Genesis 31
1 UJakobe wezwa ukuthi amadodana kaLabani ayakhononda, athi: “UJakobe useqole ubaba konke obekungokwakhe, nale ngcebo yonke anayo uyithole ngezinto obekungezikababa.”
2 UJakobe wabona nokuthi uLabani akasamnambithisisi kahle njengakuqala.
3 USimakade wathi kuJakobe: “Phindela ezweni lokhokho bakho nasezihlotsheni zakho, Mina ngizoba nawe.”
4 UJakobe wathumela wabiza uRaheli noLeya ukuba beze kuye endle lapho ayelusele khona umhlambi.
5 Wathi kubo: “Ngiyabona ukuthi uyihlo akasanginambithisisi kahle njengakuqala. Kepha uNkulunkulu kababa unami.
6 Nani niyazi ukuthi uyihlo ngimsebenzele ngokuzikhandla kangakanani,
7 kepha yena ungiqolile waguqula iholo lami izikhathi eziyishumi, kodwa uNkulunkulu akamvumelanga ukuba angilimaze.
8 Uma ebethi: ‘Ezimabhadubhadu zizoba yiholo lakho,’ yonke imihlambi ibizala amazinyane amabhadubhadu. Uma eguquka ethi: ‘Zonke ezinemishu zizoba yiholo lakho,’ yonke imihlambi ibizala ezinemishu.
9 Ngaleyo ndlela uNkulunkulu umephucile uyihlo imfuyo yakhe wayinika mina.
10 “Ngesikhathi sokukhwelana kwemihlambi ngake ngaba nephupho, ngabheka phezulu ngabona ukuthi izimpongo ezazikhwela zazinemishu, zimabhadubhadu, ezinye ziyihunqu.
11 Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yayisithi kimi ephusheni: ‘Jakobe!’ “Ngathi: ‘Ngilapha.’
12 “Yathi: ‘Bheka phezulu, ubone ukuthi zonke izimpongo ezikhwela umhlambi zinemishu, ezinye zimabhadubhadu, nezinye ziyihunqu; ngokuba ngikubone konke uLabani akwenza kuwe.
13 NginguNkulunkulu waseBhethele lapho wagcoba khona insika, wenza nesifungo kimi. Manje suka, uphume kuleli lizwe ubuyele ezweni owazalelwa kulo.’ ”
14 URaheli noLeya bamphendula bathi: “Sikhona yini isabelo noma ifa esisenakho efeni emzini kababa na?
15 Akasithathi yini njengabezizwe na? Ngokuba uthengise ngathi, futhi wayisebenzisa nemali esakhishelwa yona.
16 Yonke impahla uNkulunkulu ayephuce ubaba ingeyethu nabantwana bethu. Ngakho-ke yenza konke uNkulunkulu akutshele khona.”
17 UJakobe walungiselela uhambo, abantwana bakhe, namakhosikazi akhe wabagibelisa emakamelini.
18 Wayiqhuba imihlambi yakhe yonke nempahla yonke ayeyithole ePhadani Aramu, walibangisa kuyise u-Isaka eKhanani.
19 ULabani wayengekho eyogunda izimvu zakhe, uRaheli wantshontsha onkulunkulu bakayise.
20 UJakobe wamkhohlisa uLabani, umAramu, ngokuba akamtshelanga ukuthi uhlose ukubaleka.
21 Wabaleka nakho konke ayenakho, waqala wawela umfula, walibangisa kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi.
22 Ngosuku lwesithathu uLabani wabikelwa ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile.
23 Wayesethatha izihlobo zakhe wamlandela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, waze wamfica kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi.
24 Kepha uNkulunkulu wayesefikile ngephupho ebusuku kuLabani, umAramu, wathi kuye: “Uqaphele ukuba ungasho lutho kuJakobe noma ngabe kuhle noma kubi.”
25 ULabani wamfica uJakobe. UJakobe wayegxumeke ithende lakhe kwelezintaba, naye-ke uLabani nezihlobo zakhe bagoba amadlangala khona kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi.
26 ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Yini le nto oyenzileyo na? Ungikhohlisile, wathatha amadodakazi ami ngokungathi athunjwe ngenkemba.
27 Ubalekeleni isinyelela wangangitshela, ngoba ngabe ngikuhambise kahle ngomgidi kuhutshwa, kushaywa ukhehlegume nezigubhu?
28 Awunginikanga ngani ithuba lokwanga abazukulu bami namadodakazi ami, ngibavalelise na? Okwenzileyo kungubuphukuphuku.
29 Kusemandleni ami ukuba ngikulimaze, kodwa uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulume nami ebusuku bayizolo, wathi: ‘Uqaphele ukuba ungasho lutho kuJakobe noma ngabe kuhle noma kubi.’
