UGenesisi 1
1 Ekuqaleni uNkulunkulu wadala amazulu lomhlaba.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Umhlaba wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho, ubumnyama babengame phezulu kolwandle njalo uMoya kaNkulunkulu wayehambahamba phezu kwamanzi.
Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Akubekhona ukukhanya,” lakanye kwabakhona ukukhanya.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 UNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi ukukhanya kwakukuhle, wasesehlukanisa ukukhanya lobumnyama.
And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
5 UNkulunkulu wabiza ukukhanya ngokuthi “yimini,” ubumnyama wabubiza ngokuthi “yibusuku.” Ngakho kwabakhona ukuhlwa lokusa, kwaba lusuku lwakuqala.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
6 Njalo uNkulunkulu wathi, “Kakube lomkhandlu phakathi kwamanzi ukwehlukanisa amanzi kwamanye amanzi.”
And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.”
7 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wehlukanisa amanzi angaphansi komkhandlu kulawo amanzi angaphezulu kwawo. Kwabanjalo.
So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from the waters above. And it was so.
8 UNkulunkulu wabiza umkhandlu lo ngokuthi “ngumkhathi.” Njalo kwabakhona ukuhlwa, kwabakhona njalo ukusa, usuku lwesibili.
God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
9 Njalo uNkulunkulu wathi, “Kakuthi amanzi angaphansi komkhathi abuthane ndawonye njalo kakuvele umhlabathi owomileyo.” Ngakho kwabanjalo.
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.
10 UNkulunkulu wabiza umhlaba owomileyo ngokuthi “ngumhlabathi,” lamanzi abutheneyo wathi “lulwandle.” Njalo uNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi kwakukuhle.
God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Umhlabathi kawuthele izimila: imlimela ethela intanga lezihlahla emhlabathini ezithela izithelo ezilentanga phakathi, kusiya ngemihlobo yazo ehlukeneyo.” Kwabanjalo.
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so.
12 Umhlaba wathela izimila: izihlahla ezilentanga kusiya ngemihlobo yazo, lezihlahla ezithela izithelo ezilentanga phakathi kwazo kusiya ngemihlobo yazo. Njalo uNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi kwakukuhle.
The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
13 Kwabakhona njalo ukuhlwa lokusa, usuku lwesithathu.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Akube lezibane emkhandlwini womkhathi ukwehlukanisa imini lobusuku, njalo zibe luphawu lokubonisa izigaba zomnyaka, lezinsuku leminyaka,
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.
15 njalo zibe yizibane emkhandlwini womkhathi ukuletha ukukhanya emhlabeni.” Kwabanjalo.
And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so.
16 UNkulunkulu wenza izibane ezimbili ezinkulu, isibane esikhulu ukubusa emini lesibane esincinyane ukubusa ebusuku. Wenza futhi lezinkanyezi.
God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
17 UNkulunkulu wazibeka emkhandlwini womkhathi ukuletha ukukhanya emhlabeni,
God set these lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth,
18 ukubusa imini lobusuku, kanye lokwahlukanisa ukukhanya lobumnyama. Njalo uNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi kwakukuhle.
to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 Njalo kwabakhona ukuhlwa lokusa, usuku lwesine.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 Njalo uNkulunkulu wathi, “Akube lezidalwa eziphilayo emanzini, njalo akuthi izinyoni ziphaphe ngaphezulu komhlaba zidabule emkhandlwini womkhathi.”
And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
21 Yikho uNkulunkulu wadala izidalwa ezinkulu zolwandle layo yonke into ephilayo lehambayo lenyakazelayo emanzini, kusiya ngemihlobo yazo, lezinyoni zonke ezilamaphiko, ngemihlobo yazo. Njalo uNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi kwakukuhle.
So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 UNkulunkulu wazibusisa wathi, “Zalanani lande ngobunengi ligcwalise amanzi olwandle, njalo akuthi lezinyoni lazo zande emhlabeni.”
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23 Kwabakhona ukuhlwa, kwabakhona njalo lokusa, usuku lwesihlanu.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 UNkulunkulu wabuya wathi, “Akuthi umhlaba uveze izidalwa eziphilayo kusiya ngemihlobo yazo: izinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini, kanye lezinyamazana zeganga, yilezo kusiya ngemihlobo yazo.” Lakanye kwabanjalo.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
25 UNkulunkulu wenza izinyamazana zeganga kusiya ngemihlobo yazo, izifuyo kusiya ngemihlobo yazo, njalo zonke izinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini kusiya ngemihlobo yazo. Njalo uNkulunkulu wabona ukuthi kwakukuhle.
God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Asenze umuntu ngesimo sethu langomfanekiso wethu ukuze abuse phezu kwenhlanzi zolwandle lezinyoni zemkhathini, phezu kwezifuyo, phezu kwawo wonke umhlaba laphezu kwazo zonke izinanakazana ezihuquzela emhlabathini.”
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
27 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wadala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe, ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu wabadala, owesilisa lowesifazane.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 UNkulunkulu wababusisa wathi kubo, “Zalanani lande ngobunengi; liwugcwalise umhlaba, liwubuse. Busani phezu kwenhlanzi zolwandle lezinyoni zemkhathini laphezu kwezidalwa zonke ezihambayo emhlabathini.”
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”
29 UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Ngilinika zonke izihlahla ezithela intanga ezisemhlabeni wonke lazozonke izihlahla ezilezithelo ezilentanga phakathi. Zingezenu ukuba lizidle.
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.
30 Njalo nginika zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza kuzozonke izinyamazana zomhlaba lakuzo zonke izinyoni zemkhathini lakuzo zonke izidalwa ezihambayo emhlabathini, yonke into ephefumula impilo phakathi kwayo ukuba zibe yikudla kwazo.” Kwabanjalo.
And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 UNkulunkulu wakubona konke lokho ayesekwenzile, njalo kwakukuhle kakhulu. Kwabakhona ukuhlwa lokusa, usuku lwesithupha.
And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
