< UGenesisi 18 >
1 UThixo wabonakala ku-Abhrahama eduzane lezihlahla ezinkulu zikaMamure, ehlezi emnyango wethente lakhe, ilanga litshisa kakhulu.
2 U-Abhrahama waphosa amehlo wabona amadoda amathathu emi eduze. Wonela ukuwabona wasuka ngokuphangisa emnyango wethente lakhe wawahlangabeza wafika wakhothama phansi.
3 Wathi, “Nxa ngifumene umusa kuwe, nkosi yami, ungedluli eceleni kwenceku yakho.
4 Akulethwe amanzi amalutshwana nje, ukuze lonke ligeze inyawo zenu, keliphumule ngaphansi kwesihlahla lesi.
5 Wothini ngilidingele ukudla ukuze lizuze amandla andubana liqhubeke ngohambo lwenu njengoba nje selizile encekwini yenu.” Baphendula bathi, “Kulungile, yenza lokho okutshoyo.”
6 Ngakho u-Abhrahama waphanga waya ethenteni kuSara. Wathi, “Phangisa, thatha izilinganiso ezintathu zefulawa ecolekileyo, uvube inhlama wenze isinkwa.”
7 Waphanga waya emhlambini wakhetha iguqana elihle, elibuthakathaka walipha isisebenzi ukuba silihlinze.
8 Waseletha izankefu zamasi, lochago kanye leguqa elaselilungisiwe, konke wakubeka phambi kwabo. Bathi besidla yena wema eduzane labo ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
9 Bambuza bathi, “Ungaphi umkakho uSara na?” Wathi, “Ulaphayana, ethenteni.”
10 UThixo wasesithi, “Ngizabuya ngempela kuwe ngalesisikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo umkakho uSara uzakuba lendodana.” USara wayelokhu elalele esemnyango wethente elalingemuva kwakhe.
11 U-Abhrahama loSara basebevele sebebadala kakhulu, uSara esedlule isikhathi sokuba labantwana.
12 Ngakho uSara wahleka yedwa, wakhumbula wathi, “Kambe sengigugile kanje lenkosi yami isindala, ngingakhona ngizuza intokozo le?”
13 UThixo wasesithi ku-Abhrahama, “Kungani uSara ehlekile njalo wathi, ‘Kambe sibili ngizakuba lomntwana mina sengiluphele?’
14 Kambe kulolutho olwehlula uThixo na? Ngizabuya kuwe ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngomnyaka ozayo, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
15 USara wesaba, yikho waqamba amanga wathi, “Kangizange ngihleke mina.” Kodwa wathi, “Ye, uhlekile.”
16 Amadoda asuka ahamba aqonda eSodoma, u-Abhrahama wawaphelekezela ukuwakhupha.
17 UThixo wasesithi, “Ngimfihlele yini u-Abhrahama lokho esengizakwenza na?
18 Ngempela u-Abhrahama uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu esilamandla, njalo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa ngaye.
19 Ngoba sengimkhethile, ukuze aqondise abantwabakhe lomuzi wakhe, yena esedlule, ukugcina indlela kaThixo ngokwenza okulungileyo lokuqondileyo, ukuze uThixo amenzele u-Abhrahama lokho amthembise khona.”
20 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Insolo ngeSodoma leGomora inkulu kakhulu njalo isono sakhona siyesabeka
21 okokuthi sengizakuya khona ngiyebona ingabe lokho abakwenzileyo kubi okulingana lensolo le esifikile kimi. Nxa kungenjalo, ngizakwazi.”
22 Amadoda akhangela phambili aqonda eSodoma, kodwa u-Abhrahama wasala emi phambi kukaThixo.
23 Ngakho u-Abhrahama waya kuye wathi: “Uzabhubhisa abalungileyo kanye lababi na?
24 Pho nxa kukhona abangamatshumi amahlanu kulelodolobho ke? Ngempela uzalikhucula na ungalixoleli ngenxa yabangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo abakulo na?
25 Akube khatshana lawe ukwenza into enjalo, ukubulala abalungileyo lababi. Kakube khatshana lawe lokho! Kambe uMahluleli womhlaba wonke kayikwenza okufaneleyo na?”
26 UThixo wathi, “Nxa ngifumana abangamatshumi amahlanu abalungileyo edolobheni laseSodoma, ngizalixolela lonke idolobho ngenxa yabo.”
27 U-Abhrahama waphinda wakhuluma njalo wathi: “Njengoba sengibe lesibindi esingaka sokukhuluma loThixo, loba ngingasulutho mina, ngiluthuli nje lomlotha,
28 pho nxa inani labalungileyo lingaphansi ngabahlanu ematshumini amahlanu? Uzalibhubhisa idolobho lonke ngenxa yabantu abahlanu na?” Wathi, “Ngingafumana abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
29 Waphinda njalo wakhuluma laye wathi, “Nxa kufunyanwa amatshumi amane kuphela-ke?” Yena wathi, “Ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane kangizukukwenza.”
30 Ngakho wasesithi, “UThixo makangathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume. Kungafunyanwa khona amatshumi amathathu ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Kangizukukwenza ngingafumana khona amatshumi amathathu.”
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.”
32 Waphinda wathi, “UThixo angathukutheli, kodwa ake ngikhulume kanye kuphela njalo. Kambe nxa kungafunyanwa itshumi lodwa-ke?” Waphendula wathi, “Ngenxa yabalitshumi kangiyikulibhubhisa.”
33 Kwathi uThixo eseqedile ukukhuluma lo-Abhrahama wasuka, lo-Abhrahama wabuyela ngekhaya.
