< UGenesisi 18 >
1 INkosi yasibonakala kuye ema-okhini eMamre, wathi ehlezi emnyango wethente ekutshiseni kosuku,
2 wasephakamisa amehlo akhe wabona, khangela-ke amadoda amathathu emi phambi kwakhe; esewabonile wagijima ukuwahlangabeza esuka emnyango wethente, wakhothamela emhlabathini,
3 wasesithi: Nkosi, uba-ke ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngicela ungadluli usuke encekwini yakho.
4 Ake kulethwe amanzi amalutshwana, beseligeza inyawo zenu, liphumule ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
5 Ngizaletha-ke ucezu lwesinkwa, beseliqinisa inhliziyo yenu, beselisedlula, ngoba yikho ledlule encekwini yenu. Asesithi: Ngokunjalo yenza njengokutsho kwakho.
6 UAbrahama wasephangisa esiya ethenteni kuSara, wasesithi: Phangisa! Amaseya amathathu empuphu ecolekileyo! Xova, wenze amaqebelengwana.
7 UAbrahama wasegijimela enkomeni, wathatha ithole elibuthakathaka njalo elihle, walinika ijaha; laphangisa ukulilungisa.
8 Wasethatha amasi lochago, lethole abelilungisile, wakubeka phambi kwawo; wema eduze lawo ngaphansi kwesihlahla, asesidla.
9 Asesithi kuye: Ungaphi uSara umkakho? Wasesithi: Khangela, ethenteni.
10 Yasisithi: Isibili ngizabuya kuwe ngalesisikhathi sempilo; khangela, uSara umkakho uzakuba lendodana. USara wakuzwa esemnyango wethente elalingemva kwayo.
11 UAbrahama loSara basebebadala sebelensuku ezinengi; kwasekuphelile kuSara okwendlela yabafazi.
12 USara wasehlekela ngaphakathi, esithi: Sengigugile, ngingaba lenjabulo, lenkosi yami isindala yini?
13 INkosi yasisithi kuAbrahama: Kungani uSara ehleka, esithi: Isibili lami ngizazala mina sengimdala yini?
14 Kukhona into enzima kakhulu eNkosini yini? Ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngizabuya kuwe, ngalesisikhathi sempilo, njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.
15 USara wasephika esithi: Kangihlekanga, ngoba wayesesaba. Kodwa wathi: Hatshi, ngoba uhlekile.
16 Amadoda asesukuma esuka lapho akhangela phansi eSodoma; uAbrahama wasehamba lawo ewaphelekezela.
17 INkosi yasisithi: Mina ngingamfihlela uAbrahama yini engikwenzayo?
18 Ngoba isibili uAbrahama uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu esilamandla; lazo zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa kuye.
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.
20 INkosi yasisithi: Ngoba isikhalo seSodoma leGomora sikhulu, langoba isono sabo sinzima kakhulu,
21 ngizakwehla-ke besengibona ukuthi njengokwesikhalo sayo esesifike kimi, benzile ngokupheleleyo; kodwa uba kungenjalo ngizakwazi.
22 Amadoda esefulathele lapho, asesiya eSodoma; kodwa uAbrahama wayelokhu emile phambi kweNkosi.
23 UAbrahama wasesondela, wathi: Kambe uzambhubhisa lolungileyo kanye lomubi?
24 Mhlawumbe kukhona abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi; kambe uzabhubhisa ungaxoleli indawo ngenxa yabalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu abakuwo?
25 Kakube khatshana lawe ukwenza into enjalo, ukubulala olungileyo kanye lomubi lokuthi olungileyo abe njengomubi; kakube khatshana lawe; umahluleli womhlaba wonke kayikwenza ukulunga yini?
26 INkosi yasisithi: Uba ngithola eSodoma abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi, ngizaxolela yonke indawo ngenxa yabo.
27 UAbrahama wasephendula wathi: Khangela-ke, ngizimisele ukukhuluma eNkosini, lanxa ngiluthuli lomlotha.
28 Mhlawumbe kuzasweleka abahlanu kubo abalungileyo abangamatshumi amahlanu; uzabhubhisa umuzi wonke ngenxa yabahlanu yini? Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu.
29 Waseqhubeka elokhu ekhuluma kuyo wathi: Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amane. Yasisithi: Kangiyikukwenza ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane.
30 Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli lapho ngikhuluma. Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amathathu. Yasisithi: Kangiyikukwenza uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amathathu.
31 Wasesithi: Khangela-ke, ngizimisele ukukhuluma eNkosini; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amabili. Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabangamatshumi amabili.
32 Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli, ngizakhuluma khathesi kuphela; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abalitshumi. Yasisithi: Kangiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabalitshumi.
33 INkosi yasihamba isiqedile ukukhuluma kuAbrahama; uAbrahama wasebuyela endaweni yakhe.
