UGenesisi 15

1 Emva kwalezizinto ilizwi leNkosi leza kuAbrama ngombono, lisithi: Ungesabi Abrama, ngiyisihlangu sakho, umvuzo wakho omkhulu kakhulu.

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying: 'Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceeding great.'

2 UAbrama wasesithi: Nkosi Jehova, uzangiphani, njengoba lokhe ngingelamntwana, lendlalifa yendlu yami ingoweDamaseko uEliyezeri?

And Abram said: 'O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'

3 UAbrama wasesithi: Khangela, kimi kawuphanga nzalo; njalo khangela, ozelwe endlini yami uzakuba yindlalifa yami.

And Abram said: 'Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed, and, lo, one born in my house is to be mine heir.'

4 Khangela-ke ilizwi leNkosi laba kuye lisithi: Lo kayikudla ilifa lakho, kodwa ozaphuma emibilini yakho, yena uzakudla ilifa lakho.

And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying: 'This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.'

5 Wasemkhuphela phandle wathi: Khangela-ke emazulwini, ubale izinkanyezi uba ungazibala. Wasesithi kuye: Izakuba njalo inzalo yakho.

And He brought him forth abroad, and said: 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.'

6 Wasekholwa eNkosini. Yasimbalela lokhu kube yikulunga.

And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.

7 Yasisithi kuye: NgiyiNkosi, eyakukhupha eUri yamaKhaladiya ukukunika ilizwe leli libe yilifa lakho.

And He said unto him: 'I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.'

8 Wasesithi: Nkosi Jehova, ngizakwazi ngani ukuthi lizakuba yilifa lami?

And he said: 'O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?'

9 Yasisithi kuye: Ngithathela ithokazi elileminyaka emithathu, lesibhuzikazi esileminyaka emithathu, lenqama eleminyaka emithathu, lejuba, lephuphu lenkwilimba.

And He said unto him: 'Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.'

10 Wasesisa kuyo zonke lezizinto, wazidabula phakathi, wabeka leyo laleyongxenye yazo ikhangelene lenye; kodwa inyoni kazidabulanga.

And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other; but the birds divided he not.

11 Inyoni ezidla inyama zasezisehlela phezu kwezidumbu, uAbrama wasezixotshela khatshana.

And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 Kwasekusithi ilanga selitshona, ubuthongo obukhulu bajuma uAbrama; khangela-ke, uvalo lomnyama omkhulu lwehlela phezu kwakhe.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a dread, even a great darkness, fell upon him.

13 Yasisithi kuAbrama: Yazi lokwazi ukuthi inzalo yakho izakuba yisihambi elizweni elingeyisilo layo, njalo bazabasebenzela, besebebahlupha iminyaka engamakhulu amane.

And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 Kodwa lesizwe abazasisebenzela ngizasigweba; lemva kwalokho bazaphuma lempahla enengi.

and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 Kodwa wena uzakuya kuboyihlo ngokuthula, uzangcwatshwa ekuluphaleni okuhle.

But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 Isizukulwana sesine sizabuya-ke lapha; ngoba isono samaAmori kasikapheleli.

And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.'

17 Kwasekusithi ilanga selitshonile sekumnyama, khangela-ke, imbawula ethunqayo lesihlanti somlilo esadabula phakathi kwalezozingxenye.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.

18 Ngalolosuku iNkosi yenza isivumelwano loAbrama isithi: Enzalweni yakho nginikele lelilizwe, kusukela emfuleni weGibhithe kuze kube semfuleni omkhulu, umfula iYufrathi,

In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates;

19 amaKeni lamaKenizi lamaKadimoni

the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

20 lamaHethi lamaPerizi lamaRefa

and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

21 lamaAmori lamaKhanani lamaGirigashi lamaJebusi.

and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'