UGenesisi 15
1 Emva kwalezizinto ilizwi leNkosi leza kuAbrama ngombono, lisithi: Ungesabi Abrama, ngiyisihlangu sakho, umvuzo wakho omkhulu kakhulu.
And so, these things having been transacted, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your protector, and your reward is exceedingly great.”
2 UAbrama wasesithi: Nkosi Jehova, uzangiphani, njengoba lokhe ngingelamntwana, lendlalifa yendlu yami ingoweDamaseko uEliyezeri?
And Abram said: “Lord God, what will you give to me? I may go without children. And the son of the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.”
3 UAbrama wasesithi: Khangela, kimi kawuphanga nzalo; njalo khangela, ozelwe endlini yami uzakuba yindlalifa yami.
And Abram added: “Yet to me you have not given offspring. And behold, my servant born in my house will be my heir.”
4 Khangela-ke ilizwi leNkosi laba kuye lisithi: Lo kayikudla ilifa lakho, kodwa ozaphuma emibilini yakho, yena uzakudla ilifa lakho.
And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: “This one will not be your heir. But he who will come from your loins, the same will you have for your heir.”
5 Wasemkhuphela phandle wathi: Khangela-ke emazulwini, ubale izinkanyezi uba ungazibala. Wasesithi kuye: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.
And he brought him outside, and he said to him, “Take in the heavens, and number the stars, if you can.” And he said to him, “So also will your offspring be.”
6 Wasekholwa eNkosini. Yasimbalela lokhu kube yikulunga.
Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
7 Yasisithi kuye: NgiyiNkosi, eyakukhupha eUri yamaKhaladiya ukukunika ilizwe leli libe yilifa lakho.
And he said to him, “I am the Lord who led you away from Ur of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land, and so that you would possess it.”
8 Wasesithi: Nkosi Jehova, ngizakwazi ngani ukuthi lizakuba yilifa lami?
But he said, “Lord God, in what way may I be able to know that I will possess it?”
9 Yasisithi kuye: Ngithathela ithokazi elileminyaka emithathu, lesibhuzikazi esileminyaka emithathu, lenqama eleminyaka emithathu, lejuba, lephuphu lenkwilimba.
And the Lord responded by saying: “Take for me a cow of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, also a turtle-dove and a pigeon.”
10 Wasesisa kuyo zonke lezizinto, wazidabula phakathi, wabeka leyo laleyongxenye yazo ikhangelene lenye; kodwa inyoni kazidabulanga.
Taking all these, he divided them through the middle, and placed both parts opposite one another. But the birds he did not divide.
11 Inyoni ezidla inyama zasezisehlela phezu kwezidumbu, uAbrama wasezixotshela khatshana.
And birds descended upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 Kwasekusithi ilanga selitshona, ubuthongo obukhulu bajuma uAbrama; khangela-ke, uvalo lomnyama omkhulu lwehlela phezu kwakhe.
And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a dread, great and dark, invaded him.
13 Yasisithi kuAbrama: Yazi lokwazi ukuthi inzalo yakho izakuba yisihambi elizweni elingeyisilo layo, njalo bazabasebenzela, besebebahlupha iminyaka engamakhulu amane.
And it was said to him: “Know beforehand that your future offspring will be sojourners in a land not their own, and they will subjugate them in servitude and afflict them for four hundred years.
14 Kodwa lesizwe abazasisebenzela ngizasigweba; lemva kwalokho bazaphuma lempahla enengi.
Yet truly, I will judge the nation that they will serve, and after this they will depart with great substance.
15 Kodwa wena uzakuya kuboyihlo ngokuthula, uzangcwatshwa ekuluphaleni okuhle.
But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
16 Isizukulwana sesine sizabuya-ke lapha; ngoba isono samaAmori kasikapheleli.
But in the fourth generation, they will return here. For the iniquities of the Amorites are not yet completed, even to this present time.”
17 Kwasekusithi ilanga selitshonile sekumnyama, khangela-ke, imbawula ethunqayo lesihlanti somlilo esadabula phakathi kwalezozingxenye.
Then, when the sun had set, there came a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.
18 Ngalolosuku iNkosi yenza isivumelwano loAbrama isithi: Enzalweni yakho nginikele lelilizwe, kusukela emfuleni weGibhithe kuze kube semfuleni omkhulu, umfula iYufrathi,
On that day, God formed a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt, even to the great river Euphrates:
19 amaKeni lamaKenizi lamaKadimoni
the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites
20 lamaHethi lamaPerizi lamaRefa
and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, likewise the Rephaim,
21 lamaAmori lamaKhanani lamaGirigashi lamaJebusi.
and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
