1
Naye Raheli alipoona ya kuwa hamzalii Yakobo mwana, Raheli alimwonea ndugu yake wivu. Akamwambia Yakobo, Nipe wana; kama sivyo, nitakufa mimi.
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
2
Yakobo akamghadhibikia Raheli, akasema, Je! Mimi ni badala ya Mungu, aliyekuzuilia uzao wa mimba?
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”
3
Akasema, Yuko mjakazi wangu, Bilha, uingie kwake ili kwamba azae juu ya magoti yangu, nami nipate uzao kwa yeye.
Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”
4
Basi akampa Bilha mjakazi wake kuwa mkewe. Yakobo akaingia kwake.
So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,
5
Naye Bilha akapata mimba, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son.
6
Raheli akasema, Mungu amenipa haki yangu, naye amesikia sauti yangu, akanipa mwana. Kwa hiyo akamwita jina lake Dani.
Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.
7
Bilha, mjakazi wa Raheli, akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.
8
Raheli akasema, Kwa mashindano makuu nimeshindana na ndugu yangu, nikashinda. Akamwita jina lake Naftali.
Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali.
9
Lea alipoona ya kuwa ameacha kuzaa, alimtwaa Zilpa, mjakazi wake, akampa Yakobo kuwa mkewe.
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
10
Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
11
Lea akasema, Bahati njema! Akamwita jina lake Gadi.
Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad.
12
Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,
13
Lea akasema, Ni heri mimi, maana wanawake wataniita heri. Akamwita jina lake Asheri.
Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.
14
Reubeni akaenda siku za mavuno ya ngano akaona tunguja kondeni, akazileta kwa Lea mamaye. Ndipo Raheli akamwambia Lea, Nipe mimi baadhi ya tunguja za mwanao.
Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15
Naye akamwambia, Je! Ni jambo dogo kuninyang'anya mume wangu; hata wataka kuzitwaa tunguja za mwanangu pia? Raheli akamwambia, Kwa hiyo atalala kwako usiku huu kwa tunguja za mwanao.
But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
16
Yakobo akaja kutoka kondeni jioni, Lea akatoka kumlaki, akasema, Lazima uje kwangu, kwa sababu nimekuajiri, kwa tunguja za mwanangu; akalala kwake usiku ule.
When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
17
Mungu akamsikia Lea, naye akapata mimba, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
18
Lea akasema, Mungu amenipa ujira wangu, kwa sababu nimempa mume wangu mjakazi wangu. Akamwita jina lake Isakari.
Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
19
Lea akapata mimba tena, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa sita.
Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20
Lea akasema, Mungu amenipa mahari njema, sasa mume wangu atakaa nami, kwa kuwa nimemzalia wana sita. Akamwita jina lake Zabuloni.
“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.
21
Baadaye akazaa binti, akamwita jina lake Dina.
After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22
Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli; Mungu akamsikia, akamfungua tumbo.
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
23
Akapata mimba, akazaa mwana, akasema, Mungu ameondoa aibu yangu.
and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.
24
Akamwita jina lake Yusufu, akisema, Bwana aniongeze mwana mwingine.
She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”
25
Ikawa Raheli alipomzaa Yusufu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, Nipe ruhusa niende kwetu, na kwenye nchi yangu.
Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
26
Nipe wake zangu na watoto wangu, niliokutumikia, niende zangu, maana umejua utumishi wangu niliokutumikia.
Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”
27
Labani akamwambia, Iwapo nimeona fadhili machoni pako, kaa, maana nimetambua ya kwamba Bwana amenibariki kwa ajili yako.
But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”
28
Akasema, Sema mshahara wako utakao, nami nitatoa.
And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”
29
Akamwambia, Umejua jinsi nilivyokutumikia, na jinsi wanyama wako walivyokuwa kwangu.
Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.
30
Maana mali yako ilikuwa haba kabla sijaja, nayo imezidi kuwa nyingi, Bwana akakubariki kila nilikokwenda. Basi sasa, nitaangalia lini mambo ya nyumba yangu mwenyewe?
Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?”
31
Akamwuliza, Nikupe nini? Yakobo akasema, Usinipe kitu; ukinifanyia neno hili, nitalisha wanyama wako tena na kuwalinda.
“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.
32
Nitapita katika wanyama wako wote leo, na kutoa huko kila mnyama aliye na madoadoa na marakaraka, na kila mnyama mweusi katika hao kondoo, na aliye na marakaraka na madoadoa katika mbuzi; nao watakuwa mshahara wangu.
Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.
33
Na haki yangu itanishuhudia katika siku zijazo, utakapokuja kwa habari ya mshahara wangu ulioko kwako. Kila asiye madoadoa au marakaraka katika mbuzi, au asiye mweusi katika kondoo, akionekana kwangu, itahesabiwa kuwa ameibiwa.
So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”
34
Labani akasema, Tazama, na iwe hivi kama usemavyo.
“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”
35
Basi akatoa siku ile mbuzi waume walio na milia na madoadoa, na mbuzi wake walio na madoadoa na marakaraka, kila aliye na doa jeupe, na kondoo wote waliokuwa weusi, akawatia mikononi mwa wanawe.
That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.
36
Akajitenga na Yakobo mwendo wa siku tatu; naye Yakobo akachunga wanyama wa Labani waliosalia.
Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37
Yakobo akatwaa fito za mlubna mbichi, na mlozi, na mwaramoni, akazibambua maganda, mistari myeupe ionekane ndani ya hizo fito.
Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches.
38
Akazisimamisha fito hizo alizozibambua katika mabirika ya kunyweshea maji, pale walipokuja wanyama wanywe; wakachukua mimba walipokuja kunywa.
Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink,
39
Wanyama wakapata mimba mbele ya hizo fito, wakazaa wanyama walio na milia, na madoadoa, na marakaraka.
they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.
40
Na Yakobo akawatenga wana-kondoo, akazielekeza nyuso za makundi zielekee wale waliokuwa na milia, na kila aliyekuwa mweusi katika wanyama wa Labani. Akaweka kando wanyama wake mwenyewe, wala hakuwachanganya pamoja na wanyama wa Labani.
Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.
41
Ikawa kila walipopata mimba wanyama wenye nguvu, Yakobo akaziweka zile fito mbele ya macho ya hao wanyama katika mabirika ili kwamba wachukue mimba kati ya zile fito,
Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches.
42
lakini wanyama walipodhoofika hakuziweka zile fito. Basi wale dhaifu walikuwa wa Labani, na wenye nguvu walikuwa wa Yakobo.
But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.
43
Kwa hiyo mtu huyo akazidi mno, akawa na wanyama wengi, na vijakazi, na watumwa, na ngamia, na punda.
Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.