UGENESISI 31

₁UJakopo wezwa bonyana amadodana kaLabani gade asithi: “UJakopo lo, sese athethe koke okungokwakababa. Uzinonise khulu ngakho koke ubaba anakho.” ₂Wabona bonyana uLabani akasese mehlweni njengaphambilini.

₃USomnini wathi kuJakopo: “Buyela emuva enarheni yaboyihlo neenhlobeni zakho. Ngizakuba nawe.”

₄Yeke uJakopo wathumela ilizwi kuRarheli noLeya bonyana beze emmangweni emhlambinakhe. ₅Wathi kibo: “Ngilemuke bonyana ubabenu akasese mehlweni kimapha njengombana gade angakho ngaphambilini, kodwana uZimu kababa ungisizile. ₆Nani niyazi bonyana ngisebenzele ubabenu ngamandlami woke. ₇Phezu kwalokho yena wangidlelezela ngokuphambanisa umrholwami kalitjhumi. Nokho uZimu akakamvumeli kobana angilimaze. ₈Bekathi lokha nakathi uzangikhokhela ngomhlambi omabalabala, woke umhlambi uzale iimvana neembuzana ezimabalabala. Athi lokha nakathi uzangikhokhela ngomhlambi onemitleza, woke uzale iimvana neembuzana ezinemitleza. ₉Nje-ke uZimu uthathele ubabenu ifuyo wayinikela mina.

₁₀“Ngesikhathi sokujarhwa ngakhe ngabhudanga, ngathi nangiqalako ngabona bonyana iimpongo ezijarha umhlambi ngezimabalabala, ezinemitleza nezimapharaphara. ₁₁Ingilozi kaZimu yathi kimi ebhudangweni, ‘Jakopo!’ ngathi, ‘Ngilapha!’ ₁₂Yaraga yathi, ‘Qala, zoke iimpongo ezijarha umhlambi ngezimabalabala, ezinemitleza nezimapharaphara. Lokhu kwenzeka ngombana ngibone koke uLabani akwenze kuwe. ₁₃NginguZimu weBhethe-Eli lapha wazesa khona ilitje nalapha wenze khona isifungo kimi. Nje-ke suka enarheni le bese ubuyela emuva enarheni yekhenu.’ ”

₁₄URarheli noLeya baphendula bathi: “Sisese nesabelo elifeni lakababa na? ₁₅Angithi usithatha njengamaphandle! Akakasithengisi kwaphela, kodwana ugomojele koke esikhokhelwe ngakho. ₁₆Ngambala woke umnono uZimu awumuke ubabethu ungowethu nabantwabethu. Yeke yenza nanyana yini uZimu akutjele bona uyenze.”

₁₇UJakopo walungisa, wakhweza abantwabakhe nabafazi bakhe phezu kwamakamela, ₁₈waraga yoke imihlambakhe okutjho yoke ifuyo azifumanela yona ePadana-Aramu, wanqomba kuyise u-Isaka enarheni yeKanana.

₁₉Lokha uLabani nayokurhuna izimvu, uRarheli weba imihlalandlini yakayise. ₂₀Phezu kwalokho uJakopo wakhukhuthela uLabani umAramu ngokungamtjeli bonyana uyabaleka. ₂₁Wabaleka nakho koke agade anakho, wayama umlambo iYufrathe wanqomba eentatjaneni zakwaGiliyadi.

₂₂Kwathi elangeni lesithathu uLabani wabikelwa bonyana uJakopo ubalekile. ₂₃ULabani wabutha iinhlobo zakhe, wagijimisa uJakopo amalanga alikhomba. Wambambela eentatjaneni zakwaGiliyadi. ₂₄UZimu waziveza kuLabani umAramu ngebhudango ebusuku wathi kuye: “Utjheje ikulumakho noJakopo.”

₂₅UJakopo gade ahlome itendakhe eentatjaneni zakwaGiliyadi lokha uLabani namfumanako. ULabani nomndenakhe nabo bahloma amatendabo lapho. ₂₆ULabani wathi kuJakopo: “Yintobani oyenzileko le? Ungikhukhuthele ngokuraga amadodakazami njengeembotjhwa epini. ₂₇Ungebeleleni bewabaleka sidu na? Nangathana fese wangibikela, bengizokwenzela umnyanya wokukulayelisa ngethabo nangokukuvumela ingoma sililise abosotjherere namaharibha. ₂₈Azange usangipha nethuba lokuncwanga abantwana babantwabami namadodakazami ngibalayelise. Uyazi wenze ubudlhadlha bakodlhadlha. ₂₉Nginamandla wokunilimaza, kodwana ubusuku bayizolo uZimu waboyihlo uthe kimi, ‘Utjheje ikulumakho noJakopo.’ ₃₀Ngiyabona bonyana ngambala usendleleni ngombana uhlulukele khulu ukubuyela kwenu. Alo-ke webeleni abozinyana bami?”

₃₁UJakopo waphendula wathi kuLabani: “Ngibalekile ngombana gade ngesaba. Ngadlumbana bonyana uzangemuka amadodakazakho. ₃₂Kodwana nange ufunyana nanyana ngubani ogugudlhele abozinyana bakho, uzakuhlukana namabele. Ngikhombisa phambi kweenhlobo zethwezi bonyana yini yakho engiyithetheko. Nawuyifunyanako, ithathe.”

