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1 URasheli wathi ebona ukuthi wayengazaleli uJakhobe abantwana, wasekhwelezela udadewabo. Wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Ngipha abantwana, kumbe ngife!”
2 UJakhobe wamzondela wathi, “Sengisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu yini mina, onguye okuvale ukuthi ungazali?”
3 Yena wasesithi, “Nangu uBhiliha incekukazi yami. Lala laye ukuze angizalele abantwana, ukuze kuthi ngaye ngibe lemuli.”
4 Ngakho wasemupha incekukazi yakhe uBhiliha njengomfazi. UJakhobe wembatha laye, 5 wazithwala wamzalela indodana. 6 Ngakho uRasheli wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengigezile; ulalele ukuncenga kwami wasenginika indodana.” Ngenxa yalokhu wayitha wathi nguDani.
7 Incekukazi kaRasheli, uBhiliha, yathatha isisu njalo yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili. 8 URasheli wasesithi, “Kade kuyimpi phakathi kwami lodadewethu, mina senginqobile.” Wasemuthi nguNafithali.
9 ULeya wathi ngokubona ukuthi kasazali wathatha incekukazi yakhe uZilipha wayipha uJakhobe njengomfazi. 10 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana. 11 ULeya wasesithi, “Inhlanhla engakanani!” Wamutha ibizo wathi nguGadi.
12 Incekukazi kaLeya uZilipha yazalela uJakhobe indodana yesibili. 13 ULeya wathi, “Uthi ngiyathaba yini! Abafazi bazakuthi ngiyathaba.” Yikho wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Asheri.
14 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi uRubheni waya emasimini wafumana izihlahlakazana zamamandraki waziletha kunina uLeya. URasheli wathi kuLeya, “Ngicela ezinye zezihlahlakazana zendodana yakho.”
15 Kodwa wathi kuye, “Kakukwanelisanga na ukuthi wangemuka indoda? Usufuna ukuthatha lamamandraki endodana yami njalo?”
URasheli wathi, “Kulungile, angazalala ngakwakho lamuhla ukuze ngizuze amamandraki endodana yakho.”
16 Ngakho kwathi uJakhobe efika evela emasimini ngaleyontambama, uLeya wamhlangabeza wathi, “Kumele ulale ngakwami lamuhla. Ngikuqhatshile ngamamandraki endodana yami.” Ngakho wembatha laye ngalobobusuku.
17 UNkulunkulu wamlalela uLeya, wathatha isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesihlanu. 18 ULeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe umvuzo ngenxa yokuthi nganika indoda yami incekukazi yami.” Ngakho wamutha wathi ngu-Isakhari.
19 ULeya waphinda wasithatha njalo isisu wazalela uJakhobe indodana yesithupha. 20 Ngakho uLeya wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengiphe isipho esiligugu. Khathesi umkami usezangiphatha ngenhlonipho, ngoba sengimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.” Wasemutha wathi nguZebhuluni.
21 Emva kwesikhathi esithile wazala intombazana wayithi nguDina.
22 UNkulunkulu wamkhumbula uRasheli; wezwa ukukhala kwakhe wavula isibeletho sakhe. 23 Wathatha isisu wazala indodana, wathi, “UNkulunkulu uselisusile ihlazo lami.” 24 Wamutha wathi nguJosefa, wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angangipha enye indodana.”
Imihlambi KaJakhobe Yezimvu Iyanda
25 URasheli esezele uJosefa uJakhobe wathi kuLabhani, “Ngivumela ukuthi ngibuyele elizweni lakithi. 26 Ngipha omkami labantwana engibasebenzeleyo kuwe, ngihle ngihambe. Uyawazi umsebenzi engiwusebenzileyo kuwe lapha.”
27 Kodwa uLabhani wathi kuye, “Nxa ungithanda, hlala. Sengibonile ngokwambulelwa ukuthi uThixo ungibusisile ngenxa yakho.” 28 Wengeza ngokuthi, “Qamba loba yiphi inhlawulo oyifunayo, ngizakupha.”
29 UJakhobe wathi kuye, “Uyakwazi ukuthi ngikusebenzele njani lokuthi izifuyo zakho zigcinakale njani ziphethwe yimi. 30 Okuncinyane owawulakho ngingakafiki sekusele kwanda kakhulu, njalo uThixo ukubusisile langabe kungaphi lapho engike ngaba khona. Kodwa manje ngizaze ngiwenzele nini mina umuzi wami ulutho?”
31 Wabuza wathi, “Ngikupheni na?”
Waphendula uJakhobe wathi, “Ungangiphi lutho. Kodwa ake ungenzele lokhu kodwa, ukuze ngiqhubeke ngisondla imihlambi yakho: 32 Wothi ngingene emihlambini yakho lamuhla ngikhuphe kuyo zonke izimvu ezilamachatha kumbe amabala, lamazinyane wonke amnyama lembuzi zonke ezilamabala kumbe amachatha. Yizo ezizakuba yinhlawulo yami. 33 Ngesikhathi esizayo ubuqotho bami buzavela nxa uhlola inhlawulo onginike yona. Ingqe yiphi imbuzi engizabe ngilayo engelamachatha kumbe amabala, loba lizinyane lemvu elingamnyama lizakubalwa njengelebiweyo.”
34 ULabhani wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwakho.” 35 Mhlalokho wazikhupha zonke impongo ezazingamaqamule kumbe ezilamabala, njalo lezinsikazi ezilamachatha kumbe ezilamabala (zonke ezazilokumhlophe kuzo) lamazinyane ezimvu wonke amnyama zonke wathi zikhangelwe ngamadodana akhe. 36 Wasebeka umango wensuku ezintathu phakathi kwakhe loJakhobe, kodwa uJakhobe wayelokhu esondla yonke imihlambi eseleyo kaLabhani.
37 Kwathi uJakhobe wagamula ingatsha zesihlahla sephopla, eze-alimondi lezepulane wahamba ezixoza amaxolo wenza imidwa kwavela kuzo isigodo esimhlophe. 38 Ingatsha lezi ezixoziweyo wazibeka kuyo yonke imikolo yokunathela imihlambi ukuthi zime ziqondane lezifuyo nxa zinatha. Kwakusithi lezozifuyo ezidabuleyo zizonatha 39 zifike zixakane phambi kwezingatsha. Zazizala amazinyane alamabala ayimidwa loba alamachatha kumbe amabala nje. 40 UJakhobe wawakhetha wawabeka wodwa amazinyane, kodwa lezo ezinye waziyekela zadunga lezo ezingamaqamule lezimnyama ezazingezikaLabhani. Ngaleyondlela, wenza imihlambi ehlukeneyo eyakhe kaze ayihlanganisa lekaLabhani. 41 Kwakusithi kungadabula ezinsikazi eziqinileyo, uJakhobe wayefaka imiqwayi emikolweni phambi kwezifuyo ukuze zixakane eduze kwayo, 42 kodwa nxa ezinsikazi zingezibuthakathaka wayengayifaki imiqwayi. Ngakho izifuyo ezibuthakathaka zaba ngezikaLabhani, eziqinileyo zabuya ngoJakhobe. 43 Ngale indlela indoda le yanotha kakhulu yaba lemihlambi emikhulu, lezincekukazi, lezinceku kanye lamakamela labobabhemi.