1 Wenjenjeya uYakobi kuhambo lwakhe, wada waya kufika kwilizwe leentlanga zasempumalanga.
2 Wafika kumthombo owawusendle, kukho imihlambi emithathu yeegusha, zithe ncwaba zingqengqe kufuphi nawo. Le mihlambi yayikhelelwa amanzi kuloo mthombo uliso ligqunywe ngelitye.
3 Yayisithi yakuthontelana apho imihlambi, abelusi baliqengqe elo litye, bayikhelele amanzi, babuye balibuyisele elo litye, livale umthombo lowo.
4 Wafika wababuza abelusi uYakobi, wathi: “Bafondini, nisuka phi?”Bathe: “Sivela eHaran.”
5 Uthe: “Niyamazi uLabhan, umzukulwana kaNahore apho?”“Siyamazi,” batshilo ukuphendula.
6 “Usaphila kodwa?”“Ewe, usaphila. Nantso selisiza intombi yakhe uRakeli kunye nomhlambi wakhe.”
7 Uthe uYakobi: “Ingekabi loxesha lakuphethula imihlambi emadlelweni nje eli, kutheni ningazisezi nje ezi gusha, niziyeke zitye?”
8 Baphendula bathi: “Asinakuyenza loo nto ingekapheleli imihlambi. Kufuneka yonke ibekho, ukuze siwuvule umthombo, siyiseze.”
9 URakeli wafika nowakhe umhlambi esathetha nâbo belusi uYakobi.
10 UYakobi akubona uRakeli eqhuba imihlambi kaninalume uLabhan, waya kuliqengqa ilitye, wazipha amanzi iigusha.
11 Wandula wamanga uRakeli, elila luvuyo.
12 Wathi kuRakeli: “Ndiyazalana noyihlo; ndizalwa nguRabheka kaloku.”Wabaleka waya kuxelela uyise uRakeli;
13 wathi noyise akuziva ezi ndaba zingomtshana wakhe uYakobi, waya kumhlangabeza wamgona, wamanga, wamngenisa endlwini. Uthe uLabhan akubaliselwa nguYakobi izinto ezenzekileyo,
14 wayingqina into yokuba bayazalana. Wahlala apho inyanga yonke uYakobi.
15 Wathi uLabhan kuYakobi: “Akunako ukusebenza nje simahla apha kum ngenxa yokuba sizalana. Ufuna ndikunike malini?”
16 ULabhan wayeneentombi ezimbini, inguLeya igama lenkulu, encinci inguRakeli.
17 ULeya wayetsho ngamehlo angathi anengcume; uRakeli yena eyinzwakazi kanobomi.
18 UYakobi wayencwase uRakeli, waza wathi kuLabhan: “Ndokusebenzela iminyaka esixhenxe ukuba unokundivumela ndizeke intombi yakho encinci uRakeli.”
19 ULabhan uthe: “Ndikhetha ukumendisela kuwe kunokuba aye kwendela komnye umntu.” Watsho esithi makaselehlala apho kwakhe uYakobi.
20 UYakobi waphangela isixhenxe sonke seminyaka, esebenzela ukufumana uRakeli. Lonke elo xesha laba ngathi ziintsuku nje ezimbalwa kuye, kuba wayemthanda uRakeli.
21 “Lifikile ixesha; ndikhululele umkam,” watsho uYakobi kuLabhan.
22 ULabhan wenza isidlo somtshato, wamema bonke abantu balapho.
23 Ngobo busuku uLabhan wasa uLeya kuYakobi endaweni kaRakeli, uYakobi walala naye.
24 ULabhan wakhupha uZilipha isicakakazi, wayimpelesi kaLeya.
25 UYakobi akazange aqonde ukuba nguLeya lo wayelele naye, kude kwakusasa. Uye kuLabhan uYakobi, wafika wathi: “Yintoni le undenze yona? Bendisebenzela ukufumana uRakeli nje, undiqhathele ntoni?”
26 Uthe uLabhan: “Asilosiko lethu ukwendisa intombi encinci, ingekendi endala.
27 Linda ke khe kudlule le veki yomtshato, ndikwendisele uRakeli ke xa uya kuphinda usebenze iminyaka esixhenxe.”
28 Wavuma ke uYakobi, yathi yakudlula loo veki yomtshato uLabhan wamendisela kuYakobi noRakeli.
29 ULabhan wakhupha isicakakazi uBhiliya waba yimpelesi kaRakeli.
30 Wamambatha uRakeli uYakobi, wamthanda nangaphezu koLeya. Wasebenza eminye iminyaka esixhenxe.
31 Akubona *uNdikhoyo ukuba uLeya akathandwa, wampha inzala, wamvala yena uRakeli.
32 Wakhawula uLeya, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe, wathi nguRubhen igama lakhe, kuba wayesithi: “UNdikhoyo ulubonile usizi lwam; ngoku ndiza kuthandwa ngumyeni wam.”
33 Waphinda wazala omnye umntwana oyinkwenkwe, wathi yena nguSimon, esithi: “UNdikhoyo undiphe lo mntwana ngenxa yokuba evile ukuba andithandwa.”
34 Uphinde wazala enye inkwenkwe, wathi le nguLevi, kuba wayesithi: “Ndiya kudityaniswa nendoda yam ngakumbi kuba ndizele amakhwenkwe amathathu.”
35 Uphinde ngenye inkwenkwe kwakhona, wathi yona nguJuda, kuba wayesithi: “Ndiyambonga uNdikhoyo kwesi sihlandlo.” Emva koko wapheza ukuzala.