UGenesisi 18
1 UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrahama eduzane lezihlahla ezinkulu zikaMamure, ehlezi emnyango wethente lakhe, ilanga litshisa kakhulu.
And Yahweh appeared unto him among the oaks of Mamre, —as, he, was sitting at the opening of the tent in the heat of the day.
2 U-Abhrahama waphosa amehlo wabona amadoda amathathu emi eduze. Wonela ukuwabona wasuka ngokuphangisa emnyango wethente lakhe wawahlangabeza wafika wakhothama phansi.
And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! three men, standing over against him, —so he looked and ran to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth;
3 Wathi, “Nxa ngifumene umusa kuwe, nkosi yami, ungedluli eceleni kwenceku yakho.
and said, —O My Lord! if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, do not I pray thee pass on from thy servant.
4 Akulethwe amanzi amalutshwana nje, ukuze lonke ligeze inyawo zenu, keliphumule ngaphansi kwesihlahla lesi.
Let there be fetched, I pray thee a little water, and bathe ye your feet, —and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 Wothini ngilidingele ukudla ukuze lizuze amandla andubana liqhubeke ngohambo lwenu njengoba nje selizile encekwini yenu.” Baphendula bathi, “Kulungile, yenza lokho okutshoyo.”
And let me fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart, Afterwards, ye may pass on, For on this account, have ye passed by, over against your servant. And they said, Thus, shalt thou do as thou hast spoken.
6 Ngakho u-Abhrahama waphanga waya ethenteni kuSara. Wathi, “Phangisa, thatha izilinganiso ezintathu zefulawa ecolekileyo, uvube inhlama wenze isinkwa.”
So Abraham hastened towards the tent unto Sarah, —and said, Hasten thou three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make hearth-cakes.
7 Waphanga waya emhlambini wakhetha iguqana elihle, elibuthakathaka walipha isisebenzi ukuba silihlinze.
And unto the herd, ran Abraham, —and took a calf tender and good and gave unto the young man, and he hastened to make it ready.
8 Waseletha izankefu zamasi, lochago kanye leguqa elaselilungisiwe, konke wakubeka phambi kwabo. Bathi besidla yena wema eduzane labo ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
And he took butter and milk and the calf that he had made ready, and set before them, —while, he, was standing near them under the tree, they did eat.
9 Bambuza bathi, “Ungaphi umkakho uSara na?” Wathi, “Ulaphayana, ethenteni.”
And they said unto him, As to Sarah thy wife… And he said Lo! [she is] in the tent.
10 UThixo wasesithi, “Ngizabuya ngempela kuwe ngalesisikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo umkakho uSara uzakuba lendodana.” USara wayelokhu elalele esemnyango wethente elalingemuva kwakhe.
And he said, I will, surely return, unto thee at the quickening season, —and lo! a son for Sarah thy wife. Now Sarah, was hearkening at the opening of the tent, it, being behind him.
11 U-Abhrahama loSara basebevele sebebadala kakhulu, uSara esedlule isikhathi sokuba labantwana.
But Abraham and Sarah, were old, far gone in days, —it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Ngakho uSara wahleka yedwa, wakhumbula wathi, “Kambe sengigugile kanje lenkosi yami isindala, ngingakhona ngizuza intokozo le?”
So then Sarah laughed within herself, saying: After I am past age, hath there come to me pleasure, my lord, also being old?
13 UThixo wasesithi ku-Abhrahama, “Kungani uSara ehlekile njalo wathi, ‘Kambe sibili ngizakuba lomntwana mina sengiluphele?’
And Yahweh said unto Abraham, —Wherefore now did Sarah laugh saying. Can it really and truly be that I should bear, seeing that I have become old?
14 Kambe kulolutho olwehlula uThixo na? Ngizabuya kuwe ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
Is anything, too wonderful for Yahweh? At the appointed time, I will return unto thee, at the quickening season and Sarah, shall have a son.
15 USara wesaba, yikho waqamba amanga wathi, “Kangizange ngihleke mina.” Kodwa wathi, “Ye, uhlekile.”
And Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, For she was afraid. And he said—Nay! but thou didst laugh!
16 Amadoda asuka ahamba aqonda eSodoma, u-Abhrahama wawaphelekezela ukuwakhupha.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked out over the face of Sodom, —Abraham also going with them to set them on their way.
17 UThixo wasesithi, “Ngimfihlele yini u-Abhrahama lokho esengizakwenza na?
Now, Yahweh, had said, —Am I going to hide from Abraham what I do,
18 Ngempela u-Abhrahama uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu esilamandla, njalo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa ngaye.
when, Abraham, shall surely become, a great and mighty nation, —and all the nations of the earth, shall be blessed in him?
