Genesis 15
1 After these things, came the word of Yahweh unto Abram, in a vision saying, —Do not fear Abram, I am a shield to thee, thine exceeding great reward.
Ngemva kwalokho ilizwi likaThixo leza ku-Abhrama ngombono: “Ungesabi, Abhrama. Ngiyisihlangu sakho, umvuzo wakho omkhulu kakhulu.”
2 And Abram said My Lord Yahweh, what canst thou give me, when, I, am going on childless, —and the heir of my house, is Eliezer, of Damascus,
Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ungangiphani njengoba ngilokhu ngingelamntwana, ilifa lami lizadliwa ngu-Eliyezari waseDamaseko na?”
3 And Abram said—Lo, to me, hast thou not given seed, —And lo! a son of my household, is mine heir!
U-Abhrama wathi njalo, “Awungiphanga bantwana; ngakho inceku endlini yami izakuba yindlalifa yami.”
4 And lo! the word of Yahweh [came] unto him, saying, This one, shall not be thine heir: But one who cometh forth of thy body—he shall be thine heir.
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye lathi: “Umuntu lo kayikuba yindlalifa yakho, kodwa indodana ephuma kowakho umzimba izakuba yindlalifa yakho.”
5 And he brought him forth abroad and said—Look steadfastly. I pray thee towards the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number, them, And he said to him, Thus, shall be thy seed.
Wamkhuphela phandle wathi, “Khangela emkhathini ubale izinkanyezi, nxa usenelisa ukuzibala.” Wasesithi kuye, “Sizakuba njalo isizukulwane sakho.”
6 And he had faith in Yahweh, —so he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
U-Abhrama wamkholwa uThixo, lokho kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.
7 And he said unto him, —I, am Yahweh, who brought thee forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Waphinda wathi kuye, “NginguThixo owakususa e-Uri lamaKhaladiya ukuzakupha lelilizwe ukuthi libe ngelakho.”
8 And he said, My Lord Yahweh, whereby, can I know that I shall inherit it?
Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ngingazi kanjani ukuthi lizakuba ngelami na?”
9 And he said unto him, Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove and a young pigeon.
UThixo wathi kuye, “Ngilethela ithokazi, imbuzi, lenqama, konke kuleminyaka emithathu yokuzalwa, kanye lejuba lenkwilimba esesencinyane.”
10 So he took for him all these, and divided them, in the midst, and placed each piece over against its fellow, but the birds, divided he not.
U-Abhrama wakuletha konke lokhu kuye, yilokho wakudabula phakathi ngakunye wakuhlela izingxenye zakho zakhangelana; kodwa izinyoni kazidabulanga phakathi.
11 Then came down the birds of prey upon the carcass, and Abram drove them away.
Izinyoni ezidla inyama zehlela ezidunjini, kodwa u-Abhrama wazixotsha.
12 And it came to pass when, the sun, was about to go in, and, a deep sleep, had fallen upon Abram, lo! a terror a great darkness, was falling upon him.
Kwathi ilanga selitshona, u-Abhrama wathathwa yibuthongo obukhulu, wehlelwa yibumnyama obesabekayo.
13 And he said to Abram—Thou must surely know, that, sojourners, will thy seed become in a land not theirs, and shall serve them and they will humble them, four hundred years;
UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Yazi ngempela ukuthi Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba ngabezizweni elizweni elingayisilo labo okweminyaka engamakhulu amane, njalo bazagqilazwa, bahlukuluzwe khonale.
14 moreover also, the nation whom they will serve, I, am going to judge, and after that, shall they come forth with great substance.
Kodwa ngizasijezisa lesosizwe esibagqilazayo, kuthi emva kwesikhathi baphume belemfuyo enengi kakhulu.
15 But, thou, shalt go in unto thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
Kodwa wena, uzakuya kubokhokho bakho ngokuthula, ungcwatshwe usukhulile kakhulu.
16 And, in the fourth generation, shall they return hither, —for not complete, is the iniquity of the Amorites, as yet,
Isizukulwane sakho sesine sizabuya lapha, ngoba isono sama-Amori kasikafiki ekucineni.”
17 So it came to pass when, the sun, had gone in, and, a thick darkness, had come on, that lo there was a smoking hearth and torch of fire, which passed through between these pieces.
Kwathi ilanga selitshonile, ubumnyama sebufikile, kwavela imbawula yomlilo, ithunqa intuthu, ilelangabi elibhebhayo, yadabula phakathi kweziqa zenyama.
18 In that day, did Yahweh solemnise with Abram a covenant, saying, —To thy seed, have I given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river—the river Euphrates:
Ngalelolanga uThixo wenza isivumelwano lo-Abhrama wathi, “Ilizwe leli ngilipha izizukulwane zakho, kusukela emfuleni waseGibhithe kusiyafika emfuleni omkhulu, iYufrathe,
19 the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;
ilizwe lamaKheni, lamaKhenizi, lamaKhadimoni,
20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;
lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaRefayi,
21 and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
lama-Amori, lamaKhenani, lamaGigashi kanye lamaJebusi.”
