UGenesisi 18
1 INkosi yasibonakala kuye ema-okhini eMamre, wathi ehlezi emnyango wethente ekutshiseni kosuku,
Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent doorway in the heat of the day.
2 wasephakamisa amehlo akhe wabona, khangela-ke amadoda amathathu emi phambi kwakhe; esewabonile wagijima ukuwahlangabeza esuka emnyango wethente, wakhothamela emhlabathini,
He looked up and, behold, he saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed low to the ground.
3 wasesithi: Nkosi, uba-ke ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngicela ungadluli usuke encekwini yakho.
He said, “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by and leave your servant.
4 Ake kulethwe amanzi amalutshwana, beseligeza inyawo zenu, liphumule ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 Ngizaletha-ke ucezu lwesinkwa, beseliqinisa inhliziyo yenu, beselisedlula, ngoba yikho ledlule encekwini yenu. Asesithi: Ngokunjalo yenza njengokutsho kwakho.
Let me bring a little food, so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you can go your way, since you have come to your servant.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”
6 UAbrahama wasephangisa esiya ethenteni kuSara, wasesithi: Phangisa! Amaseya amathathu empuphu ecolekileyo! Xova, wenze amaqebelengwana.
Then Abraham quickly went into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry, get three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.”
7 UAbrahama wasegijimela enkomeni, wathatha ithole elibuthakathaka njalo elihle, walinika ijaha; laphangisa ukulilungisa.
Then Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf that was tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
8 Wasethatha amasi lochago, lethole abelilungisile, wakubeka phambi kwawo; wema eduze lawo ngaphansi kwesihlahla, asesidla.
He took curds and milk, and the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 Asesithi kuye: Ungaphi uSara umkakho? Wasesithi: Khangela, ethenteni.
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, in the tent.”
10 Yasisithi: Isibili ngizabuya kuwe ngalesisikhathi sempilo; khangela, uSara umkakho uzakuba lendodana. USara wakuzwa esemnyango wethente elalingemva kwayo.
He said, “I will certainly return to you in the springtime, and see, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent doorway, which was behind him.
11 UAbrahama loSara basebebadala sebelensuku ezinengi; kwasekuphelile kuSara okwendlela yabafazi.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, very advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age when women could bear children.
12 USara wasehlekela ngaphakathi, esithi: Sengigugile, ngingaba lenjabulo, lenkosi yami isindala yini?
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying to herself, “After I am worn-out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 INkosi yasisithi kuAbrahama: Kungani uSara ehleka, esithi: Isibili lami ngizazala mina sengimdala yini?
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really bear a child, when I am old'?
14 Kukhona into enzima kakhulu eNkosini yini? Ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngizabuya kuwe, ngalesisikhathi sempilo, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed by me, in the spring, I will return to you. About this time next year Sarah will have a son.”
15 USara wasephika esithi: Kangihlekanga, ngoba wayesesaba. Kodwa wathi: Hatshi, ngoba uhlekile.
Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He replied, “No, you did laugh.”
16 Amadoda asesukuma esuka lapho akhangela phansi eSodoma; uAbrahama wasehamba lawo ewaphelekezela.
Then the men arose to leave and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 INkosi yasisithi: Mina ngingamfihlela uAbrahama yini engikwenzayo?
But Yahweh said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 Ngoba isibili uAbrahama uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu esilamandla; lazo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa kuye.
since Abraham will indeed become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
19 Ngoba ngimazile, ukuze alaye abantwana bakhe lendlu yakhe emva kwakhe, besebegcina indlela yeNkosi ukuze benze ukulunga lokwahlulela, ukuze iNkosi imehlisele uAbrahama lokho ekutshoyo ngaye.
For I have chosen him so that he may instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has said to him.”
20 INkosi yasisithi: Ngoba isikhalo seSodoma leGomora sikhulu, langoba isono sabo sinzima kakhulu,
Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and because their sin is so serious,
21 ngizakwehla-ke besengibona ukuthi njengokwesikhalo sayo esesifike kimi, benzile ngokupheleleyo; kodwa uba kungenjalo ngizakwazi.
I will now go down there and see the outcry against her that has come to me, whether they have really done it. If not, I will know.”
22 Amadoda esefulathele lapho, asesiya eSodoma; kodwa uAbrahama wayelokhu emile phambi kweNkosi.
So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before Yahweh.
23 UAbrahama wasesondela, wathi: Kambe uzambhubhisa lolungileyo kanye lomubi?
Then Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 Mhlawumbe kukhona abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi; kambe uzabhubhisa ungaxoleli indawo ngenxa yabalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu abakuwo?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are there?
25 Kakube khatshana lawe ukwenza into enjalo, ukubulala olungileyo kanye lomubi lokuthi olungileyo abe njengomubi; kakube khatshana lawe; umahluleli womhlaba wonke kayikwenza ukulunga yini?
Far be it from you to do such a thing, killing the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated the same as the wicked. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
26 INkosi yasisithi: Uba ngithola eSodoma abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi, ngizaxolela yonke indawo ngenxa yabo.
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 UAbrahama wasephendula wathi: Khangela-ke, ngizimisele ukukhuluma eNkosini, lanxa ngiluthuli lomlotha.
Abraham answered and said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, even though I am only dust and ashes!
28 Mhlawumbe kuzasweleka abahlanu kubo abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu; uzabhubhisa umuzi wonke ngenxa yabahlanu yini? Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu.
What if there are five less than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” Then he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.”
29 Waseqhubeka elokhu ekhuluma kuyo wathi: Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amane. Yasisithi: Kangiyikukwenza ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane.
He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the forty's sake.”
30 Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli lapho ngikhuluma. Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amathathu. Yasisithi: Kangiyikukwenza uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amathathu.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”
31 Wasesithi: Khangela-ke, ngizimisele ukukhuluma eNkosini; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amabili. Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabangamatshumi amabili.
He said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.”
32 Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli, ngizakhuluma khathesi kuphela; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abalitshumi. Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabalitshumi.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak this one last time. Perhaps ten will be found there.” Then he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.”
33 INkosi yasihamba isiqedile ukukhuluma kuAbrahama; uAbrahama wasebuyela endaweni yakhe.
Yahweh went on his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.