19 Ngoba sengimkhethile, ukuze aqondise abantwabakhe lomuzi wakhe, yena esedlule, ukugcina indlela kaThixo ngokwenza okulungileyo lokuqondileyo, ukuze uThixo amenzele u-Abhrahama lokho amthembise khona.”
For I have become his intimate friend, To the end that he may command his sons and his house after him, so shall they keep the way of Yahweh, by doing righteousness and justice. To the end that Yahweh may bring in for Abraham, what he hath spoken concerning him.
20 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Insolo ngeSodoma leGomora inkulu kakhulu njalo isono sakhona siyesabeka
So Yahweh said, The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it hath become great, —And their sin, because it hath become exceeding grievous,
21 okokuthi sengizakuya khona ngiyebona ingabe lokho abakwenzileyo kubi okulingana lensolo le esifikile kimi. Nxa kungenjalo, ngizakwazi.”
Let me go down, pray, and let me behold, whether according to their outcry which hath come in unto me, they have done altogether, And if not. I must know!
22 Amadoda akhangela phambili aqonda eSodoma, kodwa u-Abhrahama wasala emi phambi kukaThixo.
And the men turned from thence, and went their way, towards Sodom, —but, Yahweh was yet standing before Abraham.
23 Ngakho u-Abhrahama waya kuye wathi: “Uzabhubhisa abalungileyo kanye lababi na?
So then Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou really sweep away, the righteous with the lawless?
24 Pho nxa kukhona abangamatshumi amahlanu kulelodolobho ke? Ngempela uzalikhucula na ungalixoleli ngenxa yabangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo abakulo na?
Peradventure there are fifty righteous, in the midst of the city, Wilt thou really sweep away, and not spare the place, for the sake of the fifty righteous which are therein?
25 Akube khatshana lawe ukwenza into enjalo, ukubulala abalungileyo lababi. Kakube khatshana lawe lokho! Kambe uMahluleli womhlaba wonke kayikwenza okufaneleyo na?”
Far be it from thee! to do after this manner. to put to death the righteous with the lawless! Then should righteous and lawless be alike, Far be it from thee! Shall, the Judge of all the earth not do justice?
26 UThixo wathi, “Nxa ngifumana abangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo edolobheni laseSodoma, ngizalixolela lonke idolobho ngenxa yabo.”
And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then will I spare all the place for their sake.
27 U-Abhrahama waphinda wakhuluma njalo wathi: “Njengoba sengibe lesibindi esingaka sokukhuluma loThixo, loba ngingasulutho mina, ngiluthuli nje lomlotha,
And Abraham responded and said, —Behold I pray thee I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, though I am dust and ashes:
28 pho nxa inani labalungileyo lingaphansi ngabahlanu ematshumini amahlanu? Uzalibhubhisa idolobho lonke ngenxa yabantu abahlanu na?” Wathi, “Ngingafumana abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
Peradventure there may lack, of the fifty righteous, five, Wilt thou destroy for five all the city? And he said, I will not destroy, if I find there forty and five.
29 Waphinda njalo wakhuluma laye wathi, “Nxa kufunyanwa amatshumi amane kuphela-ke?” Yena wathi, “Ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane kangizukukwenza.”
And he added, yet once more, to speak unto him, and said, Peradventure there may be found there—forty. And he said—I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.
30 Ngakho wasesithi, “UThixo makangathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume. Kungafunyanwa khona amatshumi amathathu ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Kangizukukwenza ngingafumana khona amatshumi amathathu.”
And he said Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak, Peradventure there may be found there—thirty And he said, I will not to it, if I find there—thirty.
31 U-Abhrahama wathi, “Kambe njengoba ngibe lesibindi esingaka ngaze ngakhuluma loThixo, pho nxa kufunyanwa abangamatshumi amabili khona kuphela-ke?” Wathi, “Ngenxa yabangamatshumi amabili kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
And he said Behold, I pray thee, I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, Peradventure there may be found there—twenty. And he said I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.
32 Waphinda wathi, “UThixo angathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume kanye kuphela njalo. Kambe nxa kungafunyanwa itshumi lodwa-ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yabalitshumi kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
And he said, Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak only this once, Peradventure there may be found there—ten. And he said, I will not destroy [it], for the sake of the ten!
33 Kwathi uThixo eseqedile ukukhuluma lo-Abhrahama wasuka, lo-Abhrahama wabuyela ngekhaya.
And Yahweh went his way, when he had made an end. of speaking unto Abraham, —Abraham, also returned to his place.
