Naphtali, the eighth son of Jacob and Bilhah. The Runner. A lesson in physiology.

2. ISAHLUKO 1
uIsakare, unyana wesihlanu kaYakobi
noLeya. Umntwana ongenasono
womvuzo wemithuma. Ubongoza ukuba
kube lula.
1 Ikopi yamazwi kaIsakare.
2 Wababiza oonyana bakhe, wathi
kubo, Baphulaphuleni, bonyana, uyihlo
uIsakare; wabekeleni indlebe amazwi
alowo umthandayo uYehova.
3 Mna ndizele nguYakobi,
ndingowesihlanu, ndingumvuzo
wemithuma.
4 URubhen umninawa wam wathabatha
amathuma endle, uRakeli
wamhlangabeza, wawathabatha.
5 Walila uRubhen, waphuma uLeya
uma.
6 Ngoku la mathuma yayingama-apile
anevumba elimnandi awayeveliswa
ezweni lakwaHaran ngaphantsi
komlanjana wamanzi.
7 Wathi uRakeli, Andiyi kukunika
bona; baya kuba ngabam esikhundleni
soonyana.
8 Kuba uYehova undidelile, andimzaleli
mntwana uYakobi.
9 Ke kaloku bekukho ama-apile
amabini; Wathi uLeya kuRakeli,
Yanela, ukuba uthabathe indoda yam,
wozithabatha naba nazo?
10 Wathi uRakeli kuye, Wodliwa
nguYakobi ngobu busuku, ngenxa
yamathuma onyana wakho.
11 Wathi uLeya kuye, Ngowam
uYakobi, ngokuba ndingumfazi
wobutsha bakhe.
12 Wathi uRakeli, Musa ukuqhayisa,
ungaqhayisi; ngokuba wayendiganele
phambi kwakho, ngenxa yam wakhonza
ubawo iminyaka elishumi elinamine.
13 Ukuba ubuqhetseba bebungabanga
ehlabathini, ukuba bube namandla
ubutshinga bomntu, anibubonanga
ngoku ubuso bukaYakobi.
14 Kuba akuyena umfazi wakhe, kodwa
ngenkohliso uthatyathwe kuye
esikhundleni sam.
15 Wandilukuhla ubawo, wandisusa
ngobo busuku, akamvumela uYakobi
ukuba andibone. ngokuba bendikho,
ibingayi kumehlela le nto.
16 Noko ke, ngenxa yamathuma
ndikuqeshisa ngawo uYakobi
ngobusuku obunye.
17 UYakobi wamazi uLeya;
wakhawula, wandizala;
18 Kwabonakala isithunywa seNkosi
kuYakobi, sisithi, URakeli uya kuzala
abantwana ababini, ekubeni engavumi
ukuzimanya nendoda yakhe, wanyula
ilizwekazi.
19 Kwaye ukuba uLeya umama
akazange awahlawule ama-apile
amabini ngenxa yeqela lakhe,
ngewayezele oonyana abasibhozo;
Ngenxa yoko wazala abathandathu,
uRakeli wabazala bobabini, ngokuba
uYehova wamvelela amathuma.
20 Kuba ebesazi ukuba unqwenela
ukunxulumana noYakobi ngenxa
yabantwana, kungabi ngenxa
yolonwabo.
21 Kuba ngengomso wabuya
wamnikela uYakobi.
22 Ngenxa yamathuma uYehova
wamphulaphula uRakeli.
23 Kuba nakuba ebewanqwenele,
akawudlanga; wasuka wawasondezela
endlwini kaYehova, wazimisa
kumbingeleli wOsenyangweni, obekho
ngelo xesha.
24 Ngoko ke, bantwana bam,
ndakukhula, ndahamba ngendlela ethe

