Genesis 18
1 And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrahama eduzane lezihlahla ezinkulu zikaMamure, ehlezi emnyango wethente lakhe, ilanga litshisa kakhulu.
2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: and as soon as he saw them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
U-Abhrahama waphosa amehlo wabona amadoda amathathu emi eduze. Wonela ukuwabona wasuka ngokuphangisa emnyango wethente lakhe wawahlangabeza wafika wakhothama phansi.
3 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
Wathi, “Nxa ngifumene umusa kuwe, nkosi yami, ungedluli eceleni kwenceku yakho.
4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
Akulethwe amanzi amalutshwana nje, ukuze lonke ligeze inyawo zenu, keliphumule ngaphansi kwesihlahla lesi.
5 And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
Wothini ngilidingele ukudla ukuze lizuze amandla andubana liqhubeke ngohambo lwenu njengoba nje selizile encekwini yenu.” Baphendula bathi, “Kulungile, yenza lokho okutshoyo.”
6 Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Ngakho u-Abhrahama waphanga waya ethenteni kuSara. Wathi, “Phangisa, thatha izilinganiso ezintathu zefulawa ecolekileyo, uvube inhlama wenze isinkwa.”
7 And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man: who made haste and boiled it.
Waphanga waya emhlambini wakhetha iguqana elihle, elibuthakathaka walipha isisebenzi ukuba silihlinze.
8 He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
Waseletha izankefu zamasi, lochago kanye leguqa elaselilungisiwe, konke wakubeka phambi kwabo. Bathi besidla yena wema eduzane labo ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
Bambuza bathi, “Ungaphi umkakho uSara na?” Wathi, “Ulaphayana, ethenteni.”
10 And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
UThixo wasesithi, “Ngizabuya ngempela kuwe ngalesisikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo umkakho uSara uzakuba lendodana.” USara wayelokhu elalele esemnyango wethente elalingemuva kwakhe.
11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
U-Abhrahama loSara basebevele sebebadala kakhulu, uSara esedlule isikhathi sokuba labantwana.
12 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
Ngakho uSara wahleka yedwa, wakhumbula wathi, “Kambe sengigugile kanje lenkosi yami isindala, ngingakhona ngizuza intokozo le?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
UThixo wasesithi ku-Abhrahama, “Kungani uSara ehlekile njalo wathi, ‘Kambe sibili ngizakuba lomntwana mina sengiluphele?’
14 Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.
Kambe kulolutho olwehlula uThixo na? Ngizabuya kuwe ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
15 Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:
USara wesaba, yikho waqamba amanga wathi, “Kangizange ngihleke mina.” Kodwa wathi, “Ye, uhlekile.”
16 And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
Amadoda asuka ahamba aqonda eSodoma, u-Abhrahama wawaphelekezela ukuwakhupha.
17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
UThixo wasesithi, “Ngimfihlele yini u-Abhrahama lokho esengizakwenza na?
18 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
Ngempela u-Abhrahama uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu esilamandla, njalo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa ngaye.
19 For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham’s sake the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.
Ngoba sengimkhethile, ukuze aqondise abantwabakhe lomuzi wakhe, yena esedlule, ukugcina indlela kaThixo ngokwenza okulungileyo lokuqondileyo, ukuze uThixo amenzele u-Abhrahama lokho amthembise khona.”
20 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Insolo ngeSodoma leGomora inkulu kakhulu njalo isono sakhona siyesabeka
21 I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me: or whether it be not so, that I may know.
okokuthi sengizakuya khona ngiyebona ingabe lokho abakwenzileyo kubi okulingana lensolo le esifikile kimi. Nxa kungenjalo, ngizakwazi.”
22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
Amadoda akhangela phambili aqonda eSodoma, kodwa u-Abhrahama wasala emi phambi kukaThixo.
23 And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
Ngakho u-Abhrahama waya kuye wathi: “Uzabhubhisa abalungileyo kanye lababi na?
24 If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?
Pho nxa kukhona abangamatshumi amahlanu kulelodolobho ke? Ngempela uzalikhucula na ungalixoleli ngenxa yabangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo abakulo na?
25 Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked, this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.
Akube khatshana lawe ukwenza into enjalo, ukubulala abalungileyo lababi. Kakube khatshana lawe lokho! Kambe uMahluleli womhlaba wonke kayikwenza okufaneleyo na?”
26 And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
UThixo wathi, “Nxa ngifumana abangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo edolobheni laseSodoma, ngizalixolela lonke idolobho ngenxa yabo.”
27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
U-Abhrahama waphinda wakhuluma njalo wathi: “Njengoba sengibe lesibindi esingaka sokukhuluma loThixo, loba ngingasulutho mina, ngiluthuli nje lomlotha,
28 What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.
pho nxa inani labalungileyo lingaphansi ngabahlanu ematshumini amahlanu? Uzalibhubhisa idolobho lonke ngenxa yabantu abahlanu na?” Wathi, “Ngingafumana abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
29 And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
Waphinda njalo wakhuluma laye wathi, “Nxa kufunyanwa amatshumi amane kuphela-ke?” Yena wathi, “Ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane kangizukukwenza.”
30 Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
Ngakho wasesithi, “UThixo makangathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume. Kungafunyanwa khona amatshumi amathathu ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Kangizukukwenza ngingafumana khona amatshumi amathathu.”
31 Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
U-Abhrahama wathi, “Kambe njengoba ngibe lesibindi esingaka ngaze ngakhuluma loThixo, pho nxa kufunyanwa abangamatshumi amabili khona kuphela-ke?” Wathi, “Ngenxa yabangamatshumi amabili kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
32 I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
Waphinda wathi, “UThixo angathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume kanye kuphela njalo. Kambe nxa kungafunyanwa itshumi lodwa-ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yabalitshumi kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
Kwathi uThixo eseqedile ukukhuluma lo-Abhrahama wasuka, lo-Abhrahama wabuyela ngekhaya.
