Mwanzo 26
1 Basi njaa ikatokea katika nchi, mbali na njaa ya kwanza iliyotokea siku za Ibrahimu. Isaka akaenda kwa Abimeleki, mfalme wa Wafilisiti huko Gerari.
Kwasekusiba lendlala elizweni, ngaphandle kwendlala yakuqala eyayikhona ngesikhathi sika-Abhrahama, u-Isaka waya ku-Abhimelekhi inkosi yamaFilistiya eGerari.
2 Basi Yahwe akamtokea na kumwambia, “Usishuke kwenda Misri; kaa katika nchi niliyokuambia.
UThixo wabonakala ku-Isaka wathi, “Ungehleli eGibhithe; hlala elizweni engithi hlala khona.
3 Kaa katika nchi hii hii niliyokuambia, nami nitakuwa pamoja nawe na kukubariki; kwani kwako wewe na uzao wako, nitawapa nchi hii yote, nami nitatimiza kiapo nilichomwapia Ibrahimu baba yako.
Ake uhlale kulelilizwe okwesikhatshana, mina ngizakuba lawe ngikubusise. Ngoba wena lezizukulwane zakho ngizalinika wonke amazwe la njalo ngiqinise isifungo engasifunga kuyihlo u-Abhrahama.
4 Nitauzidisha uzao wako kama nyota za mbinguni, nami nitawapa uzao wako nchi hizi zote. Kupitia uzao wako mataifa yote ya dunia yatabarikiwa.
Ngizakwenza izizukulwane zakho zibe zinengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini, ngizinike wonke lamazwe, njalo kuthi ngenzalo yakho zonke izizwe emhlabeni zizabusiswa,
5 Nitalifanya hili kwa sababu Ibrahimu aliitii sauti yangu na kutunza maelekezo yangu, amri zangu na sheria zangu.”
ngoba u-Abhrahama wangilalela, wagcina izimiso zami, lemilayo yami, kanye lemithetho yami.”
6 Hivyo Isaka akakaa Gerari.
Ngakho u-Isaka wahlala eGerari.
7 Watu wa eneo hilo walipomwuliza juu ya mke wake, alisema, “Yeye ni dada yangu.” Aliogopa kusema, “Yeye ni mke wangu,” kwa kuwa alidhani, “Watu wa nchi hii wataniua ili wamchukue Rebeka, kwa kuwa ni mzuri wa uso.”
Kwathi lapho abantu baleyondawo bembuza ngomkakhe wathi, “Ngudadewethu,” ngoba wayesesaba ukuthi, “Ngumkami.” Wacabanga wathi, “Amadoda alapha angangibulala ngenxa kaRabheka, ngoba muhle kakhulu.”
8 Baada ya Isaka kuwa amekaa pale kwa muda mrefu, Ikatukia kwamba Abimeleki mfalme wa Wafilisiti alichungulia katika dirisha. Tazama, akamwona Isaka akimpapasa Rebeka, mke wake.
Kwathi u-Isaka esehlale khona okwesikhathi eside, u-Abhimelekhi inkosi yamaFilistiya wakhangela ngefasitela wabona u-Isaka egone umkakhe uRabheka.
9 Abimeleki akamwita Isaka kwake na kusema, “Tazama, kwa hakika yeye ni mke wako. Kwa nini ulisema, 'Yeye ni dada yangu?” Isaka akamwambia, “Kwa sababu nilidhani mtu mmoja aweza kuniua ili amchukue.”
Ngakho wasebiza u-Isaka wathi, “Kanti ngumkakho ngeqiniso! Kungani uthe ungudadewenu?” U-Isaka wamphendula wathi, “Ngoba ngakhumbula ukuthi ngingalahlekelwa yimpilo yami ngenxa yakhe.”
10 Abimeleki akamwambia, “Ni jambo gani hili ulilotufanyia? Mmojawapo wa watu angeweza bila shaka kulala na mke wako, nawe ungeweza kuleta hatia juu yetu.”
