UGenesisi 12
1 UThixo wathi ku-Abhrama, “Suka elizweni lakini, lebantwini bakini lasendlini kayihlo uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.
2 Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo ngizakubusisa; ngizakwenza ibizo lakho libe likhulu, njalo uzakuba yisibusiso.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 Ngizababusisa labo abakubusisayo, lalowo okuqalekisayo ngizamqalekisa; njalo bonke abantu emhlabeni bazakubusiswa ngawe.”
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
4 Ngakho u-Abhrama wasuka, njengokutshelwa kwakhe nguThixo; njalo uLothi wahamba laye. U-Abhrama wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu ekusukeni kwakhe eHarani.
So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
5 Wathatha umkakhe uSarayi, lomntanomfowabo uLothi, lempahla yabo yonke ababeyizuzile kanye labantu ababebatholile eHarani, baqonda elizweni laseKhenani, bayafika khona.
And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
6 U-Abhrama wahamba walidabula ilizwe waze wafika endaweni yesihlahla esikhulu saseMore eShekhemu. Ngalesosikhathi amaKhenani ayephakathi kwelizwe.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7 UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrama wathi, “Lelilizwe ngizalinika inzalo yakho.” Ngakho wasesakha i-alithari khonapho elakhela uThixo owayebonakele kuye.
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8 Esuka lapho waqonda ezintabeni empumalanga kweBhetheli wamisa ithente lakhe, iBhetheli isentshonalanga le-Ayi isempumalanga. Khonapho wakhela uThixo i-alithari walidumisa ibizo likaThixo.
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD.
9 U-Abhrama wasuka waqhubeka eqonda eNegebi.
And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.
10 Kwasekusiba lendlala elizweni, okwenza u-Abhrama waya eGibhithe ukuyahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile ngoba indlala yayinkulu kakhulu.
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
11 Kwathi esebanga ukungena eGibhithe wathi kumkakhe uSarayi, “Ngiyazi ukuthi ungumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
12 AmaGibhithe azakuthi ekubona athi, ‘Lo ngumkakhe.’ Lapho-ke bazangibulala wena bakuyekele uphile.
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
13 Ubokuthi ungudadewethu, ukuze ngiphathwe kuhle ngenxa yakho njalo lempilo yami isinde ngenxa yakho.”
Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
14 Kwathi u-Abhrama efika eGibhithe, amaGibhithe abona umkakhe ukuthi wayengumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
15 Izikhulu zikaFaro sezimbonile zamncoma kakhulu kuFaro, uSarayi wasengeniswa esigodlweni sakhe.
When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
16 Wamphatha kuhle u-Abhrama ngenxa kaSarayi, ngakho u-Abhrama wazuza izimvu lenkomo, obabhemi abaduna labasikazi, izinceku zesilisa lezesifazane lamakamela.
He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
17 Kodwa uThixo wehlisela uFaro lendlu yakhe izifo ezimbi ngenxa kaSarayi umka-Abhrama.
The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
18 Ngakho uFaro wabiza u-Abhrama wathi, “Wenzeni kimi? Kungani ungangitshelanga ukuthi ungumkakho na?
So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
19 Watsholoni ukuthi ungudadewenu, ngacina sengizithathele mina waba ngowami? Manje, nangu umkakho. Mthathe uhambe!”
Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”
20 UFaro waselaya ukuthi u-Abhrama lamadoda ayelawo basuswe elizweni, kanye lomkakhe lakho konke ayelakho.
Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.