UJakopo gade angazi bonyana uRarheli webe abosingazimabo. ₃₃Yeke uLabani wangena ngetendeni lakaJakopo, lakaLeya neencekukazi ezimbili; kodwana azange afunyane litho. Naphuma etendeni lakaLeya waya kelakaRarheli. ₃₄URarheli gade athethe imihlalandlini wayibeka ngaphakathi kwesala sekamela wahlala phezu kwayo. ULabani waphumbutha koke ngetendenapho kodwana azange afunyane litho.

₃₅URarheli wathi kuyise: “Ubaba angathukutheli nangibona ngitshimalele phasi ngingasikimi ubaba nangenako, ngisesikhathini.”

Yeke wabhenyegula kodwana azange ayifunyane imihlalandlini.

₃₆UJakopo wathukuthela wasola uLabani wathi: “Ngikone ngani? Ngikwenze sono bani nawulokhu utjha kangaka ngami nje? ₃₇Iye, uphumbuthe yoke ipahlami! Alo, ufunyaneni-ke okungekwakho? Kuveze ukubeke phambi komndenakho nowami ukuze kuphele intwele phakathi kwami nawe! ₃₈Sele kuminyaka ematjhumi amabili yoke ngihlala nawe. Izimvu neembuzi zakho azange zipholoze, nami azange khengigome amaqama womhlambakho. ₃₉Azange khengikulethele iinlwana ezidatjulwe ziinyamazana zommango; kube kukonakalelwa kwami koke lokho. Ngaphezu kwalokho ubize ikokhelo kimi malungana nanyana yini eyetjiweko emini namkha ebusuku. ₄₀Ngiphile makghwakghwa nawe: Emini bengikhanzingwa mtjhiso kuthi ebusuku ngigongobaliswe makhaza. Bengihlwa ngiqale ngamehlo wayizolo! ₄₁Ngiphile njalo iminyaka ematjhumi amabili yoke endawenakho. Ngikusebenzele iminyaka elitjhumi nane kobana ngifumane amadodakazakho amabili neminyaka esithandathu ukufumana umhlambi. Khonapho waphambanisa umrholwami katjhumitjhumi. ₄₂Nangathana uZimu wabobaba, uZimu ka-Abrahamu, uZimu ohloniphekako ku-Isaka gade angasi nami, ngiqinisile ngithi ngabe ungiqotjhe ngimkhonoze. Kodwana uZimu ubonile umtlhagwami nomjuluko wezandla zami bekwathi ebusukwini bayizolo wakusola.”

₄₃ULabani waphendula uJakopo wathi: “Abantazanaba madodakazami, abantwanaba bantwabami, nomhlambi lo ngewami. Koke okubonakokhu kuthi mina. Kodwana yini engabe ngisayenza namhlanje ngamadodakazami lawa, namkha ngabantwana ababelethwe ngiwo? ₄₄Yeke mina nawe asenze isivumelwano, kube bufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”

₄₅UJakopo wathatha ilitje walijamisa laba lilitje lesikhumbuzo. ₄₆ULabani wathi eenhlotjeni zakhe: “Buthelelani amatje.”

Ngambala benza njalo bawakghubelela aba siqorho. Nabaqeda lapho bagomela esiqorhwenapho. ₄₇ULabani wasibiza bonyana yiYegari-Sahaduta, kodwana uJakopo wasibiza bonyana yiGaledi. ₄₈ULabani wathi: “Isiqorhwesi singufakazi phakathi kwami nawe namhlanjesi.” Kungebangelo kwathiwa yiGaledi. ₄₉Godu kwathiwa yiMitsipha ngombana uLabani wathi: “Inga uSomnini angaba mlindi phakathi kwami nawe lokha nasisemakudana. ₅₀Nakwenzeka uhlukumeze amadodakazami namkha uthathe abanye abafazi ngaphandle kwamadodakazami, ngitjho nanyana kungekho obonako, khumbula bonyana uZimu ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”

₅₁Godu uLabani wathi: “Nasi isiqorho engisikghubelele phakathi kwami nawe begodu nanti nelitje lesikhumbuzo. ₅₂Isiqorho esingakimi nelitje lesikhumbuzo elingakuwe bufakazi besivumelwano sokobana angeze ngasidlula ngize ngakuwe bona ngikulimaze, nawe angeze wasidlula uze ngakimi bona ungilimaze. ₅₃UZimu kayihlo u-Abrahamu nabozinyana bakababa uNarhori bazakugweba phakathi kwethu.”

UJakopo wafunga ngoZimu ohloniphekileko kuyise u-Isaka. ₅₄Wenza umhlatjelo entabeni, wamema iinhlobo zakhe bona zizogoma. Ngemva kobana sele bagomile, bahlala ubusukobo entabenapho.

₅₅Ekuseni ngakusasa uLabani wancwanga abantwana babantwabakhe namadodakazakhe wawabusisa. Wabuyela kwakhe.