UGenesisi 12
1 UThixo wathi ku-Abhrama, “Suka elizweni lakini, lebantwini bakini lasendlini kayihlo uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.
The Lord told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, your family home, and travel to the country I'm going to show you.
2 Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo ngizakubusisa; ngizakwenza ibizo lakho libe likhulu, njalo uzakuba yisibusiso.
I will make you the ancestor of a great nation and I will bless you. I will make sure you have a great reputation and that you are a blessing to others.
3 Ngizababusisa labo abakubusisayo, lalowo okuqalekisayo ngizamqalekisa; njalo bonke abantu emhlabeni bazakubusiswa ngawe.”
I will bless those who bless you; I will curse those who curse you. Everyone on 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 left following the Lord's instructions, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 when he left Haran.
5 Wathatha umkakhe uSarayi, lomntanomfowabo uLothi, lempahla yabo yonke ababeyizuzile kanye labantu ababebatholile eHarani, baqonda elizweni laseKhenani, bayafika khona.
With him went his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, together with all the possessions they had collected and the people that had joined them in Harran. They left for the land of Canaan. When they arrived there,
6 U-Abhrama wahamba walidabula ilizwe waze wafika endaweni yesihlahla esikhulu saseMore eShekhemu. Ngalesosikhathi amaKhenani ayephakathi kwelizwe.
Abram traveled on through the country as far as a place called Shechem, stopping at the oak tree of Moreh. At that time the country was occupied by Canaanites.
7 UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrama wathi, “Lelilizwe ngizalinika inzalo yakho.” Ngakho wasesakha i-alithari khonapho elakhela uThixo owayebonakele kuye.
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I'm going to give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar to the Lord there because that was where the Lord 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.
Then he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and set up camp there. Bethel was to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar to the Lord there and worshiped him.
9 U-Abhrama wasuka waqhubeka eqonda eNegebi.
After that he went on his way, heading towards the Negev.
10 Kwasekusiba lendlala elizweni, okwenza u-Abhrama waya eGibhithe ukuyahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile ngoba indlala yayinkulu kakhulu.
But the land had been hit by famine. So Abram continued on to Egypt, planning to live there because the famine was so bad.
11 Kwathi esebanga ukungena eGibhithe wathi kumkakhe uSarayi, “Ngiyazi ukuthi ungumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
As he approached Egypt and was about to cross the border, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.
12 AmaGibhithe azakuthi ekubona athi, ‘Lo ngumkakhe.’ Lapho-ke bazangibulala wena bakuyekele uphile.
When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, ‘She's his wife,’ and they'll kill me but not you!
13 Ubokuthi ungudadewethu, ukuze ngiphathwe kuhle ngenxa yakho njalo lempilo yami isinde ngenxa yakho.”
Tell them you're my sister so I'll be treated well because of you, and my life will be spared for your sake.”
14 Kwathi u-Abhrama efika eGibhithe, amaGibhithe abona umkakhe ukuthi wayengumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
When Abram arrived in Egypt, the people there saw how beautiful Sarai was.
15 Izikhulu zikaFaro sezimbonile zamncoma kakhulu kuFaro, uSarayi wasengeniswa esigodlweni sakhe.
Pharaoh's officials also noticed and spoke positively about her to Pharaoh. So Sarai was taken to his palace to become one of his wives.
16 Wamphatha kuhle u-Abhrama ngenxa kaSarayi, ngakho u-Abhrama wazuza izimvu lenkomo, obabhemi abaduna labasikazi, izinceku zesilisa lezesifazane lamakamela.
Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her, giving him sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 Kodwa uThixo wehlisela uFaro lendlu yakhe izifo ezimbi ngenxa kaSarayi umka-Abhrama.
But the Lord caused Pharaoh and the people in his palace to suffer from terrible diseases because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
18 Ngakho uFaro wabiza u-Abhrama wathi, “Wenzeni kimi? Kungani ungangitshelanga ukuthi ungumkakho na?
So Pharaoh ordered Abram brought to him and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
19 Watsholoni ukuthi ungudadewenu, ngacina sengizithathele mina waba ngowami? Manje, nangu umkakho. Mthathe uhambe!”
Why did you say, ‘She's my sister,’ and let me take her to become one of my wives? So here's your wife! Take her and leave!”
20 UFaro waselaya ukuthi u-Abhrama lamadoda ayelawo basuswe elizweni, kanye lomkakhe lakho konke ayelakho.
Pharaoh ordered his guards to expel him and his wife from the country, along with everyone with them and all their possessions.
