UGenesise 31:22-42

Ngosuku lwesithathu uLabani watshelwa ukuthi uJakobe ubalekile. Wayesethatha abafowabo, wamlandela ibanga lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, wamfica entabeni yakwaGileyadi. UNkulunkulu weza kuLabani umAramu ephusheni ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Qaphela ukuba ungakhulumi kuJakobe okuhle noma okubi.” ULabani wayesemfica uJakobe. UJakobe wayemisile itende lakhe entabeni; uLabani nabafowabo bamisa entabeni yakwaGileyadi. ULabani wathi kuJakobe: “Wenzeni, lokhu unginyenyele, wathatha amadodakazi njengabathunjwa benkemba, na? Ubalekeleni ngasese na? Wanginyenyelelani ungangitshelanga ukuba ngabe ngikuvalelise ngokwenama nangezihlabelelo, ngesigubhu nangehabhu,* na? Awungivumelanga ukuba ngange amadodana ami namadodakazi ami. Untumazele ngalokho. Kusemandleni esandla sami ukwenza okubi kuwe, kepha uNkulunkulu kayihlo ukhulumile kimi ebusuku obudlule, wathi: ‘Qaphela ukuba ungakhulumi kuJakobe okubi noma okuhle.’ Manje njengokuba usumuka impela, lokhu ulangazelela nokulangazelela indlu kayihlo, webeleni izithixo zami na?” UJakobe waphendula, wathi kuLabani: “Ngokuba ngesaba ngithi: Funa ungiqhwage amadodakazi akho. Kepha lowo ozakuthola kuye izithixo zakho akayikusinda; qaza phambi kwabafowethu okwakho okukimi, ukuthathe.” Ngokuba uJakobe wayengazi ukuthi uRaheli wayezebile. ULabani wayesengena etendeni likaJakobe, nasetendeni likaLeya, nasetendeni lezincekukazi zombili; akazitholanga. Waphuma etendeni likaLeya, wangena etendeni likaRaheli. URaheli wayezithathe izithixo, wazifaka esihlalweni sekamela, wahlala phezu kwazo. ULabani waphumputha etendeni lonke, kepha akazitholanga. Wathi kuyise: “Mayingathukutheli inkosi yami ukuthi anginakusukuma phambi kwakho, ngokuba indlela yabesifazane ikimi.” Wanyalula, kepha akazitholanga izithixo. UJakobe wathukuthela, wamsola uLabani; uJakobe waphendula, wathi kuLabani: “Yisiphi isiphambeko sami na? Yisiphi isono sami, lokhu ungizingele kangaka, na? Njengalokho usufunisisile kuyo yonke impahla yami, uthole ntoni yezinto zonke zendlu yakho na? Yibeke lapha phambi kwabafowethu nabafowenu ukuba banqume phakathi kwethu sobabili. “Le minyaka engamashumi amabili bengihlezi kuwe; izimvukazi zakho nezimbuzikazi zakho aziphunzanga; izinqama zomhlambi wakho angizidlanga. Ezidweshulwe yizilo ngangingaziyisi kuwe; kwalahlekelwa mina; wazibiza esandleni sami, noma zebiwe emini noma zebiwe ebusuku. Nganginjalo; emini ngaqedwa ngukushisa, ebusuku ngamakhaza; ubuthongo bami babalekela amehlo ami. Le minyaka engamashumi amabili bengisendlini yakho; ngakusebenzela iminyaka eyishumi nane ngamadodakazi akho omabili, neminyaka eyisithupha ngomhlambi wakho, uguqule umvuzo wami kayishumi. Uma ebengenami uNkulunkulu kababa, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, ukwesaba kuka-Isaka, ngempela ubuyakungimukisa ze. UNkulunkulu ubone ukuhlupheka kwami nokukhathala kwezandla zami, wakusola ubusuku obudlule.”