uEsawu noJakobe
uEsawu noJakobeuGenesisi 19 nezahluko ezilandelayo
Esehlanganisé engamashumi amane yobudala uYisaka, waganwa nguRibheka, indodakazi kaBhethweli, umArameya wakwelaseMesophothamya, udadewabo kaLaban. Wabheka, wabheka uRibheka; lutho abantwana!
UYisaka wazikhulekela kuSmakade; iNkosi yawuzwa umthandazo wakhe. Khulelwiyane uRibheka – àmawele! Njengoba elokhu edlala, eqhubukushana esiswini sikanina, uze ezibuza uRibheka ukuthi mhlolo muni lowo. Ithi-ke iNkosi kulokho: „Ùthwele izizwe zibili esizalweni sakho. Enzalweni yakho kuyodabuka izizwe zibe mbili; esinye sehlule esinye – sisinqobe. Omdala uyokhonza omncane.“
Nebala: Wazibula ngamawele uRibheka. Elokuqala laliphuphuzela uboyana obubomvana emzimbeni wonke; baliqamba elithi nguEsawu. Elesibili laphuma libambelele esithendeni somnewabo; baletha elithi nguJakobe. Uyise wayesengamashumi ayisithupha ubudala.
Bakhula-ke abafana. UEsawu waba ùmzingeli, ethanda ukuzihambela kude endle. UJakobe waba ùmelusi, ethi noma ezihambahambela-nje, angaqheli kakhulu nasekhaya. Uyise, ikloza elaziwayo, wayezithandela uEsawu; uJakobe yena wayethandwa kakhulu ngunina.
Usebuya ekhathele kakhulu uEsawu ekuzingeleni ngelinye ilanga; ufica umnawakhe upheké isitshulu sikabhontshisi obomvu. “Mfo! Ngilambile, ngikhathele; aké ungiphe kulokhu okubomvana okuphekileyo!” (Yingakho phela uEsawu babemntalela bethi ngu-“Edom” – wayeyisiklwede kanti-ke futhi evamile ukuthanda noma yini ebomvanyana).
UJakobe usemhlakaniphela, ethi: “Ngizokuphakela, udle, usuthe uma-nje uvuma ukwedlulisela kimi ilungelo lakho lobuzibulo njengendlalifa.”
Iyadlala yini indlala? Vumiyane uEsawu; usemfungisa khona lapho uJakobe, … Wamphakela, wadla, wesutha; kwaba ùkuphela kwayo- ke indaba yobuzibulo, ayevele engayigqizé qakala uEsawu.
Sekuthi-ke uYisaka esegugile namehlo akhe esequndekile, usememeza indodana yakhe enkulu, ethi:”Esawu! We Esawu! Ngikhulile manje; ukufa sekungafika noma nini. Phuma uyongizingelela inyamazane, uyose, uyipheke njengoba uhlale ungenzela, kengenelise umphefumulo, ngibusiseke ngawe ngamphambi kokuba ngife.”
Bakhuluma-nje uRibheka ulalele.
Wathi esithela-nje uEsawu, wayephuthuma kuJakobe uRibheka, emhlebela ethi: “Uyazi ukuthini? Uyihlo ubekhuluma nomnewenu ethi … …. Lalela lapha-ke wena, wenze njengoba ngikutshela: Landa amazinyane abe mabili emhlanjini, uwalethe lapha, siwahlabe, ngiwapheke ngale ndlela ethandwa kakhulu nguyihlo bese umdekela, umphakela, adle akubusise engakabuyi uEsawu!”
Athi ukunqikaza uJakobe. “Usukhohliwe yini, Mama, ukuthi uEsawu unoboya yonke indawo – nasezingalweni? Mina anginabo! Ngiyokwenze njani uma uBaba ethi uyangiphulula bese efumana ukuthi yimi, akusiye uEswau? Ngiyoshonaphi-ke uma lokho kumthukuthelisa kangangokuba aze angiqalekise esikhundleni sokuba angibusise njengoba sifisa?”
Azame unina ukummisa isibindi, ethi angakushayi mkhuba konke lokho: “Siyothwalwa yimi naleso siqalekiso. Wena yenza lokhu engikutshela khona!”
Aphuthume-ke uJakobe, awalethe amazinyane lawo; athi angahlatshwa-ke awose, awapheke uRibheka ngale ndlela ethandwa kakhulu ùmyeni wakhe. Uselanda-ke izembatho zikaEsawu zakwanokusho, esezigqokisa uJakobe; izingalo nentamo usezigiga ngezicucu zezikhumba zamazinnyane ukuze kube sengathi naye unoboya ufuze umnewabo – kube sengathi ungumnewabo uqobo! Usemnika-ke lesi sitsha sokudla abekulungisa ukuze ayokwethula kuyise njengokwesu labo.
