UGenesisi 8

1 UNkulunkulu wasemkhumbula uNowa, lakho konke okuphilayo, laso sonke isifuyo, esasilaye emkhunjini. UNkulunkulu wavunguzisa umoya phezu komhlaba, lamanzi etsha.

2 Kwasekumiswa imithombo yokujula lamasango empophoma zamazulu, lezulu elivela emazulwini lanqandwa.

3 Lamanzi etsha esuka emhlabeni, ehamba ebuyela; amanzi asencipha ekupheleni kwensuku ezilikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu.

4 Umkhumbi wasuhlala ngenyanga yesikhombisa, ngosuku lwetshumi lesikhombisa lwenyanga, phezu kwezintaba zeArarathi.

5 Lamanzi aya esetsha kwaze kwaba senyangeni yetshumi; ngeyetshumi ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga kwabonakala ingqonga zezintaba.

6 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezingamatshumi amane, uNowa wasevula iwindi lomkhumbi ayelenzile,

7 wasethuma iwabayi, lazulazula njalo, aze atsha amanzi emhlabeni.

8 Wasethuma ijuba lisuka kuye, ukubona ukuthi amanzi asemalutshwana yini ebusweni bomhlaba;

9 kodwa ijuba kalitholanga indawo yokuphumula kwengaphansi yonyawo lwalo, ngakho labuyela kuye emkhunjini, ngoba amanzi ayekhona ebusweni bomhlaba wonke. Waseselula isandla sakhe, walithatha, walingenisa kuye emkhunjini.

10 Waselinda futhi ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; wasephinda elithuma ijuba lisuka emkhunjini.

11 Ijuba laselibuya kuye ngesikhathi santambama, khangela-ke, ihlamvu lomhlwathi elisanda ukuquntwa lalisemlonyeni walo; ngakho uNowa wasesazi ukuthi amanzi asemalutshwana phezu komhlaba.

12 Waselinda futhi ezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa; waselithuma ijuba; kalabe lisabuyela kuye futhi.

13 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha lanye, ngenyanga yokuqala, ngolokuqala lwenyanga, amanzi atsha emhlabeni. UNowa wasesusa isifulelo somkhumbi, wabona, khangela-ke, ubuso bomhlaba babomile.

14 Njalo ngenyanga yesibili, ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa lwenyanga, umhlaba wawusuwomile.

15 UNkulunkulu wasekhuluma kuNowa, esithi:

16 Phuma emkhunjini, wena lomkakho lamadodana akho labafazi bamadodana akho kanye lawe.

17 Konke okuphilayo okulawe, kuyo yonke inyama, eyenyoni leyesifuyo leyakho konke okuhuquzelayo kuhuquzela emhlabeni, phuma lakho; ukuze kuzale kwande emhlabeni, kuzale, kwande phezu komhlaba.

18 UNowa wasephuma, lamadodana akhe, lomkakhe, labafazi bamadodana akhe kanye laye.

19 Yonke inyamazana, konke okuhuquzelayo, layo yonke inyoni, konke okuhamba emhlabeni, ngenhlobo zakho, kwaphuma emkhunjini.

20 UNowa waseyakhela iNkosi ilathi; wathatha kuso sonke isifuyo esihlambulukileyo, lakuyo yonke inyoni ehlambulukileyo, wanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa phezu kwelathi.

21 INkosi yasisizwa uqhatshi olumnandi; iNkosi yasisithi enhliziyweni yayo: Kangisayikuphinda ngiqalekise umhlaba ngenxa yomuntu, ngoba ukuceba kwenhliziyo yomuntu kubi kusukela ebutsheni bakhe; futhi kangisayikuphinda ngitshaye konke okuphilayo njengalokhu ngenzile.

22 Ngazo zonke izinsuku zomhlaba, ukuhlanyela lokuvuna, lamakhaza lokukhudumala, lehlobo lobusika, lemini lobusuku, kakuyikuphela.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark