URabega uthathwa ngu-Isaka
1U-Abrahamu bese aluphele namalanga ayile. USomnini bekambusise ngeendlela zoke. 2Wathi encekwinakhe ekulu ebeyiphethe koke kwendlwakhe: “Beka isandla sakho ngaphasi kwenyongami, 3kobana ngikufungise ngoSomnini uZimu wezulu nephasi, bona angekhe wathathela indodanami umfazi emadodakazini webantwini beKanana engihlala phakathi kwabo, 4kodwana bona uzakuya enarheni yekhethu neenhlobeni zami ukuyokuthathela khona indodanami u-Isaka umfazi.”
5Inceku yambuza yathi: “Alo, ngenzeni lokha umntazana loyo nange angabhala ukuza nami enarheni le? Kungabe kuzakufuneka bona ngithathe indodanakho ngiyibuyisele enarheni owavela kiyo na?”
6U-Abrahamu wathi kiyo: “Qinisekisa bona awubuyiseli indodanami lapho. 7USomnini uZimu wezulu owangikhupha emzini wakababa, enarheni yeenhlobo zami nowakhuluma nami wangithembisa ngesifungo wathi, ‘inarha le ngizayinikela eenzukulwaneni zakho’, nguye ozakuthumela ingilozi ikhambe phambi kwakho bona uphumelele ukuthathela indodanami umfazi lapho. 8Nangabe intombi leyo ayikazimiseli ukuza nawe, khona angekhe ube nomlandu esifungweni samesi. Kwaphela nje ungalingi ubuyisele indodanami lapho.”
9Ngokunjalo-ke inceku yabeka isandla sayo ngaphasi kwenyonga yekosayo, u-Abrahamu, yafunga isifungo mayelana nendaba leyo.
10Inceku yathatha amakamela alitjhumi wekosayo yasuka yakhamba iphethe izipho ezihle ezibuya ekosinayo. Yanqomba e-Aramu-Naharayimu ekumumuzi wakaNarhori. 11Yafika yaguqisa amakamela hlanu komthombo ngaphandle komuzi lowo, belisele lithambeme ilanga, kusikhathi abafazi abaphuma ngaso ukuyokukha amanzi. 12Khonapho yathandaza yathi: “Somnini, Zimu wekosami u-Abrahamu, yiba nomusa ku-Abrahamu ikosami, ungenze ngihlangane nomuntu ofaneleko. 13Nakhu ngijame esiyalwini lapha amadodakazi womuzi lo akhelela khona amanzi. 14Akuthi nangithi kelinye lamatlawu, ‘Ngiyakurabhela, akhese wethule umjekakho ngisele’, lona-ke lithi, ‘Awa ungasela begodu ngizokuseza namakamelakho’ ngizakwazi-ke bonyana ngilo olikhethele incekwakho, u-Isaka. Lokho kuzakuba siboniso bona mbala uyenzele umusa ikosami.”
15Kwathi ingakaqedi nokuthandaza, veliyani uRabega ngemzini abeke umjeka wamanzi emahlombe. Yena bekayindodakazi kaBhetuweli indodana kaMilika obegade amkaNarhori umnakwabo laka-Abrahamu. 16Bekamntazana omuhle osajame ibele, ongakhange akhe ayanywe lisokana. Yena-ke wehlela ngesiyalwini, wazalisa umjekakhe ngamanzi, wakhuphuka. 17Inceku ka-Abrahamu yagijima, yamhlangabeza yathi: “Ndodakazi, akhese ungiseze kancancani amanzi angemjekenakho lawo.”
18URabega wathi: “Awa, ikosami ingasela.” Yeke wethula umjeka wayibambela, yasela.
19Kuthe bona aqede ukuyiseza, wathi: “Namakamela wekosami ngizowakhelela abe aqede ukusela woke nje.”
20Warhaba wathululela amanzi ngapha kuselela ngakhona iimbandana, wagijimela ngemthonjeni, wanande akha amanzi bewawaseza woke amakamelayo. 21Indoda leyo yathula, yamqala, ifuna ukubona nakube uSomnini uphelelise ikhambo layo namkha awa.
