1
Basi Isaka akamwita Yakobo, akambariki, akamwagiza akamwambia, Usitwae mke wa binti za Kanaani.
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded.
2
Ondoka, uende Padan-aramu, mpaka nyumba ya Bethueli baba ya mama yako, ukajitwalie huko mke katika binti za Labani, ndugu wa mama yako.
“Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3
Na Mungu Mwenyezi, akubariki, akuzidishe, na kukuongeza, ili uwe mkutano wa makabila.
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.
4
Akupe mbaraka wa Ibrahimu, wewe na uzao wako pamoja nawe, upate kuirithi nchi ya kusafiri kwako, Mungu aliyompa Ibrahimu.
And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5
Basi Isaka akampeleka Yakobo, naye akaenda Padan-aramu, kwa Labani, mwana wa Bethueli, Mshami, ndugu wa Rebeka, mama yao Yakobo na Esau.
So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6
Esau akaona ya kwamba Isaka amembariki Yakobo na kumpeleka Padan-aramu, ili ajitwalie mke huko, na katika kumbariki akamwagiza, akasema, Usitwae mke wa binti za Kanaani,
Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife there, commanding him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,”
7
na ya kuwa Yakobo amewatii babaye na mamaye, akaenda Padan-aramu.
and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram.
8
Esau akaona ya kuwa binti za Kanaani hawakumpendeza Isaka, baba yake.
And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
9
Basi Esau akaenda kwa Ishmaeli akamtwaa Mahalathi, binti Ishmaeli mwana wa Ibrahimu, ndugu wa Nebayothi, kuwa mkewe pamoja na wakeze aliokuwa nao.
Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
10
Yakobo akatoka Beer-sheba, kwenda Harani.
Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.
11
Akafika mahali fulani akakaa huko usiku kucha, maana jua lilikuwa limekuchwa; akatwaa jiwe moja la mahali pale akaliweka chini ya kichwa chake, akalala usingizi pale pale.
On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
12
Akaota ndoto; na tazama, ngazi imesimamishwa juu ya nchi, na ncha yake yafika mbinguni. Tena, tazama, malaika wa Mungu wanapanda, na kushuka juu yake.
And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.
13
Na tazama, Bwana amesimama juu yake, akasema, Mimi ni Bwana, Mungu wa Ibrahimu baba yako, na Mungu wa Isaka; nchi hii uilalayo nitakupa wewe na uzao wako.
And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
14
Na uzao wako utakuwa kama mavumbi ya nchi, nawe utaenea upande wa magharibi, na mashariki, na kaskazini, na kusini; na katika wewe, na katika uzao wako, jamaa zote za dunia watabarikiwa.
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
15
Na tazama, mimi nipo pamoja nawe, nitakulinda kila uendako, nami nitakuleta tena mpaka nchi hii, kwa maana sitakuacha, hata nitakapokufanyia hayo niliyokuambia.
Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16
Yakobo akaamka katika usingizi wake, akasema, Kweli Bwana yupo mahali hapa, wala mimi sikujua.
When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.”
17
Naye akaogopa akasema, Mahali hapa panatisha kama nini! Bila shaka, hapa ni nyumba ya Mungu, napo ndipo lango la mbinguni.
And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”
18
Yakobo akaondoka asubuhi na mapema, akalitwaa lile jiwe aliloliweka chini ya kichwa chake, akalisimamisha kama nguzo, na kumimina mafuta juu yake.
Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it,
19
Akaita jina la mahali pale Betheli; lakini jina la mji ule hapo kwanza uliitwa Luzu.
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
20
Yakobo akaweka nadhiri akisema, Mungu akiwa pamoja nami, akinilinda katika njia niiendeayo, na kunipa chakula nile, na nguo nivae;
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
21
nami nikirudi kwa amani nyumbani kwa baba yangu, ndipo Bwana atakuwa Mungu wangu.
so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.
22
Na jiwe hili nililolisimamisha kama nguzo litakuwa nyumba ya Mungu; na katika kila utakalonipa hakika nitakutolea wewe sehemu ya kumi. </p>
And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”