IGenesisi 31

₁UJakobe wezwa ukuthi amadodana kaLabani ayakhononda, athi: “UJakobe useqole ubaba konke obekungokwakhe, nale ngcebo yonke anayo uyithole ngezinto obekungezikababa.”

₂UJakobe wabona nokuthi uLabani akasamnambithisisi kahle njengakuqala.

₃USimakade wathi kuJakobe: “Phindela ezweni lokhokho bakho nasezihlotsheni zakho, Mina ngizoba nawe.”

₄UJakobe wathumela wabiza uRaheli noLeya ukuba beze kuye endle lapho ayelusele khona umhlambi.

₅Wathi kubo: “Ngiyabona ukuthi uyihlo akasanginambithisisi kahle njengakuqala. Kepha uNkulunkulu kababa unami. ₆Nani niyazi ukuthi uyihlo ngimsebenzele ngokuzikhandla kangakanani, ₇kepha yena ungiqolile waguqula iholo lami izikhathi eziyishumi, kodwa uNkulunkulu akamvumelanga ukuba angilimaze. ₈Uma ebethi: ‘Ezimabhadubhadu zizoba yiholo lakho,’ yonke imihlambi ibizala amazinyane amabhadubhadu. Uma eguquka ethi: ‘Zonke ezinemishu zizoba yiholo lakho,’ yonke imihlambi ibizala ezinemishu. ₉Ngaleyo 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. ₁₁Ingelosi 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. ₁₃NginguNkulunkulu waseBhethele lapho wagcoba khona insika, wenza nesifungo kimi. Manje suka, uphume kuleli lizwe ubuyele ezweni owazalelwa kulo.’ ”

₁₄URaheli noLeya bamphendula bathi: “Sikhona yini isabelo noma ifa esisenakho efeni emzini kababa na? ₁₅Akasithathi yini njengabezizwe na? Ngokuba uthengise ngathi, futhi wayisebenzisa nemali esakhishelwa yona. ₁₆Yonke impahla uNkulunkulu ayephuce ubaba ingeyethu nabantwana bethu. Ngakho-ke yenza konke uNkulunkulu akutshele khona.”

₁₇UJakobe walungiselela uhambo, abantwana bakhe, namakhosikazi akhe wabagibelisa emakamelini. ₁₈Wayiqhuba imihlambi yakhe yonke nempahla yonke ayeyithole ePhadani Aramu, walibangisa kuyise u-Isaka eKhanani.

₁₉ULabani wayengekho eyogunda izimvu zakhe, uRaheli wantshontsha onkulunkulu bakayise. ₂₀UJakobe wamkhohlisa uLabani, umAramu, ngokuba akamtshelanga ukuthi uhlose ukubaleka. ₂₁Wabaleka nakho konke ayenakho, waqala wawela umfula, walibangisa kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi.

₂₂Ngosuku lwesithathu uLabani wabikelwa ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile. ₂₃Wayesethatha izihlobo zakhe wamlandela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, waze wamfica kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi. ₂₄Kepha uNkulunkulu wayesefikile ngephupho ebusuku kuLabani, umAramu, wathi kuye: “Uqaphele ukuba ungasho lutho kuJakobe noma ngabe kuhle noma kubi.”

₂₅ULabani wamfica uJakobe. UJakobe wayegxumeke ithende lakhe kwelezintaba, naye-ke uLabani nezihlobo zakhe bagoba amadlangala khona kwelezintaba kwaGileyadi. ₂₆ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Yini le nto oyenzileyo na? Ungikhohlisile, wathatha amadodakazi ami ngokungathi athunjwe ngenkemba. ₂₇Ubalekeleni isinyelela wangangitshela, ngoba ngabe ngikuhambise kahle ngomgidi kuhutshwa, kushaywa ukhehlegume nezigubhu? ₂₈Awunginikanga ngani ithuba lokwanga abazukulu bami namadodakazi ami, ngibavalelise na? Okwenzileyo kungubuphukuphuku. ₂₉Kusemandleni ami ukuba ngikulimaze, kodwa uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulume nami ebusuku bayizolo, wathi: ‘Uqaphele ukuba ungasho lutho kuJakobe noma ngabe kuhle noma kubi.’ ₃₀Noma ngabe weqe ngoba usukhumbule ekhaya kini, pho kungani untshontshe onkulunkulu bami na?”