Njengokwejwayelekile uYisaka wabuza emva kokubingelelana ukuthi yiyona yiphi-ke le ndodana akhuluma nayo. “NginguEsawu, izibulo lakho!” kuphendula uJakobe. Asho enazezela ngokushesha, ethi: “Isisheshé yalunga naleyo ndaba. Vuka-ke , Baba, usondele lapha, udle njengokwesifiso sakho, ungibusise.”
Kube sengathi kukhona akusolayo uYisaka, abuze athi: “Waze washesha bo namuhla …?” “Cha, Baba” kuphendula uJakobe, “kubé sengathi iqhutshwa nguSmakade, uNkulunkulu wakho uqobo, le nyamazane wayiqondanisa nami ngqo!” Ledlule lelo, athi uYisaka:”Sondela ngikuphathe, ngikuphuthaze. Nguwe impela, Esawu?” Asondele uJakobe; uyise amphuthaze, amphulule, agcine ethé: “Izwi nguJakobe nje; izandla nezingalo zona kodwa ngezikaEsawu!”
Kwangathi uphambeké ngempela ngenxa yalezi zikhumba ezimenza athathe ngokuthi uphulula uEsawu yena phela onoboya nasezingalweni. Usezibuzisa futhi: “Nguwe lona, Esawu, ndodana yami?” Aphendule futhi uJakobe eshesha: “Yebo, Baba, yimi!”
“Sondeza-ke ongiphekelé khona kengidelise umphefumulo, uthole isibusiso!”
Wathi engadla, waphuza, yayisimqabula indodana yakhe njengokwesifiso sakhe. UYisaka wahogela iphunga elimnandi lezembatho zendodana yakhe, wayibusisa ethi:
“Iphunga lendodana yami
linjengephunga lamasimu abusiswé nguSmakade!
Sengathi- ke, Ndodana yami, oPhezukonke angakupha imvula eyanele,
umhlaba onothile, nenala yamabele nezivini.
Izizwe zonkana zikukhonze, zikukhothamele!
Abanawakho bayobuswa nguwe; inzalo yakwenu iyokukhothamela.
Okuqalekisayo uyoqalekiswa; abusiswe okubusisayo!”
Wayibusisa kanjalo-ke uYisaka indodana yakhe, uJakobe.
Wathi ephuma-nje uJakobe emva kokubusiswa nguyise, wayefika uEsawu ebuya ekuzingeleni. Akabange echitha sikhathi: Walungisa ukudla njengokwesifiso sikayise, waqonda kuye, wathi: “Ngafika! Vuka-ke, Baba, usondele; sekulungile ukudla. Dlana wenelise umphefumulo ukuze ngibusiseke!“
„Sekungubani-ke futhi lowo?“ kubuza uYisaka.
„Yindodana yakho, izibulo lakho, uEsawu!“
Wathukuthela washada nonwabu uYisaka, wathi: „Uma wena unguEsawu, ngubani-ke lo obelapha ngaphambi kokuba ungene? Ufiké wangiphakela njengokwesifiso sami, ngadla, ngambusisa; leso sibusiso usitholé usitholile!“
Kwathi akazibulale uEsawu ùkuthukuthela nokudumala; wampongoloza, edinda isililo. „Ngibusise-ke nami, Baba!“ ezicelela. Lalandula ikhehla: „Usithethé usithethé umfowenu isibusiso sakho! Ungifikelé ngobuqili, ngalutheka. Sihambé sihambile!“
„Laze lamfanela-ke negama lakhe!“ kulila uEsawu njalo. „Akaqali ukungiqilibeza; usephinda impinda kulokhu! Ngayengeka, ngedlulisela kuye ilungelo lami lobuzibulo; namuhla usengigijimelé phambili, wahlwitha isibusiso sami! Baba asikho nje-ke nesisosdwa isibusisos esisasele, ongasale usunginika sona?“
Walandula uYisaka, wathi: „Umfowenu ngimbusisé ngamenza umbusi phezu kwakho; bayokhonza kuye bonke abafowabo. Ngimfumbathisé ngamethwesa inala yesivuno. Ngingabe ngisasithathaphi-ke manje isibusiso engingasinika wena?“
„Kahle bo, Baba. Usho ukuthi asisekho-nje nesisodwa-nje onganginika sona – esokugcina ngci? Hawu ngibusise nami bo; ngiyakuncenga, Baba!“ Zehla futhi izinyembezi; waqala phansi wasidinda.
Usethi-ke uyise:
„Kwelimagad’ ahlabayo
kude le – kwelingenamnotho, elingenamvula –
kuyokwakha knona wena lapho.
Uyoziphilisa ngenzuzo yezikhwepha
uyodla ngenkemba.
Uyomkhonza umkhothamele umnewenu.
Uyogcina nokho udlubulundele,
wakhululeka ejokeni akucindezela ngalo!“