22Kwathi bona amakamela aqede ukusela, indoda leyo yathatha incina legolide elifakwa epumulweni elinobudisi bamagremu angaba mahlanu nesiquntu kanye neenkhono zegolide ezinobudisi obumagremu alikhulu netjhumi. 23Yabese ithi: “Ngiyakurabhela akhese ungitjele, uyindodakazi kabani wena? Endlini kayihlo kungaba khona amalalo lapha singalala khona na?”
24Umntazana waphendula wathi: “Mina ngiyindodakazi kaBhetuweli umsa kaNarhori noMilika.” 25Wangezelela wathi: “Sineenhlanga nelusereni eyaneleko kanye nelawu lapha ningalala khona ebusuku.”
26Yeke indoda leyo yaguqa yahloma ihloko phasi phambi kwakaSomnini 27yathi: “Akadunyiswe uSomnini ongakhange atjhiye isisa nokwethembeka kwakhe ku-Abrahamu ikosami. Nakungimi, uSomnini uZimu ungirholele endleleni eya endlini yeenhlobo zekosami.”
28Umntazana wagijima wayokutjela unina nabodadwabo ngokwenzekileko. 29URabega begade anomfowabo uLabani. Yena-ke waphuma wagijimela endodeni leyo emthonjeni 30ngombana abone incina lepumulo neenkhono kudadwabo. Godu wezwa lokha uRebega nabatjela bona indoda leyo itheni. Yeke waphuma wagijimela kiyo, wayifunyana isajame emakamelenayo hlanu komthombo. 31Wathi kiyo: “Muntu obusiswe nguSomnini, namba siye ekhaya. Kubayini ujame ngaphandlapha ngombana nakhu sengikulungiselele ekhaya bekunendawo yamakamelakho?”
32Yeke indoda leyo yakhamba naye kwabo. Sebafikile uLabani wakhumula amakamela, wawanikela iinhlanga nelusereni. Wabuye walethela indoda leyo nabakhambisani bayo amanzi bona baqophe iinyawo zabo. 33Nje-ke kwabekwa ukudla phambi kwendoda leyo, kodwana yona yathi: “Awa, angekhe ngadla ngingakatjho into engiyizele lapha.”
ULabani wathi: “Awa yeke, khuluma-ke.”
34Nje-ke yathi: “Mina ngiyinceku ka-Abrahamu. 35USomnini uZimu yabusisa ikosami khulu beyanjinga. Yayipha izimvu, iimbuzi, iinkomo, isiliva negolide, amakhoboka namakhobokakazi, amakamela nabodumbana. 36Umka kosami uSara, wabelethela ikosami indodana asele aluphele, yeke ikosami yanikela koke enakho endodaneni. 37Begodu ikosami yangifungisa ngesifungo yathi, ‘Ungakhe ungathathela indodanami umfazi emadodakazini weKanana okuyinarha engihlala kiyo. 38Kodwana khamba uye ebantwini bekhethu, ekorwenami, uyithathele umfazi khona indodanami.’ 39Ngayibuza ikosami ngathi, ‘Alo, ngenzeni lokha umntazana loyo nange angabhala ukukhamba nami?’ 40Yona yaphendula yathi, ‘USomnini engikhamba phambi kwakhe, uzokuthumelela ingilozi bona ikuphumelelise ekhambeni lakho ukuze ufunyanele indodanami umfazi ekorwenami nebantwini bekhethu. 41Uzakutjhaphuluka esifungweni samesi kwaphela, ikani nje nawuye ebantwini bekhethu bakwalela naye. Ngaleyondlela wena uzabe utjhaphulukile esifungweni samesi.’
42“Nje-ke kuthe bona ngifike emthonjeni namhlanje, ngathandaza ngathi, ‘Somnini, Zimu wekosami u-Abrahamu, ngiyakurabhela hle, phumelelisa ikhambo lami engize ngalo lapha. 43Nakhu uSomnini lapha ngijame khona hlanu kwanaku umthombo; nakwenzeka kuvela umntazana bona azokukha amanzi lapha bese ngimbawa bona angiseze amanzi kancancani ngemjekenakhe, 44nangabe uyavuma bonyana ngisele abe akhelele namakamelami amanzi, akube nguye loyo umntazana omkhethileko, Somnini, bona abe mfazi wendodana yekosami.’