30 Noma ngabe weqe ngoba usukhumbule ekhaya kini, pho kungani untshontshe onkulunkulu bami na?”
31 UJakobe waphendula uLabani wathi: “Yingoba bengesaba, ngicabanga ukuthi uzongephuca amadodakazi akho ngendluzula.
32 Kepha-ke lowo muntu okuyotholakala kuye onkulunkulu bakho, akanakuphila. Phambi kwezihlobo zethu khomba ezintweni enginazo ukuthi yini engeyakho bese uyayithatha.” UJakobe wayengazi ukuthi uRaheli wayentshontshe onkulunkulu.
33 ULabani wangena ethendeni likaJakobe, kwelikaLeya, wedlulela nakwawezancinza zombili, kodwa akatholanga lutho. Waphuma ethendeni likaLeya wangena kwelikaRaheli.
34 URaheli wabathatha onkulunkulu bakayise, wabafaka esihlalweni sekameli, wahlala phezu kwaso. ULabani walipeketula lonke ithende, kodwa akabatholanga.
35 URaheli wathi kuyise: “Ungangithukutheleli ngokuba ngingazange ngisukume phambi kwakho, yingoba ngisesikhathini.” ULabani wacinga, kodwa akabatholanga onkulunkulu.
36 UJakobe wathukuthela wamthethisa uLabani, wathi: “Liyini icala lami na? Siyini isono sami uze ungihubhe ngale ndlela na?
37 Njengalokhu usupeketule yonke impahla yami nje, utholeni-ke olungolwakho na? Lubeke lapha phambi kwezihlobo zethu, zona zehlulele phakathi kwethu.
38 Le minyaka engama-20 ngihleli nawe, izimvukazi nezimbuzikazi zakho azikaze ziphunze, futhi angikaze ngidle nqama yomhlambi wakho.
39 Angikaze ngilethe kuwe edweshulwe yizilo zasendle. Uma kwenzekile yafa bengiyaye ngilithwale mina lelo cala. Ubukufuna kimi okwebiwe emhlanjini wakho, noma kwebiwe emini noma ebusuku.
40 Ngangishiswa yilanga emini, ngilala obenyoni ebusuku, ngiqhuqhwa ngamakhaza,
41 ngikusebenzele le minyaka engama-20, eyi-14 yayo ngisebenzela amadodakazi akho omabili, kwathi eyisithupha ngasebenzela imfuyo. Phezu kwalokho waliguqula kalishumi iholo lami.
42 Uma uNkulunkulu kababa ebengenami, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, noKwesaba kuka-Isaka, ngabe manje ungibuyisela emuva ngingenalutho. Kepha uNkulunkulu ukubonile ukuhlupheka nokuzikhandla kwami, wazibonakalisa kuwe ebusuku bayizolo, wakuthethisa.”
43 ULabani wamphendula uJakobe wathi: “Laba bangamadodakazi ami nalaba bangabazukulu bami, le mfuyo ingeyami, nakho konke lokhu okubonayo kungokwami. Pho-ke ngingakwenza kanjani okubi kulawa madodakazi ami nakubazukulu angizalele bona na?
44 Ngakho-ke mina nawe masenze isivumelwano esiyakuba ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu.”
45 UJakobe wathatha itshe walimisa laba yinsika.
46 Wayesethi ezihlotsheni zakhe: “Qoqelani ndawonye amatshe;” bawaqoqa aba yinqwatshana base bedla lapho eduze kwaleyo nqwatshana yamatshe.
47 ULabani wayibiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi yiJega Sahadutha, uJakobe wayibiza ngokuthi yiGaledi.
48 ULabani wathi: “Le nqwaba izokuba yisikhumbuzo phakathi kwethu sobabili.” Yingakho nje leyo ndawo yabizwa ngokuthi yiGaledi.
49 ULabani wayibiza futhi ngokuthi yiMizpha, ngokuba wathi: “USimakade makalinde phakathi kwami nawe, lapho omunye engekho phambi komunye.
50 Uma uyakuhlupha amadodakazi ami, noma uthatha abafazi ngaphandle kwamadodakazi ami, akukho muntu onathi; bheka, uNkulunkulu ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”
51 ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Bheka, nansi inqwaba yamatshe nensika yetshe engikumise phakathi kwethu.
52 Kokubili kungubufakazi bokuthi anginakweqela ngale kwale nqwaba ngize kuwe, nawe awunakwedlulela ngale kwale nqwaba nale nsika uzosenzakalisa.
53 Sengathi uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama noNahori, uNkulunkulu woyise, angehlulela phakathi kwethu.” UJakobe wenza isifungo ngoKwesaba kuka-Isaka, uyise.
54 Wanikela ngomhlatshelo elapho kwelezintaba, wamema nezihlobo zakhe ukuba zidle. Badla, base belala kulo elezintaba ngalobo busuku.
55 ULabani wavuka ekuseni, wanga abazukulu bakhe namadodakazi akhe, wababusisa, wayesehamba ebuyela emzini wakhe.