U-Abhimelekhi wasesithi, “Kuyini lokhu okwenzileyo kithi? Omunye wamadoda ubezaqabuka elala laye umkakho, ubususibangela icala.”
11 Hivyo Abimeleki akawaonya watu wote na kusema, “Mtu yeyote atakayemgusa mtu huyu au mke wake atauwawa.”
Ngakho u-Abhimelekhi wasekhupha umlayo ebantwini bonke wathi, “Lowo ozake ayithinte indoda le loba umkayo ngempela uzabulawa.”
12 Isaka akapanda mazao katika nchi hiyo na kuvuna mwaka huo vipimo mia, kwa kuwa Yahwe alimbariki.
U-Isaka walima amabele kulelolizwe, ngalowomnyaka wavuna okuphindwe ngekhulu, ngoba uThixo wambusisa.
13 Mtu huyo akawa tajiri, naye akaongezeka zaidi hata akawa mkuu sana.
Umuntu lo wanotha kakhulu, lemfuyo yakhe yanda kakhulukazi.
14 Alikuwa na kondoo na ngombe na familia kubwa. Wafilisiti wakamwonea wivu.
Waba lemihlambi yezimvu lenkomo emikhulu kakhulu, kanye lezisebenzi ezinengi, amaFilistiya aze aba lomona ngaye.
15 Basi visima vyote watumishi wa baba yake walikuwawamevichimba katika siku za Ibrahimu baba yake, Wafilisiti wakavikatalia kwa kwa kuvijaza kifusi.
Kwasekusithi yonke imithombo eyayigejwe yizisebenzi ngesikhathi sikayise u-Abhrahama, amaFilistiya ayivala ngokuyigqibela ngenhlabathi.
16 Abimeleki akamwambia Isaka, “Ondoka kati yetu, kwa kuwa wewe una nguvu kuliko sisi.”
U-Abhimelekhi wasesithi ku-Isaka, “Suka kithi; ususuke waba lamandla kakhulu kulathi.”
17 Hivyo Isaka akaondoka pale na kukaa katika bonde la Gerari, na kuishi pale.
Ngakho u-Isaka wasuka lapho wayakuma eSigodini saseGerari, wahle wakha khona.
18 Kwa mara nyingine tena Isaka akachimba visima vya maji, vilivyokuwa vimechimbwa siku za Ibrahimu baba yake. Wafilisiti walikuwa wamevizuia baada ya kufa kwake Ibrahimu. Isaka akaviita visima kwa majina aliyokuwa ameviita baba yake.
U-Isaka wayiphanda imithombo eyayigejwe ngesikhathi sikayise u-Abhrahama, eyayigqitshelwe ngamaFilistiya ngemva kokuba u-Abhrahama esefile, wayibiza ngalawo mabizo uyise ayeyibiza ngawo.
19 Watumishi wa Isaka walipochimba katika bonde, wakaona kisima cha maji yaliyokuwakuwa yakibubujika.
Izisebenzi zika-Isaka zagebha esigodini zafumana umthombo olamanzi amahle khonapho.
20 Wachungaji wa Gerari wakagombana na wachungaji wa Isaka, na kusema, “Haya ni maji yetu.”Hivyo Isaka akakiita kisima hicho “Eseki,” kwa sababu waligombana naye.
Kodwa abelusi baseGerari baxabana labelusi baka-Isaka bathi, “Amanzi la ngawethu!” Ngakho umthombo lowo wawuthi yi-Eseki, ngoba bawubanga laye.
21 Wakachimba kisima kingine, wakakigombania hicho nacho, hivyo akakiita “Sitina.”
Ngakho basebesimba omunye umthombo, kodwa lawo bawubanga njalo; wasewubiza ngokuthi yiSithina.
22 Akatoka hapo na akachimba kisima kingine, lakini hicho hawakukigombania. Hivyo akakiita Rehobothi, na akasema, “Sasa Yahwe ametufanyia nafasi, na tutafanikiwa katika nchi.”
Wasuka lapho wayagebha omunye umthombo, akwabe kusaba khona owubangayo. Wawuthi yiRehobhothi, esithi, “Manje uThixo usesiphile indawo, sesizaphumelela kuleli ilizwe.”
