< UGenesisi 21 >
1 Ngakho uThixo waba lomusa kuSara njengoba wayetshilo, uThixo wamenzela uSara lokho ayekuthembisile.
2 USara wazithwala wazalela u-Abhrahama ebudaleni bakhe indodana ngesikhathi sonaleso uNkulunkulu ayemthembise sona.
3 U-Abhrahama wayitha ibizo elithi Isaka leyondodana ayizalelwa nguSara.
4 Kwathi indodana yakhe u-Isaka isilensuku eziyisificaminwembili izelwe, u-Abhrahama wayisoka, njengoba walaywa nguNkulunkulu.
5 U-Abhrahama wayeseleminyaka elikhulu ekuzalweni kwendodana yakhe u-Isaka.
6 USara wathi, “UNkulunkulu usengilethele intokozo, njalo bonke abazakuzwa lokhu bazathokoza lami.”
7 Wabuye wengeza wathi, “Kambe ngubani obengatsho ku-Abhrahama ukuthi uSara angondla abantwana? Kodwa sengimzalele indodana ebudaleni bakhe.”
8 Wakhula umntwana, walunyulwa, kwathi mhla u-Isaka elunyulwa u-Abhrahama wenza idili elikhulu.
9 Kodwa uSara wabona ukuthi indodana kaHagari umGibhithe, ayeyizalele u-Abhrahama yayikloloda,
10 wasesithi ku-Abhrahama, “Mxotshe umfazi lo oyisigqili kanye lendodana yakhe, ngoba indodana yesigqilikazi lesi kayisoze yabelana ilifa lendodana yami u-Isaka.”
11 Indaba le yamhlupha kakhulu u-Abhrahama ngoba yayithintana lendodana yakhe.
12 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuye, “Ungakhathazeki kakhulu ngomfana kanye lesigqilikazi sakho. Lalela konke uSara akutshela khona ngoba isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.
13 Indodana le eyesigqilikazi layo ngizayenza ibe yisizwe ngoba iyinzalo yakho.”
14 Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni kakhulu u-Abhrahama wathatha ukudla lesigxingi samanzi wakunika uHagari. Wakwetshata emahlombe kaHagari, wasebakhupha lomfana. Owesifazane wasuka wayantula enkangala yaseBherishebha.
15 Esephelile amanzi esigxingini, wabeka umntwana ngaphansi kwesixuku.
16 Yena wasuka wayahlala bucwadlana, okungaba libanga lokuphosa umtshoko, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Ngeke ngibukele umfana esifa.” Kwathi ehlezi khonapho bucwala wakhala ebubula.
17 UNkulunkulu wamuzwa umfanyana ekhala, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yasibiza uHagari isezulwini yathi kuye, “Kwenzenjani, Hagari? Ungesabi; uNkulunkulu usekuzwile ukukhala komfana elele khonaphayana.
18 Mphakamise umfana umbambe ngesandla, ngoba ngizamenza abe yisizwe esikhulu.”
19 UNkulunkulu wasemvula amehlo, wabona umthombo wamanzi. Ngakho wasesiyagcwalisa umgodla ngamanzi wapha umfana wanatha.
20 UNkulunkulu wayelaye umfana ekhula. Wahlala enkangala waba ngumcibi womtshoko.
21 Wathi ehlala eNkangala yasePharani, unina wamdingela umfazi eGibhithe.
22 Ngalesosikhathi u-Abhimelekhi loFikholi, umlawuli wamabutho akhe bathi ku-Abhrahama, “UNkulunkulu ulawe kukho konke okwenzayo.
23 Khathesi-ke funga kimi khonapha phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi kawusoze wenze izinto zobuqili kimi, loba ebantwaneni bami loba kuzizukulwane zami. Tshengisa kimi lakulo ilizwe ohlezi kulo njengesizwe wona lowomusa engikwenzele wona.”
24 U-Abhrahama wathi, “Ngiyafunga.”
25 U-Abhrahama wasesola ku-Abhimelekhi ngomthombo izinceku zika-Abhimelekhi ezaziwuthumbile.
26 Kodwa u-Abhimelekhi wathi, “Angikwazi ukuthi ngubani okwenzileyo lokho. Kawuzange ungitshele, sekuyikhona ngikuzwa nje lamhla.”
27 Ngakho u-Abhrahama waletha izimvu lenkomo wazipha u-Abhimelekhi, amadoda womabili enza isivumelwano.
28 U-Abhrahama wehlukanisa amazinyane amasikazi ayisikhombisa emhlambini,
29 u-Abhimelekhi wambuza u-Abhrahama wathi, “Atshoni amazinyane la amasikazi ayisikhombisa owehlukanise emhlambini wawabeka wodwa na?”
30 Waphendula wathi, “Yamukela ezandleni zami amazinyane la ayisikhombisa njengobufakazi bokuthi yimi engemba umthombo lo.”
31 Ngakho indawo leyo yathiwa yiBherishebha ngoba amadoda la womabili enza isifungo khonapho.
32 Ngemva kokuba isivumelwano sesibotshiwe eBherishebha, u-Abhimelekhi loFikholi umlawuli wamabutho akhe babuyela elizweni lamaFilistiya.
33 U-Abhrahama wahlanyela isihlahla sethamarisiki eBherishebha, khonapho walibiza ibizo likaThixo, uNkulunkulu Waphakade.
34 U-Abhrahama wahlala elizweni lamaFilistiya okwesikhathi eside.