< UGenesisi 12 >
1 UThixo wathi ku-Abhrama, “Suka elizweni lakini, lebantwini bakini lasendlini kayihlo uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.
2 Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo ngizakubusisa; ngizakwenza ibizo lakho libe likhulu, njalo uzakuba yisibusiso.
3 Ngizababusisa labo abakubusisayo, lalowo okuqalekisayo ngizamqalekisa; njalo bonke abantu emhlabeni bazakubusiswa ngawe.”
4 Ngakho u-Abhrama wasuka, njengokutshelwa kwakhe nguThixo; njalo uLothi wahamba laye. U-Abhrama wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu ekusukeni kwakhe eHarani.
5 Wathatha umkakhe uSarayi, lomntanomfowabo uLothi, lempahla yabo yonke ababeyizuzile kanye labantu ababebatholile eHarani, baqonda elizweni laseKhenani, bayafika khona.
6 U-Abhrama wahamba walidabula ilizwe waze wafika endaweni yesihlahla esikhulu saseMore eShekhemu. Ngalesosikhathi amaKhenani ayephakathi kwelizwe.
7 UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrama wathi, “Lelilizwe ngizalinika inzalo yakho.” Ngakho wasesakha i-alithari khonapho elakhela uThixo owayebonakele kuye.
8 Esuka lapho waqonda ezintabeni empumalanga kweBhetheli wamisa ithente lakhe, iBhetheli isentshonalanga le-Ayi isempumalanga. Khonapho wakhela uThixo i-alithari walidumisa ibizo likaThixo.
9 U-Abhrama wasuka waqhubeka eqonda eNegebi.
10 Kwasekusiba lendlala elizweni, okwenza u-Abhrama waya eGibhithe ukuyahlala khona okwesikhathi esithile ngoba indlala yayinkulu kakhulu.
11 Kwathi esebanga ukungena eGibhithe wathi kumkakhe uSarayi, “Ngiyazi ukuthi ungumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
12 AmaGibhithe azakuthi ekubona athi, ‘Lo ngumkakhe.’ Lapho-ke bazangibulala wena bakuyekele uphile.
13 Ubokuthi ungudadewethu, ukuze ngiphathwe kuhle ngenxa yakho njalo lempilo yami isinde ngenxa yakho.”
14 Kwathi u-Abhrama efika eGibhithe, amaGibhithe abona umkakhe ukuthi wayengumfazi omuhle kakhulu.
15 Izikhulu zikaFaro sezimbonile zamncoma kakhulu kuFaro, uSarayi wasengeniswa esigodlweni sakhe.
16 Wamphatha kuhle u-Abhrama ngenxa kaSarayi, ngakho u-Abhrama wazuza izimvu lenkomo, obabhemi abaduna labasikazi, izinceku zesilisa lezesifazane lamakamela.
17 Kodwa uThixo wehlisela uFaro lendlu yakhe izifo ezimbi ngenxa kaSarayi umka-Abhrama.
18 Ngakho uFaro wabiza u-Abhrama wathi, “Wenzeni kimi? Kungani ungangitshelanga ukuthi ungumkakho na?
19 Watsholoni ukuthi ungudadewenu, ngacina sengizithathele mina waba ngowami? Manje, nangu umkakho. Mthathe uhambe!”
20 UFaro waselaya ukuthi u-Abhrama lamadoda ayelawo basuswe elizweni, kanye lomkakhe lakho konke ayelakho.