< UGenesisi 3 >

1 Inyoka yayiliqili ukwedlula zonke izinyamazana zeganga uThixo uNkulunkulu ayezenzile. Yathi kowesifazane, “Kambe uNkulunkulu watsho ngeqiniso ukuthi, ‘Lingadli noma yisiphi isihlahla esivandeni’?”
The snake was more cunning than all the other wild animals that Yahweh God had made. [One day Satan gave to] the snake [the ability to talk to the woman]. The snake said to her, “Did God really say to you, ‘Do not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the park/garden’?”
2 Owesifazane wathi enyokeni, “Singadla izithelo zezihlahla esivandeni,
The woman replied, “[What God said was], ‘Do not eat the fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the park/garden or touch it. If you do that, you will die. But you can eat fruit from any of the other trees.’”
3 kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Lingazidli izithelo zesihlahla esiphakathi laphakathi kwesivande, njalo lingasithinti, hlezi life.’”
4 Inyoka yathi kowesifazane, “Kalisoze life ngempela.
The snake said to the woman, “No, you will certainly not die. God said that
5 Ngoba uNkulunkulu uyazi ukuthi lingasidla amehlo enu azavuleka, beselisiba njengoNkulunkulu, lazi okuhle lokubi.”
[only] because he knows that when you eat fruit from that tree, [you will understand new things. It will be as though] your eyes are opened [MET], and you will know what is good [to do] and what is evil [to do], just as God does.”
6 Kwathi owesifazane ngokubona ukuthi izithelo zesihlahla leso zaziyikudla okuhle njalo zibukeka emehlweni, njalo kudingeka ukuzuza ukuhlakanipha, wakha ezinye wadla. Wapha njalo ezinye indoda yakhe ayelayo khonapho, layo yadla.
The woman saw that the fruit on that tree was good to eat, and it was very beautiful, and she desired it because [she thought] it would make her wise. So she picked some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he ate it.
7 Amehlo abo bobabili asevuleka, basebenanzelela ukuthi babenqunu; yikho basebethungela ndawonye amahlamvu omkhiwa bazenzela izembatho ngawo.
Immediately [it was as though] their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked, so they were ashamed. So they [picked] some fig leaves and fastened them together to make clothes for themselves.
8 Indoda lomkayo basebesizwa umsindo kaThixo uNkulunkulu ehamba esivandeni ilanga selithambeme, basebemcatshela uThixo uNkulunkulu phakathi kwezihlahla zesivande.
[Late that afternoon], when a cool breeze was blowing, they heard the sound/footsteps of Yahweh as he was walking in the park/garden. So the man and his wife hid themselves among the bushes in the park/garden, [so that Yahweh God would not see them].
9 Kodwa uThixo uNkulunkulu wayimemeza indoda wathi, “Ungaphi?”
But Yahweh God called to the man, saying to him, “Why are you [trying to hide from me]?”
10 Yaphendula yathi, “Ngikuzwile esivandeni, ngesaba ngoba benginqunu; yikho ngasengicatsha.”
The man replied, “I heard the sound of your [footsteps/walking] in the garden, and I was naked, so I was afraid and I hid myself.”
11 Wasesithi, “Ngubani okutshelileyo ukuthi unqunu? Usudlile yini isihlahla engalilaya ukuthi lingasidli?”
God said, “How did you find out you were naked [RHQ]? It must be because you ate some of the fruit [from the tree] that I told you, ‘Do not eat its fruit.’” [RHQ]
12 Indoda yathi, “Umfazi owangipha yena, ungiphile ezinye izithelo zesihlahla ngazidla.”
The man said, “You gave me this woman to be with me. She is the one who gave me some of the fruit from that tree, and so I ate it.”
13 Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wathi kowesifazane, “Kuyini lokhu osukwenzile na?” Owesifazane wathi, “Inyoka ingikhohlisile, ngadla.”
Then Yahweh God said to the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman replied, “I ate some of the fruit because the snake deceived me.”
14 Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wasesithi enyokeni, “Ngoba usukwenzile lokhu, Uqalekisiwe ngaphezu kwezifuyo zonke kanye lezinyamazana zonke zeganga! Uzahuba phansi ngesisu sakho njalo uzakudla uthuli zonke insuku zokuphila kwakho.
