Genesis (18/50)  

1. I Nkosi yasibonakala kuye emaokini* 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, wa li nika 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 nga lesi sikhathi sempilo; khangela, uSara umkakho u zakuba lendodana. USara wa ku zwa 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. I Nkosi yasisithi kuAbrahama: Kungani uSara ehleka, esithi: Isibili lami ngizazala mina sengimdala yini?
14. Kukhona into enzima kakhulu e Nkosi ni yini? Ngesikhathi esimisiweyo ngizabuya kuwe, nga lesi sikhathi sempilo, njalo uSara u zakuba 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. I Nkosi 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 ye Nkosi ukuze benze ukulunga lokwahlulela, ukuze i Nkosi imehlisele uAbrahama lokho ekutshoyo ngaye.
20. I Nkosi yasisithi: Ngoba isikhalo seSodoma leGomora sikhulu, langoba isono sabo sinzima kakhulu,
21. ngizakwehla-ke besengibona ukuthi njengokwesikhalo sayo esesifike kimi, benzile ngokupheleleyo; kodwa uba kunge njalo ngizakwazi.
22. Amadoda esefulathele lapho, asesiya eSodoma; kodwa uAbrahama wayelokhu emile phambi kwe Nkosi.
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. I Nkosi 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: Kangiyiku wu bhubhisa uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amane lanhlanu.
29. Waseqhubeka elokhu ekhuluma kuyo wathi: Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amane. Yasisithi: Kangiyiku kw enza ngenxa yabangamatshumi amane.
30. Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli lapho ngikhuluma. Mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amathathu. Yasisithi: Kangiyiku kw enza uba ngithola khona abangamatshumi amathathu.
31. Wasesithi: Khangela-ke, ngizimisele ukukhuluma eNkosini; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abangamatshumi amabili. Yasisithi: Kangiyiku wu bhubhisa ngenxa yabangamatshumi amabili.
32. Wasesithi: Ngicela iNkosi ingathukutheli, ngizakhuluma khathesi kuphela; mhlawumbe kuzatholwa khona abalitshumi. Yasisithi: Kangiyiku wu bhubhisa ngenxa yabalitshumi.
33. I Nkosi yasihamba isiqedile ukukhuluma kuAbrahama; uAbrahama wasebuyela endaweni yakhe.

  Genesis (18/50)