UGenesise 18 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

UJehova uyahambela u-Abrahama

¹ UJehova wabonakala kuye ngasema-okini* aseMamre, ehlezi emnyango wetende ngesikhathi sokushisa kwemini.

² Waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabuka; bheka, amadoda amathathu ayemi phambi kwakhe; wathi ukuba awabone, wasuka emnyango wetende, wagijima ukuwahlangabeza, wakhothama,

³ wathi: “Nkosi, uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mawungadluli encekwini yakho.

⁴ Makulethwe ingcosana yamanzi, nigeze izinyawo zenu, niphumule phansi komuthi.

⁵ Ngizakulanda ucezu lwesikwa, nithokozise izinhliziyo zenu, andukuba nidlule, njengokuba senifikile encekwini yenu.” Athi: “Yenza njengokusho kwakho.”

⁶ U-Abrahama waphuthuma etendeni kuSara, wathi: “Sheshisa, uthathe amaseya* amathathu empuphu ecolekileyo, uyixove, wenze amaqebelengwane.”

⁷ U-Abrahama wagijima, waya ezinkomeni, walanda ithole elihle nelinonileyo, walinika encekwini; yashesha ukulilungisa.

⁸ Wathatha amangqanga, nobisi, nethole abelilungisile, wakubeka phambi kwawo; wema ngakuwo phansi komuthi; adla.

⁹ Athi kuye: “Uphi uSara umkakho na?” Wathi: “Nangu etendeni.”

¹⁰ Wayesethi: “Impela ngiyakubuyela kuwe emva komnyaka ngalesi sikhathi; bheka, khona umkakho uSara uyakuba nendodana.” USara wakuzwa lokhu esemnyango wetende ongasemva kwakhe.

¹¹ Kepha o-Abrahama noSara base begugile, beneminyaka eminingi; kwase kuphelile kuSara okwabesifazane.

¹² USara wahleka phakathi kwakhe, wathi: “Lapho sengimdala, nenkosi yami igugile, ngiyakuba nalenjabulo na?”

¹³ UJehova wathi ku-Abrahama: “Uhlekeleni uSara, ethi: ‘Imbala ngizakuzala ngimdala na?’

¹⁴ Kukhona into emahlula uJehova na? Ngalesi sikhathi emva komnyaka ngiyakubuyela kuwe, uSara abe nendodana.”

¹⁵ USara waphika wathi: “Angihlekanga,” ngokuba wesaba. Kepha wathi: “Qha, uhlekile.”

Ukumenyezelwa kokuchithwa kweSodoma nokulikhulekela kuka-Abrahama

¹⁶ Amadoda asuka lapho, abheka ngaseSodoma; u-Abrahama wahamba nawo ewaphelekezela.

¹⁷ UJehova wathi: “Ngingamfihlela u-Abrahama lokho engizakukwenza na?

¹⁸ U-Abrahama uyakuba yisizwe esikhulu, esinamandla; ziyakubusiswa kuyena izizwe zonke zomhlaba.

¹⁹ Ngokuba ngimkhethele ukuba ayale abantwana bakhe nendlu yakhe emva kwakhe ukugcina indlela kaJehova nokusebenza ukulunga nokwahlulela, ukuze uJehova amenzele u-Abrahama lokho amthembise khona.”

²⁰ UJehova wathi: “Isikhalo saseSodoma nesaseGomora sikhulu, nezono zabo zinzima impela.

²¹ Ngalokho ngiyakwehla, ngibone ukuba benzile impela konke njengokwesikhalo esesifikile kimi; uma kungenjalo, ngiyakukwazi.”

²² Ayesefulathela lapho amadoda, aya ngaseSodoma, kepha u-Abrahama wayesemi ebusweni bukaJehova.

²³ U-Abrahama wasondela, wathi: “Uyakubhubhisa olungileyo kanye nomubi na?

²⁴ Mhlawumbe kukhona abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu phakathi komuzi; imbala uyakuyibhubhisa, ungayiyeki indawo ngenxa yabalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu abakuyo na?

²⁵ Makube kude nawe ukwenza ngale ndlela, ukubulala olungileyo kanye nomubi, olungileyo abe njengomubi; lokhu makube kude nawe; umahluleli womhlaba wonke ubengayikwenza ukulunga na?”

²⁶ UJehova wathi: “Uma ngifumana eSodoma abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu phakathi komuzi, ngiyakuyekela indawo yonke ngenxa yabo.”

²⁷ Kepha u-Abrahama waphendula wathi: “Bheka, sengiqalile ukukhuluma eNkosini, mina engiluthuli nomlotha.

²⁸ Mhlawumbe kuyakusweleka abayisihlanu kubo abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu; ubuyakubhubhisa wonke umuzi ngenxa yalabo abayisihlanu na?” Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa, uma ngifumana khona abangamashumi amane nanhlanu.”

²⁹ Kepha wabuye wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “Mhlawumbe kungafunyaniswa khona abangamashumi amane.” Wathi: “Angiyikukwenza ngenxa yabangamashumi amane.”

³⁰ Wayesethi: “Mayingathukutheli iNkosi ukuthi ngisakhuluma. Mhlawumbe kungafunyaniswa khona abangamashumi amathathu.” Wathi: “Angiyikukwenza, uma ngifumana abangamashumi amathathu lapho.”

³¹ Kepha wathi: “Bheka, ngiqalile ukukhuluma neNkosi. Mhlawumbe kungatholakala abangamashumi amabili khona.” Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabangamashumi amabili.”

³² Wayesethi: “Mayingathukutheli iNkosi ukuthi ngisakhuluma kanye nje. Mhlawumbe kungafunyanwa abayishumi khona.” Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yalabo abayishumi.”

³³ UJehova wasuka, nxa eseqedile ukukhuluma no-Abrahama; u-Abrahama wabuyela endaweni yakhe.