UGenesisi 14
1 Kwasekusithi ensukwini zikaAmrafeli inkosi yeShinari, uAriyoki inkosi yeElasari, uKedolawoma inkosi yeElamu, loTidali inkosi yezizwe,
In a region to the east, there were four kings [who were friends/allies]. They were King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim.
2 balwa impi loBera inkosi yeSodoma, loBirisha inkosi yeGomora, uShinabi inkosi yeAdima, loShemebere inkosi yeZeboyimi, lenkosi yeBhela, eliyiZowari.
In an area to the west, there were five other kings. They were King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, the city that is now called Zoar.
3 Bonke labo bahlangana esigodini iSidima esiluLwandle lweTshwayi.
Those five kings and their armies gathered together in Siddim Valley, which is also called the Dead Sea [Valley], to fight against the four kings and their armies. King Chedorlaomer and his army [conquered the armies of those five kings, and demanded that those kings pay him tribute money each year].
4 Babemkhonzile uKedolawoma okweminyaka elitshumi lambili, kodwa ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu bavukela.
For twelve years he ruled them. But during the thirteenth year they rebelled [and refused to keep giving him tribute money].
5 Langomnyaka wetshumi lane kweza uKedolawoma, lamakhosi ayelaye, batshaya amaRefa eAshiterothi-Karnayimi, lamaZuzi eHamu, lamaEmi egcekeni leKiriyathayimi,
The next year, King Chedorlaomer and the other kings that were his allies took their armies and defeated the Repha people-group in Ashteroth-Karnaim and the Zuz people-group in Ham, and the Emi people-group in Shaveh-Kiriathaim.
6 lamaHori entabeni yabo yeSeyiri, kuze kube eEliparani eliseduze lenkangala.
They also defeated the Hor people-group in the hilly area of Seir as far as El-Paran near the desert.
7 Basebebuyela bafika eEnimishipati eliyiKadeshi, batshaya ilizwe lonke lamaAmaleki, njalo lamaAmori ayehlala eHazazoni-Tamari.
Then they turned back and went to Mishpat [city], which is now called Kadesh. They conquered all the land belonging to the Amalek people-group and the Amor people-group who were living in Hazazon-Tamar [town].
8 Kwasekuphuma inkosi yeSodoma lenkosi yeGomora, lenkosi yeAdima lenkosi yeZeboyimi, lenkosi yeBhela eliyiZowari, bahlomisa impi bemelene labo esigodini iSidima,
Then the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela marched out to fight the armies of the other four kings in Siddim Valley. That valley is close to the Salt/Dead Sea.
9 emelane loKedolawoma inkosi yeElamu, loTidali inkosi yezizwe, loAmrafeli inkosi yeShinari, loAriyoki inkosi yeElasari; amakhosi amane emelane lamakhosi amahlanu.
They fought against the armies of Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal the king of Goiim, Amraphel the king of Shinar, and Arioch the king of Ellasar. The armies of four kings were fighting against the armies of five kings.
10 Lesigodi seSidima sasilemigodigodi yengcino; lenkosi yeSodoma leyeGomora yabaleka, yawela khona; labaseleyo babalekela entabeni.
The Siddim Valley was full of tar pits. So when the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away, many of the men fell into the tar pits. The others escaped and ran away to the hills.
11 Asethatha yonke impahla yeSodoma leyeGomora, lokudla kwabo konke, ahamba.
As [the armies of the five kings] fled, [the armies of the four kings] seized all of the valuable things in Sodom and Gomorrah, including all the food.
12 Amthatha loLothi lempahla yakhe, indodana yomfowabo kaAbrama, asehamba, ngoba wayehlala eSodoma.
They also captured Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom at that time.
13 Kwasekusiza owayephunyukile, wamlandisela uAbrama umHebheru, owayehlala ezihlahleni zama-okhi zikaMamre umAmori, umfowabo kaEshikoli lomfowabo kaAneri ababelesivumelwano loAbrama.
Abram was living near the big trees near Mamre, who belonged to the Amor people-group. Abram had made an agreement with Mamre and his two brothers, Eshcol and Aner, [that they would help each other if there was a war].
14 Kwathi uAbrama esezwile ukuthi isihlobo sakhe sasithunjiwe, wahlomisa ayebafundisile, bezelwe endlini yakhe, abangamakhulu amathathu letshumi lesificaminwembili, waxotshana lawo waze wafika koDani.
One of the men who escaped from the battle told Abram what had happened and that his nephew Lot had been captured and taken away. So Abram summoned 318 men who were his servants, men who had been with Abram since they were born. They all went together and pursued their enemies as far north as Dan [city].
15 Wasezehlukanisa emelane lawo ebusuku, yena lenceku zakhe, wawatshaya, waxotshana lawo waze wafika eHoba, ekwesokhohlo seDamaseko.
During the night, Abram divided the men into several groups, and they attacked their enemies from various directions and defeated them. They pursued them as far as Hobah, which was north of Damascus [city].
16 Wasebuyisa yonke impahla, wasebuyisa loLothi umfowabo lempahla yakhe, labesifazana labo labantu.
Abram’s men recovered all of the goods that had been taken. They also rescued Lot and all his possessions and also the women and others who had been captured by their enemies.
17 Inkosi yeSodoma yasiphuma ukumhlangabeza, esebuyile ekutshayeni uKedolawoma lamakhosi ayelaye, esigodini iShave, esiyisigodi senkosi.
As Abram was returning home after he and his men had defeated the armies of King Chedorlaomer and the other kings who had fought alongside him, the king of Sodom went north to meet him in Shaveh Valley, which people call the King’s Valley.
18 UMelkizedeki inkosi yeSalema waseletha isinkwa lewayini; njalo yena ngumpristi kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke.
The king of Salem [city], whose name was Melchizedek, was also a priest who offered sacrifices to the Supreme God. He brought some bread and wine to Abram.
19 Wasembusisa wathi: Kabusiswe uAbrama nguNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, uMnini wamazulu lomhlaba.
Then he blessed Abram, saying “I ask the Supreme God, the one who created heaven and earth, to bless you.
20 Kabusiswe-ke uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke onikele izitha zakho esandleni sakho. Wasemnika okwetshumi kwakho konke.
The Supreme God has enabled you to defeat [MTY] your enemies, so we should praise/thank him.” Then Abram gave to Melchizedek a tenth part of all the things he had captured.
21 Inkosi yeSodoma yasisithi kuAbrama: Nginika abantu, kodwa uzithathele impahla.
The king of Sodom said to Abram, “You can keep all the goods you recovered. Just let me take back the people from my city whom you rescued.”
22 UAbrama wasesithi eNkosini yeSodoma: Ngiphakamise isandla sami eNkosini uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, uMnini wamazulu lomhlaba,
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have solemnly promised [MTY] to Yahweh, the Supreme God, the one who created heaven and earth,
23 ngithi kangiyikuthatha kusukela kumucu kusiya emchilweni wenyathela, kukho konke olakho! Hlezi uthi: Mina ngimnothisile uAbrama.
that I will not accept even one thread or a thong of a sandal from anything that belongs to you. As a result, you will never be able to say, ‘I caused Abram to become rich.’
24 Ngaphandle kwalokho kuphela akudlileyo amajaha, lesabelo samadoda ahambe lami, uAneri, uEshikoli loMamre, bona kabathathe isabelo sabo.
The only thing I will accept is the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me and fought alongside me, so let them also have a share of the goods we brought back.” [So the king of Sodom agreed to what he said].
