1 UJakhobe wezwa ukuthi amadodana kaLabhani ayesithi, “UJakhobe usethethe konke ubaba ayelakho njalo usezuze yonke inotho ebingekababa.” 2 Njalo uJakhobe wananzelela ukuthi uLabhani wayengasamphathi njengakuqala.

3  UThixo wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Buyela elizweni laboyihlo lasezihlotsheni zakho, mina ngizakuba lawe.”

4 Ngakho uJakhobe wasethumela ilizwi kuRasheli loLeya ukuthi beze egangeni lapho imihlambi yakhe eyayikhona. 5 Wathi kubo, “Sengibona ukuthi uyihlo kasangiphathi njengakuqala, kodwa uNkulunkulu kababa ube lami. 6 Liyakwazi ukuthi ngamsebenzela uyihlo ngamandla ami wonke, 7 kodwa uyihlo ungidlelezele ngokuguqula umholo wami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi. Kodwa uNkulunkulu kamvumelanga ukuthi angilimaze. 8 Kwakusithi angathi, ‘Ezilamabalabala ngezakho, ezomholo,’ imihlambi yonke izale ezimabalabala; kuthi angathi, ‘Ezingamaqamule zizakuba ngumholo wakho,’ yonke imihlambi izale amazinyane angamaqamule. 9 Ngaleyondlela uNkulunkulu usethethe imihlambi kayihlo wayipha mina.

10 Ngesikhathi sokuxotshwa lokumitha kwemihlambi, ngaba lephupho lapho okwathi ngikhangela ngabona ukuthi impongo ezazixotsha umhlambi zazingamaqamule, kumbe zingamafahlafahla kumbe zilamabala. 11 Ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yathi kimi kulelophupho, ‘Jakhobe.’ Ngasabela ngathi, ‘Ngilapha.’ 12 Yathi, ‘Khangela ukuthi zonke impongo ezixotsha umhlambi ngezingamaqamule, ngezingamafahlafahla kumbe ngezilamabala, ngoba ngikubonile konke lokho uLabhani abekwenza kuwe. 13 NginguNkulunkulu waseBhetheli, lapho owagcoba khona insika njalo lapho owenza khona isifungo kimi. Suka kulelilizwe khona manje ubuyele elizweni lakini.’ ”

14 URasheli loLeya baphendula bathi, “Sivele siseselesabelo selifa likababa na? 15 Kasinjengabezizweni kuye na? Kakusikho kodwa ukuthi walobolisa ngathi, kodwa sowakusebenzisa konke esalotsholwa ngakho. 16 Ngempela yonke inotho uNkulunkulu ayemuka ubaba ngeyethu labantwabethu. Ngakho yenza loba yini uNkulunkulu akutshele yona.”

17 UJakhobe wasegadisa abantwabakhe labomkakhe emakameleni, 18 waziqhuba zonke izifuyo zakhe zahamba phambili, kanye lempahla zonke ayezizuzile ePhadani Aramu, esebuyela kuyise u-Isaka elizweni laseKhenani.

19 Kwathi uLabhani ehambile eyogunda izimvu zakhe, uRasheli weba izithombe zikayise. 20 Phezu kwalokho uJakhobe wakhohlisa uLabhani umʼAramu ngokungamtsheli ukuthi yena wayesebaleka. 21 Ngakho wabaleka lakho konke okwakungokwakhe, wachapha umfula iYufrathe, waqonda elizweni lamaqaqa eleGiliyadi.

22 Ngosuku lwesithathu uLabhani watshelwa ukuthi uJakhobe wayesebalekile. 23 Wathatha izihlobo zakhe bangena emzileni kaJakhobe okwensuku eziyisikhombisa baze bayambamba elizweni lamaqaqa eleGiliyadi. 24 UNkulunkulu weza kuLabhani umʼAramu ephutsheni ebusuku wathi kuye, “Unanzelele ukuthi ungaze watsho lutho kuJakhobe, loba lungoluhle kumbe olubi.”

25 UJakhobe wayemise ithente lakhe elizweni lamaqaqa eGiliyadi eficwa khona nguLabhani, uLabhani laye lezihlobo zakhe bakha izihonqo khonapho. 26 Ngakho uLabhani wasesithi kuJakhobe, “Wenzeni manje? Ungikhohlisile, njalo uthumbe amadodakazi ami njengabathunjiweyo empini. 27 Kungani ubalekele ngasese wangikhohlisa na? Kungani ungangazisanga ukuze ngikuvalelise ngentokozo langokutshaya izigubhu lamachacho? 28 Kawuzange ume ukuthi ngange abazukulu bami lamadodakazi ami ngibavalelise. Wenze into eyibuthutha. 29 Ngilamandla okukulimaza; kodwa ngobusuku obudluleyo uNkulunkulu kayihlo uthe kimi, ‘Unanzelele ungaze watsho lutho kuJakhobe, loba ngoluhle kumbe ngolubi.’ 30 Manje ususukile ngoba ubulangazelela ukubuyela emzini kayihlo. Kodwa kungani webe izithombe zami na?”

