinduku, bese izala ezimthende, ezimagqabhagqabha nezimibalabala. 40 Ngemva kwalokho uJakobe wahlukanisa amawundlu angamaduna wayesephendula imihlambi yabheka ezimthende nazo zonke ezinsundu ngokumnyama phakathi kwemihlambi kaLabani. Wabe esehlukanisa imihlambi yakhe wangayixuba nemihlambi kaLabani. 41 Kwakuthi lapho izilwane eziyizingqabavu zivukelwa, uJakobe abeke izinduku emiseleni phambi kwamehlo emihlambi, ukuze ivukelwe ngasezindukwini. 42 Kodwa uma izilwane zibuthaka, wayengazibeki izinduku lapho. Ngakho ezibuthaka njalo kwakuba ezikaLabani, kodwa eziyizingqabavu kwakuba ezikaJakobe. +

43 UJakobe wachuma kakhulu, waba nemihlambi emikhulu nezinceku nezincekukazi namakamela nezimbongolo. +