₃₁UJakobe waphendula uLabani wathi: “Yingoba bengesaba, ngicabanga ukuthi uzongephuca amadodakazi akho ngendluzula. ₃₂Kepha-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.

₃₃ULabani wangena ethendeni likaJakobe, kwelikaLeya, wedlulela nakwawezancinza zombili, kodwa akatholanga lutho. Waphuma ethendeni likaLeya wangena kwelikaRaheli. ₃₄URaheli wabathatha onkulunkulu bakayise, wabafaka esihlalweni sekameli, wahlala phezu kwaso. ULabani walipeketula lonke ithende, kodwa akabatholanga.

₃₅URaheli wathi kuyise: “Ungangithukutheleli ngokuba ngingazange ngisukume phambi kwakho, yingoba ngisesikhathini.”

ULabani wacinga, kodwa akabatholanga onkulunkulu.

₃₆UJakobe wathukuthela wamthethisa uLabani, wathi: “Liyini icala lami na? Siyini isono sami uze ungihubhe ngale ndlela na? ₃₇Njengalokhu usupeketule yonke impahla yami nje, utholeni-ke olungolwakho na? Lubeke lapha phambi kwezihlobo zethu, zona zehlulele phakathi kwethu. ₃₈Le minyaka engama-20 ngihleli nawe, izimvukazi nezimbuzikazi zakho azikaze ziphunze, futhi angikaze ngidle nqama yomhlambi wakho. ₃₉Angikaze ngilethe kuwe edweshulwe yizilo zasendle. Uma kwenzekile yafa bengiyaye ngilithwale mina lelo cala. Ubukufuna kimi okwebiwe emhlanjini wakho, noma kwebiwe emini noma ebusuku. ₄₀Ngangishiswa yilanga emini, ngilala obenyoni ebusuku, ngiqhuqhwa ngamakhaza, ₄₁ngikusebenzele le minyaka engama-20, eyi-14 yayo ngisebenzela amadodakazi akho omabili, kwathi eyisithupha ngasebenzela imfuyo. Phezu kwalokho waliguqula kalishumi iholo lami. ₄₂Uma 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.”

₄₃ULabani 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.”

₄₅UJakobe wathatha itshe walimisa laba yinsika. ₄₆Wayesethi ezihlotsheni zakhe: “Qoqelani ndawonye amatshe;” bawaqoqa aba yinqwatshana base bedla lapho eduze kwaleyo nqwatshana yamatshe. ₄₇ULabani wayibiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi yiJega Sahadutha, uJakobe wayibiza ngokuthi yiGaledi.

₄₈ULabani wathi: “Le nqwaba izokuba yisikhumbuzo phakathi kwethu sobabili.”

Yingakho nje leyo ndawo yabizwa ngokuthi yiGaledi. ₄₉ULabani wayibiza futhi ngokuthi yiMizpha, ngokuba wathi: “USimakade makalinde phakathi kwami nawe, lapho omunye engekho phambi komunye. ₅₀Uma uyakuhlupha amadodakazi ami, noma uthatha abafazi ngaphandle kwamadodakazi ami, akukho muntu onathi; bheka, uNkulunkulu ungufakazi phakathi kwami nawe.”

₅₁ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Bheka, nansi inqwaba yamatshe nensika yetshe engikumise phakathi kwethu. ₅₂Kokubili kungubufakazi bokuthi anginakweqela ngale kwale nqwaba ngize kuwe, nawe awunakwedlulela ngale kwale nqwaba nale nsika uzosenzakalisa. ₅₃Sengathi uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama noNahori, uNkulunkulu woyise, angehlulela phakathi kwethu.”

UJakobe wenza isifungo ngoKwesaba kuka-Isaka, uyise.

₅₄Wanikela ngomhlatshelo elapho kwelezintaba, wamema nezihlobo zakhe ukuba zidle. Badla, base belala kulo elezintaba ngalobo busuku.

₅₅ULabani wavuka ekuseni, wanga abazukulu bakhe namadodakazi akhe, wababusisa, wayesehamba ebuyela emzini wakhe.