UGenesise 31

₁Wayesezwa amazwi amadodana kaLabani, ethi: “UJakobe uthathile konke okwakungokukababa; ngokwakungokukababa uzizuzele lonke lolu dumo.” ₂UJakobe wabona ubuso bukaLabani; bheka, babungasenjengayizolo nakuthangi kuye.

₃UJehova wayesethi kuJakobe: “Buyela ezweni lawoyihlo nasezihlotsheni zakho; ngiyakuba nawe.”

₄UJakobe wathuma wabiza oRaheli noLeya, beze endle emhlambini wakhe. ₅Wathi kubo: “Ngiyabubona ubuso bukayihlo ukuthi abusenjengayizolo nakuthangi kimi, kepha uNkulunkulu kababa unami. ₆Niyazi nina ukuthi ngimkhonzile uyihlo ngamandla ami onke. ₇Kepha uyihlo ungikhohlisile, waguqula umvuzo wami kayishumi; kodwa uNkulunkulu akamvumelanga ukwenza okubi kimi. ₈Uma ebesho ukuthi: ‘Ezimanakanaka ziyakuba ngumvuzo wakho,’ umhlambi wonke wazala ezimanakanaka; uma ebesho ukuthi: ‘Ezinemishwe ziyakuba ngumvuzo wakho,’ umhlambi wonke wazala ezinemishwe. ₉Kanjalo uNkulunkulu uthathile imfuyo kayihlo, wayinika mina.

₁₀“Kwathi ngokumitha kwemihlambi ngaphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona ephusheni; bheka, izimpongo ezikhwela umhlambi zazingezinemishwe, nezimanakanaka, nezinala. ₁₁Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kimi ephusheni: ‘Jakobe!’ Ngathi: ‘Ngilapha.’ ₁₂Yayisithi: ‘Awuphakamise amehlo akho, ubone ukuthi zonke izimpongo ezikhwela umhlambi zingezinemishwe, nezimanakanaka, nezinala, ngokuba ngibone konke uLabani akwenza kuwe. ₁₃NginguNkulunkulu waseBethele, lapho wagcoba khona insika nalapho wenza isithembiso kimi; manje vuka, usuke kuleli zwe, ubuyele ezweni lokuzalwa kwakho.’ ”

₁₄ORaheli noLeya baphendula, bathi kuye: “Sisenesabelo nefa endlini kababa na? ₁₅Asibalwanga njengabofakazi na? Ngokuba wathengisa ngathi, waqeda intengo yethu. ₁₆Ngokuba yonke ingcebo uNkulunkulu amamuke yona ubaba ingeyethu neyabantwana bethu; manje konke uNkulunkulu akutshele khona, kwenze.”

₁₇UJakobe wayesesuka, wakhwelisa amadodana akhe nawomkakhe emakameleni. ₁₈Wathatha yonke imfuyo yakhe ayizuzileyo, imfuyo yokufuya kwakhe ayizuze ePhadani Aramu ukuba aye ku-Isaka uyise ezweni laseKhanani.

₁₉ULabani esehambile ukuyogunda izimvu zakhe, uRaheli weba izithixo zikayise. ₂₀UJakobe wamnyenyela uLabani umAramu engamtshelanga ukuthi uyabaleka. ₂₁Wayesebaleka nakho konke anakho; wasuka, wawela umfula, waqonda ngasentabeni yakwaGileyadi.

₂₂Ngosuku lwesithathu uLabani watshelwa ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile. ₂₃Wayesethatha abafowabo, wamlandela ibanga lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, wamfica entabeni yakwaGileyadi. ₂₄UNkulunkulu weza kuLabani umAramu ephusheni ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Qaphela ukuba ungakhulumi kuJakobe okuhle noma okubi.”

₂₅ULabani wayesemfica uJakobe. UJakobe wayemisile itende lakhe entabeni; uLabani nabafowabo bamisa entabeni yakwaGileyadi. ₂₆ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Wenzeni, lokhu unginyenyele, wathatha amadodakazi njengabathunjwa benkemba, na? ₂₇Ubalekeleni ngasese na? Wanginyenyelelani ungangitshelanga ukuba ngabe ngikuvalelise ngokwenama nangezihlabelelo, ngesigubhu nangehabhu,* na? ₂₈Awungivumelanga ukuba ngange amadodana ami namadodakazi ami. Untumazele ngalokho. ₂₉Kusemandleni esandla sami ukwenza okubi kuwe, kepha uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulumile kimi ebusuku obudlule, wathi: ‘Qaphela ukuba ungakhulumi kuJakobe okubi noma okuhle.’ ₃₀Manje njengokuba usumuka impela, lokhu ulangazelela nokulangazelela indlu kayihlo, webeleni izithixo zami na?”

