< UGenesisi 15 >
1 Ngemva kwalokho ilizwi likaThixo leza ku-Abhrama ngombono: “Ungesabi, Abhrama. Ngiyisihlangu sakho, umvuzo wakho omkhulu kakhulu.”
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.
2 Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ungangiphani njengoba ngilokhu ngingelamntwana, ilifa lami lizadliwa ngu-Eliyezari waseDamaseko na?”
And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 U-Abhrama wathi njalo, “Awungiphanga bantwana; ngakho inceku endlini yami izakuba yindlalifa yami.”
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye lathi: “Umuntu lo kayikuba yindlalifa yakho, kodwa indodana ephuma kowakho umzimba izakuba yindlalifa yakho.”
And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 Wamkhuphela phandle wathi, “Khangela emkhathini ubale izinkanyezi, nxa usenelisa ukuzibala.” Wasesithi kuye, “Sizakuba njalo isizukulwane sakho.”
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 U-Abhrama wamkholwa uThixo, lokho kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7 Waphinda wathi kuye, “NginguThixo owakususa e-Uri lamaKhaladiya ukuzakupha lelilizwe ukuthi libe ngelakho.”
And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ngingazi kanjani ukuthi lizakuba ngelami na?”
And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 UThixo wathi kuye, “Ngilethela ithokazi, imbuzi, lenqama, konke kuleminyaka emithathu yokuzalwa, kanye lejuba lenkwilimba esesencinyane.”
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 U-Abhrama wakuletha konke lokhu kuye, yilokho wakudabula phakathi ngakunye wakuhlela izingxenye zakho zakhangelana; kodwa izinyoni kazidabulanga phakathi.
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 Izinyoni ezidla inyama zehlela ezidunjini, kodwa u-Abhrama wazixotsha.
And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 Kwathi ilanga selitshona, u-Abhrama wathathwa yibuthongo obukhulu, wehlelwa yibumnyama obesabekayo.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Yazi ngempela ukuthi Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba ngabezizweni elizweni elingayisilo labo okweminyaka engamakhulu amane, njalo bazagqilazwa, bahlukuluzwe khonale.
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 Kodwa ngizasijezisa lesosizwe esibagqilazayo, kuthi emva kwesikhathi baphume belemfuyo enengi kakhulu.
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 Kodwa wena, uzakuya kubokhokho bakho ngokuthula, ungcwatshwe usukhulile kakhulu.
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 Isizukulwane sakho sesine sizabuya lapha, ngoba isono sama-Amori kasikafiki ekucineni.”
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.
17 Kwathi ilanga selitshonile, ubumnyama sebufikile, kwavela imbawula yomlilo, ithunqa intuthu, ilelangabi elibhebhayo, yadabula phakathi kweziqa zenyama.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18 Ngalelolanga uThixo wenza isivumelwano lo-Abhrama wathi, “Ilizwe leli ngilipha izizukulwane zakho, kusukela emfuleni waseGibhithe kusiyafika emfuleni omkhulu, iYufrathe,
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 ilizwe lamaKheni, lamaKhenizi, lamaKhadimoni,
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaRefayi,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 lama-Amori, lamaKhenani, lamaGigashi kanye lamaJebusi.”
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.