Then Yahweh God said to the snake, “Because you did this, of all the livestock and the wild animals, I will curse/punish you alone. As a result, you [and all other snakes] will scurry across the ground on your bellies, and so what you eat will have dirt [on it] as long as you live.
15 Njalo ngizafaka ubutha phakathi kwakho lowesifazane, laphakathi kwenzalo yakho leyowesifazane; uzacobodisa ikhanda lakho, njalo wena uzagamula isithende sakhe.”
And I will cause you and the woman to act in a hostile way toward each other, and I will cause your brood and her descendants to act hostilely toward each other. You will strike at the heel [of one descendant] of hers, but he will strike your head.”
16 Kowesifazane wathi, “Ngizakwandisa ngokuphindiweyo inhlungu zakho nxa ubeletha; ngobuhlungu uzazala abantwana. Inkanuko yakho izakuba sendodeni yakho, njalo yona izabusa phezu kwakho.”
Then Yahweh said to the woman, “You will have great pain when you give birth to children; you will suffer great pain as your children are being born [DOU]. You will greatly desire your husband [to show affection for you], but he will rule over you.”
17 Ku-Adamu wathi, “Ngoba ulalele umkakho wadla isihlahla engakulaya ngathi, ‘Ungasidli,’ Uqalekisiwe umhlabathi ngenxa yakho; ngokusebenza nzima uzakudla okuphuma kuwo zonke insuku zokuphila kwakho.
Then Yahweh said to the man, “You heeded what your wife said, and you ate some of the fruit [of the tree] concerning which I commanded you saying, ‘Do not eat it.’ So I will make it difficult [to grow things in] the ground because of what you did. You will have to work hard as long as you live to produce things from the ground to eat.
18 Uzamila ameva lezihlahlakazana zameva azahlaba wena, njalo uzakudla izihlahla zeganga.
Thornbushes and thistle plants and other weeds will grow [and prevent what you have planted from growing]. And for food, you will have to eat things that just grow in your fields.
19 Ngezithukuthuku zebunzi lakho uzakudla ukudla kwakho uze ubuyele emhlabathini, njengoba wathathwa kuwo; ngoba uluthuli njalo uzabuyela othulini.”
[All your life] you will sweat as you work hard to produce food to eat. Then you will die [EUP], and your [body will be buried] in the ground. [I made] you from soil, so when you [die and are buried your body will decay] and become soil again.”
20 U-Adamu wamutha umkakhe wathi ngu-Eva, ngoba wayezakuba ngunina wabo bonke abaphilayo.
[The man, whose name was] Adam, named his wife Eve, [which means ‘living’], because she became the ancestor of all living people.
21 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenza imvunulo yesikhumba, wenzela u-Adamu lomkakhe, wabagqokisa.
Then Yahweh God [killed some animals and] made clothes from their skins for Adam and his wife.
22 Njalo uThixo uNkulunkulu wathi, “Umuntu manje usenjengomunye wethu, usekwazi okuhle lokubi. Kangavunyelwa ukuthi elule isandla sakhe akhe njalo isihlahla sokuphila adle, aphile laphakade.”
Then Yahweh said, “Look! Those two have become like us because they know what is good [to do] and what is evil [to do]. So now, it will not be good if they reach out and pick and eat [some of the fruit from] the tree [which enables people who eat it] to live [forever]!”
23 Ngakho uThixo uNkulunkulu wamxotsha eSivandeni se-Edeni ukuthi asebenze umhlabathi ayethethwe kuwo.
So Yahweh God expelled the man and his wife from the garden of Eden. Yahweh God had created Adam from the ground, but now he forced him to till that ground [so that he could grow food to eat].
24 Esemxotshile umuntu wamisa ngempumalanga kweSivande se-Edeni amakherubhi lenkemba ebhebhayo, iphazima isiyale lale ukulinda indlela eya esihlahleni sokuphila.
After Yahweh expelled them, on the east side of the garden he placed (cherubim/creatures with wings) and [an angel holding] a flaming sword which flashed back and forth. He did that in order to block the entrance to the garden, so that people could not go back to the tree that enables people [who eat its fruit] to live [forever].

< UGenesisi 3 >