₃₁UJakobe waphendula, wathi kuLabani: “Ngokuba ngesaba ngithi: Funa ungiqhwage amadodakazi akho. ₃₂Kepha lowo ozakuthola kuye izithixo zakho akayikusinda; qaza phambi kwabafowethu okwakho okukimi, ukuthathe.” Ngokuba uJakobe wayengazi ukuthi uRaheli wayezebile.

₃₃ULabani wayesengena etendeni likaJakobe, nasetendeni likaLeya, nasetendeni lezincekukazi zombili; akazitholanga. Waphuma etendeni likaLeya, wangena etendeni likaRaheli. ₃₄URaheli wayezithathe izithixo, wazifaka esihlalweni sekamela, wahlala phezu kwazo. ULabani waphumputha etendeni lonke, kepha akazitholanga.

₃₅Wathi kuyise: “Mayingathukutheli inkosi yami ukuthi anginakusukuma phambi kwakho, ngokuba indlela yabesifazane ikimi.” Wanyalula, kepha akazitholanga izithixo.

₃₆UJakobe wathukuthela, wamsola uLabani; uJakobe waphendula, wathi kuLabani: “Yisiphi isiphambeko sami na? Yisiphi isono sami, lokhu ungizingele kangaka, na? ₃₇Njengalokho usufunisisile kuyo yonke impahla yami, uthole ntoni yezinto zonke zendlu yakho na? Yibeke lapha phambi kwabafowethu nabafowenu ukuba banqume phakathi kwethu sobabili.

₃₈“Le minyaka engamashumi amabili bengihlezi kuwe; izimvukazi zakho nezimbuzikazi zakho aziphunzanga; izinqama zomhlambi wakho angizidlanga. ₃₉Ezidweshulwe yizilo ngangingaziyisi kuwe; kwalahlekelwa mina; wazibiza esandleni sami, noma zebiwe emini noma zebiwe ebusuku. ₄₀Nganginjalo; emini ngaqedwa ngukushisa, ebusuku ngamakhaza; ubuthongo bami babalekela amehlo ami. ₄₁Le minyaka engamashumi amabili bengisendlini yakho; ngakusebenzela iminyaka eyishumi nane ngamadodakazi akho omabili, neminyaka eyisithupha ngomhlambi wakho, uguqule umvuzo wami kayishumi. ₄₂Uma ebengenami uNkulunkulu kababa, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, ukwesaba kuka-Isaka, ngempela ubuyakungimukisa ze. UNkulunkulu ubone ukuhlupheka kwami nokukhathala kwezandla zami, wakusola ubusuku obudlule.”

₄₃ULabani waphendula, wathi kuJakobe: “Amadodakazi angamadodakazi ami, abantwana bangabantwana bami, imihlambi iyimihlambi yami; konke okubonayo kungokwami; lawa madodakazi ami ngingawenzela ntoni namuhla, nabantwana bawo abazalileyo, na? ₄₄Woza manje, senze isivumelwano mina nawe, sibe ngufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”

₄₅UJakobe wayesethatha itshe, walimisa laba yinsika. ₄₆Wathi uJakobe kubafowabo: “Buthani amatshe,” bathatha amatshe, benza inqwaba; base bedla khona phezu kwenqwaba. ₄₇ULabani wayiqamba ngokuthi iJegari Sahadutha,* kepha uJakobe wayibiza ngokuthi iGaledi.*

₄₈Wathi uLabani: “Le nqwaba ingufakazi phakathi kwami nawe namuhla.” Ngalokho igama layo laqanjwa ngokuthi iGaledi, ₄₉neMispa futhi, ngokuba wathi: “UJehova makalinde phakathi kwami nawe, lapho sesingasabonani. ₅₀Uma uyakuhlupha amadodakazi ami, noma uthatha abafazi ngaphandle kwamadodakazi ami, akukho muntu onathi; bheka, uNkulunkulu ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”

₅₁Wathi uLabani kuJakobe: “Bheka, le nqwaba nensika engikumise phakathi kwami nawe, ₅₂le nqwaba ayibe ngufakazi, nensika ibe ngufakazi ukuthi angiyikudlula kule nqwaba, ngiye kuwe, nokuthi wena awuyikudlula kule nqwaba nakule nsika, uze kimi, ngokubi. ₅₃UNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noNkulunkulu kaNahori, uNkulunkulu wawoyise, makahlulele phakathi kwethu.”

UJakobe wafunga ukwesaba kukayise u-Isaka. ₅₄UJakobe wanikela ngomhlatshelo entabeni, wabiza abafowabo ukuba badle isinkwa; badla isinkwa, bahlala ubusuku bonke entabeni.

₅₅ULabani wavuka ekuseni, wawanga amadodana akhe namadodakazi akhe, wawabusisa; wayesehamba uLabani, wabuyela endaweni yakhe.