31 UJakhobe wamphendula uLabhani wathi, “Bengisesaba ukuthi uzangemuka amadodakazi akho ngamandla. 32 Kodwa nxa ufumana loba ngubani olezithombe zakho, kayikuphila. Ake ubone, lezihlobo zakho zikhona, ingabe kulolutho lwakho yini lapha kimi; nxa lukhona, luthathe.” UJakhobe wayengazi ukuthi uRasheli wayezebile izithombe.

33 Ngakho uLabhani wangena ethenteni likaJakhobe lethenteni likaLeya lethenteni lezincekukazi zombili, kodwa kafumananga lutho. Ephuma ethenteni likaLeya, wangena ethenteni likaRasheli. 34 URasheli wayethethe izithombe lezo, wazifihla phakathi kwesihlalo sekamela lakhe, wasehlala phezu kwazo. ULabhani wabhudula kukho konke okwakusethenteni, katholanga lutho.

35 URasheli wathi kuyise, “Ungazondi nkosi yami ukuthi kungani ngingakusukumeli, kungenxa yokuba ngisesikhathini.” Ngakho wabhudula, kodwa akaze azifumana izithombe zangekhaya.

36 UJakhobe wazonda kubi wamthwalisa nzima uLabhani. Wambuza wathi, “Icala lami ngelani? Ngenze sono bani ukuze ungizingele kanje? 37 Njengoba usuziguduzile zonke impahla zami, kuyini osukufumene okungokomuzi wakho na? Kubeke khonapha phambi kwezihlobo zakho lezami batsho okuyikho phakathi kwethu sobabili.

38 Sengibe lawe okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili. Izimvu zakho lembuzi zakho kazizange ziphunze, njalo kangizange ngizihlabele inqama emihlambini yakho. 39 Kangizange ngizokutshengisa izifuyo ezidatshulwe yizilo; yimi engathwala lokho kulahlekelwa ngazihlawula. Njalo wafuna inhlawulo yalezo ezazebiwe emini loba ebusuku. 40 Impilo yami yayinje: ukutshisa kwakungibhaxabula emini, ebusuku umqando ungihaqaze, ubuthongo babaleka emehlweni ami. 41 Kwakunjalo okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili ngisemzini wakho. Ngakusebenzela okweminyaka elitshumi lane ngisebenzela amadodakazi akho womabili njalo okweminyaka eyisithupha ngisebenzela imihlambi yakho, njalo wena waguqula inhlawulo yami okwezikhathi ezilitshumi. 42 Aluba uNkulunkulu kababa, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama langokwesaba kuka-Isaka, ubengelami, ubuzangixotsha nje ngingaphathanga lutho. Kodwa uNkulunkulu ububonile ubunzima bami lokusebenza nzima kwezandla zami, yikho ekukhuzile izolo ebusuku.”

43 ULabhani wamphendula uJakhobe wathi, “Abesifazane ngamadodakazi ami, abantwana ngabantwabami, lemihlambi yimihlambi yami. Kodwa kuyini engingakwenza lamuhla ngala amadodakazi ami, kumbe ngabantwana ababazeleyo na? 44 Zwana-ke, kasenze isivumelwano, wena lami, sibe ngufakazi phakathi kwethu.”

45 Ngakho uJakhobe wasethatha ilitshe walimisa laba yinsika. 46 Wasesithi ezihlotsheni zakhe, “Buthelelani amatshe.” Bawathatha amatshe aba yinqwaba, basebedlela khonapho eceleni kwenqwaba. 47 ULabhani wayibiza ngokuthi yiJegari Sahadutha, uJakhobe yena wathi yiGaledi.

48 ULabhani wathi, “Inqwaba le ingufakazi phakathi kwami lawe lamuhla.” Yikho yabizwa ngokuthi yiGaledi. 49 Yabizwa njalo ngokuthi yiMizipha, ngoba wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angalinda phakathi kwakho lami nxa sikhatshana omunye komunye. 50 Ungaze uphathe kubi amadodakazi ami, loba ungaze uthathe abanye abafazi ngaphandle kwamadodakazi ami, loba kungekho omunye umuntu olathi, khumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami.”

51 ULabhani wathi njalo kuJakhobe, “Nansi inqwaba le, njalo nansi insika engiyimise phakathi kwakho lami. 52 Inqwaba le ingufakazi, kanye lensika le ingufakazi wokuthi kangisoze ngiyidlule inqwaba le ngize kwelakho icele ngizekonela lokuthi lawe kawuyikudlula kule inqwaba lensika uze kwelami icele uzengonela. 53 Sengathi uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, loNkulunkulu kaNahori, uNkulunkulu kayise wabo angahlulela phakathi kwethu.”

Ngakho uJakhobe wenza isifungo ebizweni likaMesatshwa kayise u-Isaka. 54 Wenza umhlatshelo khonapho elizweni lamaqaqa wanxusa izihlobo zakhe ekudleni. Sebedlile, balala khonapho.

55 Ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku olulandelayo uLabhani wanga abazukulu bakhe lamadodakazi akhe wababusisa. Wasefulathela wabuyela ekhaya.