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 Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and your very great reward.”
2 Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ungangiphani njengoba ngilokhu ngingelamntwana, ilifa lami lizadliwa ngu-Eliyezari waseDamaseko na?”
Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 U-Abhrama wathi njalo, “Awungiphanga bantwana; ngakho inceku endlini yami izakuba yindlalifa yami.”
Abram said, “Since you have given me no descendant, see, the steward of my house is my heir.”
4 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye lathi: “Umuntu lo kayikuba yindlalifa yakho, kodwa indodana ephuma kowakho umzimba izakuba yindlalifa yakho.”
Then, behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but rather the one who will come from your own body will be your heir.”
5 Wamkhuphela phandle wathi, “Khangela emkhathini ubale izinkanyezi, nxa usenelisa ukuzibala.” Wasesithi kuye, “Sizakuba njalo isizukulwane sakho.”
Then he brought him outside, and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
6 U-Abhrama wamkholwa uThixo, lokho kwabalwa kuye njengokulunga.
He believed Yahweh, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
7 Waphinda wathi kuye, “NginguThixo owakususa e-Uri lamaKhaladiya ukuzakupha lelilizwe ukuthi libe ngelakho.”
He said to him, “I am Yahweh, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
8 Kodwa u-Abhrama wathi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ngingazi kanjani ukuthi lizakuba ngelami na?”
He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
9 UThixo wathi kuye, “Ngilethela ithokazi, imbuzi, lenqama, konke kuleminyaka emithathu yokuzalwa, kanye lejuba lenkwilimba esesencinyane.”
Then he said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
10 U-Abhrama wakuletha konke lokhu kuye, yilokho wakudabula phakathi ngakunye wakuhlela izingxenye zakho zakhangelana; kodwa izinyoni kazidabulanga phakathi.
He brought him all these, and cut them in two, and placed each half opposite the other, but he did not divide the birds.
11 Izinyoni ezidla inyama zehlela ezidunjini, kodwa u-Abhrama wazixotsha.
When the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Kwathi ilanga selitshona, u-Abhrama wathathwa yibuthongo obukhulu, wehlelwa yibumnyama obesabekayo.
Then when the sun was going down, Abram fell sound asleep and, behold, a deep and terrifying darkness overwhelmed him.
13 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Yazi ngempela ukuthi Izizukulwane zakho zizakuba ngabezizweni elizweni elingayisilo labo okweminyaka engamakhulu amane, njalo bazagqilazwa, bahlukuluzwe khonale.
Then Yahweh said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
14 Kodwa ngizasijezisa lesosizwe esibagqilazayo, kuthi emva kwesikhathi baphume belemfuyo enengi kakhulu.
I will judge that nation that they will serve, and afterward they will come out with abundant possessions.
15 Kodwa wena, uzakuya kubokhokho bakho ngokuthula, ungcwatshwe usukhulile kakhulu.
But you will go to your fathers in peace, and you will be buried in a good old age.
16 Isizukulwane sakho sesine sizabuya lapha, ngoba isono sama-Amori kasikafiki ekucineni.”
In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”
17 Kwathi ilanga selitshonile, ubumnyama sebufikile, kwavela imbawula yomlilo, ithunqa intuthu, ilelangabi elibhebhayo, yadabula phakathi kweziqa zenyama.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
18 Ngalelolanga uThixo wenza isivumelwano lo-Abhrama wathi, “Ilizwe leli ngilipha izizukulwane zakho, kusukela emfuleni waseGibhithe kusiyafika emfuleni omkhulu, iYufrathe,
On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I hereby give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—
19 ilizwe lamaKheni, lamaKhenizi, lamaKhadimoni,
the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20 lamaHithi, lamaPherizi, lamaRefayi,
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites,
21 lama-Amori, lamaKhenani, lamaGigashi kanye lamaJebusi.”
the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