23 Kisha Isaka akaenda Beersheba.
Esuka lapho waya eBherishebha.
24 Yahwe akamtokea usiku huohuo na akasema, “Mimi ni Mungu wa Ibrahimu baba yako. Usiogope, kwa maana mimi nipo pamoja nawe na nitakubariki na kuvidisha vizazi vyako, kwa ajili ya mtumishi wangu Ibrahimu.”
Ngalobobusuku uThixo wabonakala kuye wathi, “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo u-Abhrahama. Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizakubusisa ngandise ubunengi bezizukulwane zakho ngenxa yenceku yami u-Abhrahama.”
25 Isaka akajenga madhabahu pale na akaliita jina la Yahwe. Akapiga hema yake pale, na watumishi wake wakachimba kisima.
U-Isaka wakha i-Alithari khonapho wamemeza ibizo likaThixo. Wamisa ithente lakhe khonapho, izisebenzi zakhe zemba umthombo khonapho.
26 Kisha Abimeleki akamwendea kutoka Gerari, pamoja na Ahuzathi, rafiki yake, na Fikoli, jemedari wa jeshi.
Ngalesosikhathi u-Abhimelekhi weza kuye evela eGerari, elo-Ahuzathi umeluleki wakhe loFikholi umlawuli wamabutho akhe.
27 Isaka akawambia, “Kwa nini mmekuja kwangu, kwani mlinichukia na kunifukuza kwenu.
U-Isaka wababuza wathi, “Lilandeni kimi, njengoba lalingizonda laze langixotsha?”
28 Nao wakasema, “Tumeona yakini kwamba Yahwe amekuwa nawe. Hivyo tukaamua kwamba kuwe na kiapo kati yetu, ndiyo, kati yetu nawe. Hivyo na tufanye agano nawe,
Bamphendula bathi, “Sabona kamhlophe ukuthi uThixo wayelawe; yikho sasesicabanga ukuthi kumele kube lesivumelwano esibotshiweyo phakathi kwethu lawe. Kasenze isibopho lawe
29 kwamba hautatudhuru, kama ambavyo sisi hatukukudhuru, na kama sisi tulivyokutendea vema wewe na tumekuacha uondoke kwa amani. Kwa kweli, Yahwe amekubariki.”
esokuthi kawusoze usihlukuluze, njengoba lathi singazange sikulimaze ngalutho kodwa sakuvalelisa ngokuthula. Khathesi usubusisiwe nguThixo.”
30 Hivyo Isaka akawaandalia sherehe, na wakala na kunywa.
U-Isaka wasebenzela idili, badla banatha.
31 Wakaamuka mapema asubuhi na wakaapiana kiapo. Kisha Isaka akawaruhusu kuondoka, nao wakamwacha katika amani.
Ekuseni kakhulu ngelanga elilandelayo amadoda wonke enza isifungo omunye komunye. U-Isaka wasebavulela indlela bahamba ngokuthula.
32 Siku hiyohiyo watumishi wake wakaja na kumwambia juu ya kisima walichokuwa wamekichimba. Wakasema, “Tumeona maji.”
Ngalolosuku izisebenzi zika-Isaka zabuya zamtshela ngomthombo ezaziwugebhile. Zathi, “Sesiwatholile amanzi!”
33 Akakiita kile kisima Shiba, hivyo jina la mji ule ni Beersheba hata leo.
Wawuthi yiShibha, osekuze kube namuhla idolobho kuthiwa yiBherishebha.
34 Esau alipokuwa na umri wa miaka arobaini, akajitwalia mke, Yudithi binti Beeri Mhiti, na Basemathi binti Eloni Mhiti.
Kwathi u-Esawu eseleminyaka yobudala engamatshumi amane, wathatha uJudithi indodakazi kaBheri umHithi njalo loBhasemathi indodakazi ka-Eloni umHithi.
35 Wakamhuzunisha Isaka na Rebeka.
Baletha ukukhathazeka kakhulu ku-Isaka loRabheka.