45“Ngithe ngingakaqedi umthandazwami wesidu, veliyani uRabega nomjeka wamanzi awubeke emahlombakhe, bewehlela ngemthonjeni ukuyokhelela amanzi. Ngithe nangithi kuye, ‘Ndodakazi, akhese ungiseze amanzi.’ 46Wethula msinyana umjeka emahlombakhe wathi, ‘Awa, yewusele kosami, namakamelakho ngizowaseza.’ Nje-ke ngasela bewaseza namakamelami.
47“Ngabese ngiyambuza-ke ngathi, ‘Uyindodakazi kabani?’ Wangiphendula wathi, ‘Mina ngiyindodakazi kaBhetuweli umsa kaNarhori noMilika.’ Yeke ngamfaka incina epumulwenakhe neenkhono emikhonwenakhe. 48Ngaguqa ngahloma ihloko phasi phambi kwakaSomnini. Ngadumisa uSomnini uZimu wekosami u-Abrahamu, yona eyanginqophisa endleleni ekungiyo ukuze ngizokuthathela indodana yekosami indodakazi yomnakwabo lekosami. 49Nje-ke nakube nizokutjengisa ukwethembeka neqiniso ekosinami njengeenhlobo, ngitjelani, nakhona nakube akuzukuba njalo, nitjho ukuze nami ngizibone bonyana ngiphuma ngayiphi.”
50ULabani noBhetuweli baphendula bathi: “Ndoda, indaba le ivela kuSomnini, yeke thina akukho esingakutjho kuwe. 51NakunguRabega nangu yena; mthathe ukhambe naye abe mfazi wendodana yekosakho kanjengombana uSomnini akubonisile.”
52Kuthe bona inceku yaka-Abrahamu izwe abakutjwileko, yahloma ihloko phasi phambi kwakaSomnini. 53Yakhupha amagugu welisiliva negolide nezinye izinto zokwembathwa yazipha uRabega. Yapha umnakwabo nonina izipho ezikhethekileko.
54Yeke inceku nabantu ebe banayo bagoma, basela, balala ubusukobo lapho. Kuthe nabavukako ekuseni yathi: “Ngibawa isiphande ngibuyele ekosinami.”
55Kodwana umfowabo kaRabega banonina bathi: “Akhese uvumele umntazana ahlalahlale nathi amalangana alitjhumi nje kwaphela, ngemva kwalokho angakhamba-ke.”
56Kodwana inceku yathi: “Awa hle, njengombana uSomnini uZimu asele aphumelelise ikhambo lami nje, masani ukungibambezela. Ngivumelani ngibone enganatjani ngibuyele ekosinami.”
57Bona bathi: “Yeke, asibize umntazana sizwe bona yena uthini.”
58Nje-ke bambiza uRabega bambuza bathi: “Uyathanda ukukhamba nomuntu lo na?”
Yena waphendula wathi: “Iye, ngizakukhamba.”
59Nje-ke aboLabani balayelisa udadwabo uRabega nembelesakhe bona bakhambe nenceku yaka-Abrahamu kanye nabantu bakhe. 60Babusisa uRabega bathi:
“Dadwethu, sengathi ungaba ngunina
weenkulungwana ngeenkulungwana;
kwangasuthi iinzukulwana zakho
zingathumba amadorobho wamanabazo!”
61Yeke uRabega neencekukazi zakhe babhinca bakhwela amakamelabo balandela indoda leyo. Kwaba njalo-ke ukukhamba kwenceku nayithatha uRabega sele igoduka.
62Ngesikhatheso u-Isaka gade ahlala ngesewula yenarha emthonjeni we-Larhayi-Royi. 63Kwathi malanga ntambamba asaphumile bona abethwe mumoya emmangweni, wathi nakathi mehlo suka, qala, nako amakamela asiza. 64URabega naye wathi nakathi uyaqala, wabona u-Isaka. Yeke wahlika msinyana ekameleni 65bewabuza inceku yaka-Abrahamu wathi: “Ngubani umuntu loya okhamba emmangwenapha asiza kithi na?”
Inceku yamphendula yathi: “Yikosami-ke leya.”
Nje-ke uRabega wathatha isiyaya wazigubuzesa.
66Inceku yafese yadembela u-Isaka koke okwenzekileko. 67Nje-ke u-Isaka wangenisa uRabega ngetendeni lapha gade kuhlala khona unina uSara. Wamthatha waba mkakhe begodu wamthanda. Yeke watjhiriyeka ekutjhiyweni ngunina.