3. tye yentliziyo, ndaza ndaba ngumlimi
kabawo nabazalwana bam, ndivelisa
iziqhamo entsimini ngokwexesha lazo.
25 Kwaye ubawo wandisikelela, kuba
wabona okokuba ndahamba ngokuthe
tye phambi kwakhe.
26 Kwaye andizange ndibe ngugqada-
mbekweni ezenzweni zam,
ndingenamona nalunya ngokuchasene
nommelwane wam.
27 Andizange ndithethe kakubi
mntwini, andikhange ndibugwebe
ubomi bamntu, njengoko ndenzayo
ndiliso elinye.
28 Ke ngoko, xa ndandiminyaka
imashumi mathathu anantlanu ubudala,
ndazithabathela umfazi, kuba
ukubulaleka kwam kwabhanga amandla
am, yaye andizange ndiyicinge into
yokuzonwabisa nabafazi; + kodwa
ngenxa yokubulaleka kwam
ndaphelelwa bubuthongo.
29 Kwaye ubawo wayegcoba
ngamaxesha onke ekunyanisekeni
kwam, ngenxa yokuba mna
ndandinikele ngombingeleli zonke
iintlahlela kuYehova; kulandele ubawo.
30 UYehova wongezelele esandleni
sam isandla sakhe amawaka alishumi;
kananjalo uYakobi, ubawo, wayesazi
ukuba uThixo wandinceda ukungatshati
kwam.
31 Ngokuba zonke izinto ezilungileyo
zelizwe ndiwanike bonke abaziintsizana
nabacudisiweyo, ngentliziyo yonke;
32 Ke ngoko, bonyana, ndiveni,
nihambe ngengqibelelo yentliziyo yenu;
ngokuba ndiyibonile yonke into
ekholekileyo kakuhle kuYehova. '
33 Ontliziyo inye ayinqweneleli golide,
akamcinezeli ummelwane wakhe;
akanqweneli kukutya okuninzi;
34 Akakunqweneli ukuphila ubomi
obude; ulindele ukuthanda kukaThixo.
35 Kwaye imimoya yenkohliso
ayinagunya ngokuchasene naye, kuba
akajongi kubuhle babafazi, hleze
angcolise ingqondo yakhe ngokonakala.
36 Akukhomona ezicamangweni zakhe;
Akukho lunya luwonakalisayo
umphefumlo wakhe;
37 Kuba uhamba ngomphefumlo
omnye, kwaye ubona zonke izinto
ngokuthe tye kwentliziyo, ewaphepha
amehlo enziwe ububi ngokulahlekiswa
kwehlabathi, hleze abone ukugqwethwa
kwawo nawuphina wemithetho
yeNkosi.
38 Ke ngoko, bantwana bam, wugcineni
umthetho kaThixo, nize ningabi
namaqabane omtshato, nize nihambe
ngokungenabuqhinga, ningangeneleli
ngoshishino lommelwane wenu, kodwa
yithandeni iNkosi nommelwane wenu,
yibani nemfesane kumahlwempu
nababuthathaka.
39 Wuthobeleni umqolo wenu
entsimini, nibulaleke ngemigudu yonke
yokulima, ninikela izipho kuYehova,
nibulela.
40 Ngokuba uYehova uya kukusikelela
ngentlahlela yomhlaba, njengoko
wabasikelelayo bonke abangcwele,
kususela kuAbheli kude kube ngoku.
41 Ngokuba aninikwa sabelo sinye,
ingekuko ukutyeba komhlaba,
oziqhamo zisebenza nzima;
42 Kuba ubawo wethu uYakobi
wandisikelela, ngeentsikelelo
zehlabathi, nentlahlela.
43 Bazukiswa ke uLevi noYuda
phakathi koonyana bakaYakobi;
ngokuba uYehova wabanika ilifa,
wamnika uLevi ububingeleli,
nobukumkani bakwaYuda.

4. 44 bathobeleni ke ngoko, nihambe
ngobunyulu boyihlo; ngokuba uGadi
unikwe ukuba atshabalalise impi
awawafikela amaSirayeli.
ISAHLUKO 2
1 Yazini ngoko, bantwana bam, ukuba
ngexesha lokugqibela oonyana benu
baya kubulahla ubunyulu, banamathele
enkanukweni.
2 beshiya ukuhanahanisa, basondele
elunya; kwaye beyishiya imiyalelo
yeNkosi, baya kunamathela
kuBheliyare.
3 Kwaye baya kushiya umhlaba,
balandele eyabo inkohlakalo, kwaye
baya kuchithachithwa phakathi
kweentlanga, bakhonze iintshaba zabo.
4 Ngoko nibawisele lo mthetho oonyana
benu, ukuze, xa bathe bona, babuyele
kamsinya kuYehova; Kuba yena
unenceba, uya kubahlangula,
ababuyisele emhlabeni wabo.
5 Yabona, ke ngoko, njengokuba
nindibona, ndiminyaka ilikhulu
elinamanci mabini anesithandathu
ubudala, andiqondi ukuba ndona nasiphi
na.
6 Ngaphandle komfazi wam andimazi
omnye umfazi. Andizange ndihenyuze
ngokuphakamisa amehlo am.
7 Andiselanga wayini, ukuze
ndilahlekiswe yiyo;
8 Andinqwenelanga nanye into
enqwenelekayo eyeyemmelwane wam.
9 Akubangakho nkohliso entliziyweni
yam;
10 Akugqithanga buxoki emlonyeni
wam;
11 Ukuba ubani uthe wabandezeleka,
bendiya kuhlanganisa ukuncwina kwam
nokwakhe,
12 Kwaye ndabelana ngesonka sam
namahlwempu.
13 Ndenza ubulungisa, yonke imihla
yam ndigcina inyaniso.
14 Ndiyayithanda iNkosi; ngokunjalo
nabo bonke abantu ngentliziyo yam
yonke.
15 Yenzani nani ezi zinto, bantwana
bam, kwaye bonke oomoya
abangamatshijolo baya kunibaleka,
nesenzo songendawo asiyi kunilawula;
16 Nowoyisa onke amarhamncwa,
ngokuba unawe uThixo wezulu
nomhlaba, uhambe nabantu ngentliziyo
epheleleyo.
17 Wathi akutsho, wabawisela
umthetho oonyana bakhe, ukuba
bamnyuse baye eHebron,
bamngcwabele khona emqolombeni
kooyise.
18 Wolula iinyawo zakhe, wafa,
eyingwevu enkulu; ngayo yonke isandi
selungu, kwaye ngamandla
engathintelwanga, walala ubuthongo
obungunaphakade.