Genesis 28
1 Then Isaac summoned Jacob, and gave him a blessing. He told him, “Do not marry a woman of the Canaan people-group.
Ngakho u-Isaka wabiza uJakhobe wambusisa wamlaya wathi: “Ungathathi umfazi womKhenani.
2 Instead, go right away to Paddan-Aram [in northwest Mesopotamia], to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Ask one of the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban to marry you.
Hamba khathesi uye ePhadani Aramu, emzini kayihlomkhulu uBhethuweli. Thatha khona umfazi, emadodakazini kaLabhani, umnewabo kanyoko.
3 I will pray that God Almighty will bless you, and enable you to [get married and] have many descendants, in order that they will become many people-groups.
Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla angakubusisa akuphe inzalo, andise ubunengi bayo lize libe yizizwe ezinengi.
4 I also will pray that he will bless you and your descendants by enabling you to possess/seize the land in which you are now living as a foreigner, the land that God promised to give to [my father] Abraham and his descendants.”
Sengathi angakupha wena kanye lezizukulwane zakho isibusiso leso esaphiwa u-Abhrahama, ukuze lilithathe ilizwe leli ohlezi kulo manje njengowezizweni, ilizwe uNkulunkulu alipha u-Abhrahama.”
5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-Aram, to live with Rebekah’s brother Laban, the son of Bethuel, who belonged to the Aram people-group.
Ngakho u-Isaka wasemvalelisa uJakhobe, waya ePhadani Aramu, kuLabhani indodana kaBhethuweli umʼAramu, umnewabo kaRabheka, owayengunina kaJakhobe lo-Esawu.
6 Esau found out that his father Isaac had blessed Jacob and then sent him to Paddan-Aram. He also found out that when he blessed Isaac, he told him, “Do not marry a woman of the Canaan people-group,”
U-Esawu wezwa ukuthi u-Isaka wayembusisile uJakhobe njalo wamthumela ePhadani Aramu ukuthi ayothatha umfazi khona, lokuthi wathi embusisa wamlaya wathi, “Ungathathi umfazi ongumKhenani,”
7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother, and had gone to Paddan-Aram.
lokuthi uJakhobe wayebalalele uyise lonina wahamba waya ePhadani Aramu.
8 Esau also realized that his father Isaac did not approve of women from the Canaan people-group.
U-Esawu wakunanzelela ukuthi abafazi bamaKhenani babeyisinengiso kuyise u-Isaka;
9 Because of that, Esau went to see his uncle Ishmael, and married Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael. Mahalath was the sister of Nabaioth and the granddaughter of Abraham.
ngakho wasesiya ku-Ishumayeli wathatha uMahalathi, udadewabo kaNebhayothi, indodakazi ka-Ishumayeli indodana ka-Abhrahama, phezu kwabanye abafazi ayevele eselabo.
10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and started walking along the road to Haran.
UJakhobe wasuka eBherishebha waqonda eHarani.
11 When he arrived at a certain place, he stopped there, because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones there and put it under his head to use as a pillow. Then he lay down and slept there.
Wafika kwenye indawo, wema lapho ukuthi alale khona ngoba ilanga laselitshonile. Wathatha ilitshe khona walenza umqamelo walala.
12 While he was sleeping, he had a dream, in which he [was surprised to] see a stairway. The bottom of the stairway was on the earth and the top was in the sky. Jacob also saw that God’s angels were going up and down the stairway.
Wehlelwa liphupho wabona ilele ligxile phansi emhlabeni, isiqongo salo sifinyelela ezulwini, kwathi izingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zabe ziqansa zisehla kulo.
13 And he [was surprised to] see Yahweh standing at the top of the stairway, saying “I am Yahweh God, whom your grandfather Abraham worshiped, and whom Isaac worships. I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying.
Laphaya ngaphezu kwalo kwakumi uThixo esithi: “nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu kayihlo u-Abhrahama loNkulunkulu ka-Isaka. Ngizakupha wena kanye lezizukulwane zakho ilizwe leli olele kulo.
14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the particles of dirt that are on the earth, and their territory will be very large. It will extend in all directions, to the east and to the west, to the north and to the south. And people of all people-groups on earth will receive blessings because of [what happens to] you and to your descendants.
Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba njengothuli lomhlabathi, njalo lizaqhela liye entshonalanga lasempumalanga, enyakatho laseningizimu. Bonke abantu bomhlaba bazabusiswa ngenxa yakho lenzalo yakho.
15 I will help you and protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you; I will continue to do for you all that I have promised to do.”
Ngilawe njalo ngizakulinda loba ungaze uye ngaphi, njalo ngizakubuyisa kulelilizwe. Kangizukukudela ngize ngikwenze lokho engikuthembise khona.”
16 [During the night], when Jacob woke up from sleeping, he thought, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and until now I was not aware of it!”
UJakhobe wathi evuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngeqiniso uThixo ukhona kule indawo, kodwa bengingakunanzeleli.”
17 He was afraid, and he said, “This place is very awesome! This is surely the place where God lives, and this is the entrance to heaven!”
Wesaba wathi, “Yeka ukwesabeka kwale indawo ehloniphekayo! Ngempela iyindlu kaNkulunkulu; leli lisango lasezulwini.”
18 In the morning Jacob got up and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up on its end to show that the place was a holy place. He poured some olive oil on top of the stone [to dedicate it to God].
Kusisa ekuseni kakhulu uJakhobe walithatha ilitshe ayelele eliqamele walimisa laba yinsika wathela amafutha phezu kwalo.
19 He named that place Bethel, [which means ‘house of God’.] Previously its name was Luz.
Indawo leyo wayibiza wathi yiBhetheli, ikanti idolobho lakhona lalithiwa yiLuzi.
20 Jacob solemnly promised God, saying, “God, if you will help me and protect me while I am taking this journey, and if you give me enough food to eat and clothes to wear,
Ngakho uJakhobe wenza isifungo wathi, “Nxa uNkulunkulu ezakuba lami angilondoloze kuloluhambo engikulo, angiphe ukudla lezigqoko,
21 in order that I can later return safely to my father’s house, then you, Yahweh, will be the God that I will worship.
ngibuyele emzini kababa ngiphilile, lapho uThixo uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami
22 This stone that I have set up will mark the place where people can worship you. And I will give back to you a tenth of everything that you give to me.”
njalo lelitshe leli engilenze insika lizakuba yindlu kaNkulunkulu, njalo kuzakuthi konke onginika khona ngizakunika wena okwetshumi.”
