¹ Wayesesuka uJakobe, waya ezweni labantu basempumalanga. ² Wabheka, nanko umthombo endle , nemihlambi emithathu yezimvu ilele ngakuwo, ngokuba kulowo mthombo babephuzisa imihlambi ; itshe elalisemlonyeni womthombo lalilikhulu kakhulu. ³ Kwabuthelwa khona imihlam bi yonke , balisusa itshe emlonyeni womthombo, baphuzisa izimvu , balibuyisela itshe emlonyeni womthombo endaweni yalo. ⁴ UJakobe wathi kubo: Bazalwane, nivelaphi na? Bathi: SingabakwaHarana. ⁵ Wayesethi kubo: Niyamazi uLabani indodana kaNahori na? Bathi: Siyamazi. ⁶ Wathi kubo : Usahlezi kahle na ? Bathi: Uhlezi kahle . Nangu uRaheli indodakazi yakhe; uyeza nezimvu. ⁷ Wathi: Bheka, kusesemini kakhulu , akusiso isikhathi sokuba zibuthwe izinkomo; phuzisani izimvu, nihambe niziklabise. ⁸ Base bethi : Singekwenze lokho ingakabuthani imihlambi yonke , balisuse itshe emlonyeni womthombo; yikhona siyakuphuzisa izimvu. Ukubonana kukaJakobe noRaheli ⁹ Esakhuluma nabo, uRaheli wafika nezimvu zikayise, ngokuba wayezalusa. ¹⁰ Kwathi uJakobe ebona uRaheli indodakazi kaLabani uninalu me nezimvu zikaLabani uninalume , uJakobe wasondela , wasusa itshe emlonyeni womthombo, waziphuzisa izimvu zikaLabani uninalume. ¹¹ UJakobe wamanga uRaheli, waphakamisa izwi lakhe, wakhala. ¹² UJakobe wayesemtshela uRaheli ukuthi ungumfowabo kayise nokuthi uyindodana kaRebeka; wagijima, watshela uyise. ¹³ Kwathi uLabani esezwe indaba kaJakobe indodana kadadewabo , wagijima ukuyomhlangabeza, wamgona, wamanga, wamngenisa endlini yakhe ; wayesetshela uLabani zonke lezi zinto. ¹⁴ ULabani wathi kuye: Impela uyithambo lami nenyama yami. Wahlala kuye inyanga yonke. UJakobe uqala ukusebenza kuLabani ¹⁵ ULabani wayesethi kuJakobe: Lokhu ungumfowethu, ubuzakungisebenzela ngeze na? Ngitshele ukuthi umvuzo wakho uyakuba yini na? ¹⁶ ULabani wayenamadodakazi amabili ; igama lenkulu lalinguLeya, igama lencane lalinguRaheli. ¹⁷ Amehlo kaLeya ayebuthakathaka , kepha uRaheli wayemuhle ngesimo , ebukeka kahle. ¹⁸ UJakobe wamthanda uRaheli ; wathi: Ngizakukusebenzela iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngoRaheli indodakazi yakho encane. ¹⁹ Wayesethi uLabani: Kuhle ukuba ngimnike wena kunokuba ngimnike enye indoda; hlala kimi. ²⁰ UJakobe wayesesebenzela uRaheli iminyaka eyisikhombisa ; yayisemehlweni akhe njengezinsuku eziyingcosana nje ngenxa yokumthanda kwakhe. ²¹ UJakobe wathi kuLabani : Nginike umkami , ngokuba izinsuku zami seziphelile, ngize ngingene kuye. ²² ULabani wabutha abantu bonke bakuleyo ndawo, wenza idili. ²³ Kepha kwathi kusihlwa wathatha uLeya indodakazi yakhe , wamyisa kuye; wangena kuye. ²⁴ ULabani wanika indodakazi yakhe uLeya incekukazi yakhe uZil ipa, abe yincekukazi yakhe. ²⁵ Kwathi ekuseni , bheka, kunguLeya; wayesethi kuLabani : Kuyini lokhu okwenzile kimi na? Angikusebenzelanga ngoRaheli na? Ungikhohliseleni na? ²⁶ Wathi uLabani : Akwenziwa njalo endaweni yakithi ukuba kuganiswe omncane ngaphambi komkhulu. ²⁷ Qeda isonto lalona, sikuphe nomunye ngomsebenzi osezakuwusebenza kimi eminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa. ²⁸ UJakobe wenze njalo , waqeda isonto lakhe ; wamupha uRaheli indodakazi yakhe, abe ngumkakhe. ²⁹ ULabani wanika indodakazi yakhe uRaheli incekukazi yakhe uBiliha , abe yincekukazi yakhe. ³⁰ Wangena nakuye uRaheli , wathanda uRaheli kakhulu kunoLeya ; wayesesebenza kuye eminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa. Amadodana okuqala kaJakobe ³¹ UJehova ebona ukuthi uLeya uyazondwa , wavula isizalo sakhe ; kepha uRaheli wayeyinyumba. ³² ULeya wakhulelwa , wazala indodana , waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uRubeni, ngokuba wathi : UJehova ubonile ukuhlupheka kwami ; manje umyeni wami uyakungithanda. ³³ Wabuye wakhulelwa, wazala indodana, wathi: Lokhu uJehova ezwe ukuthi ngiyazondwa, ungiphile nalena futhi , waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uSimeyoni. ³⁴ Wabuye wakhulelwa , wazala indodana , wathi: Manje ngalesi sikhathi umyeni wami uyakunamathela kimi , ngokuba ngimzalele amadodana amathathu, ngalokho waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uLevi. ³⁵ Wakhulelwa futhi , wazala indodana, wathi: Sengiyakumdumisa uJehova , ngalokho waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uJuda; wayesekhawula ukuzala.