UJuda noTamari
1Ngesikhatheso uJuda watjhiya abafowabo wehla wayokuhlala nomuntu we-Adulamu okuthiwa nguRhira. 2Lapho uJuda wafese wabona indodakazi yendoda yomKanana okuthiwa nguTjhuwa, wayithatha. Wayiyama, 3yabeletha indodana, uJuda wayithiya ibizo bona ngu-Eri. 4Yaba sidisi godu, yabeletha indodana, yayithiya ibizo bona ngu-Onani. 5Yabeletha indodana godu yayithiya ibizo bona nguTjhela. Ngesikatheso uJuda gade aseKeziba.
6UJuda wathathela u-Eri izibulo lakhe umfazi, ibizo lakhe bekunguTamari. 7Kodwana u-Eri, izibulo lakaJuda gade akhohlakele phambi kwakaSomnini, ngalokho uSomnini wamliselela bona afe. 8Yeke uJuda wathi ku-Onani: “Ngena umkamnakwenu, ugcine isiko kuye njengomrharibakho ubelethele umnakwenu abantwana.”
9Kodwana u-Onani gade asazi bonyana nakuba nendodana angeze kwaba ngeyakhe, nje-ke bekuthi njalo lokha nayama umrharibakhe aphalazele imbewu phasi ukuze angabeletheli umnakwabo abantwana. 10Isenzo sakheso saba simbi phambi kwakaSomnini, yeke wamliselela bona naye afe.
11UJuda wathi kumalukazanakhe uTamari: “Buyela ekhenu, uhlale umuhlolokazi bekukhule indodanami uTjhela.” Watjho njalo ngombana wadlumbana wathi: “Naye uzabe ahlongakale njengabafowabo.” Yeke uTamari wabuyela kwabo.
12Ngemva kwesikhathi eside umkaJuda, indodakazi kaTjhuwa wahlongakala. Kuthe bona uJuda aqede ukuzila, wakhuphukela eTimna emadodeni ebegade arhuna izimvu zakhe. Waphekelelwa mkhongakhe uRhira we-Adulamu.
13Kwathi bona uTamari atjelwe bonyana usosokanakhe uya eTimna ukuyorhuna izimvu zakhe, 14wahlubula izambatho zobuhlolokazi, waziphotjhonga bewazigubuzesa ngesiyaya. Wathithibala ejikeni le-Enayimu, endleleni eya eTimna. Lokhu wakwenza ngombana wabona bonyana nanyana uTjhela sele akhulile, akanikelwa yena bona abe mfazakhe.
15Kuthe uJuda nakambonako, wadlumbana bona uyingwadla ngombana gade agubuzese ubuso bakhe. 16Waphambukela kuye angamboni bonyana ngumalukazanakhe, wafese wathi kuye: “Kunjani ngamabhayi?”
Yena wathi kuJuda: “Uzawahlawula ngani amabhayi lawo?”
17UJuda wathi: “Mina ngizakuthumelela imbuzana emihlambinami.”
Yena wathi: “Kulungile, kwaphela nange unganginikela isibambiso kufikela lapha uthumela khona imbuzana leyo.”
18UJuda wathi: “Alo, sibambiso bani nje engingakunikela sona?”
Yena wathi: “Umtiya onedzilamnwana yetshwayo lakho kanye nedondolo lakhwelo kwaphela.”
Yeke uJuda wamnikela izintwezo, wamngena-ke, wamenza waba sidisi. 19Nakasuka lapho uTamari, wanqomba ekhaya, wahlubula isiyaya sakhe, wembatha izambatho zobuhlolokazi godu.
20UJuda wathumela imbuzi ngomkhongakhe umAdulamu ukuze afunyane isibambiso sakhe emfazini lowaya. Kodwana nakafika lapho wafunyana ngesikhundla. 21Wabuza abantu balapho wathi: “Siphi isitjhatjha ebegade siseqadi kwendlela e-Enayimu?”
Bathi kuye: “Azange khekube nesitjhatjha lapha.”
22Yeke wabuyela kuJuda wafese wathi: “Akhange ngimfumane. Nabantu balapho bathi akhange khekube nesitjhatjha lapho.”
23UJuda wathi: “Silise sizigcinele lokho esikuphetheko. Nasisoloko sifunana naso sizaziphendula isihlekiso. Angithi ngisithumelele imbuzi kodwana wangasifumana.”
24Bekungaba ziinyanga ezintathu ngemva kwalapho lokha uJuda nakabikelwa bona umalukazanakhe uTamari ufebile, nje-ke usebantwini.
UJuda wathi: “Mkhupheleni ngaphandle komuzi nimtjhise abe afe!”
25Kuthe lokha nakakhutjhelwa ngaphandle wathumela umyalezo kusosokanakhe wathi: “Umuntu ongenze ngaba sidisi mnikazi wezintwezi. Bengithi akhe ufumane qangi bonyana idzilamnwana, umtiya nedondolweli ngezakabani.”
26UJuda wazazi izintwezo bewathi: “Yena umsulwa kunami ngombana ngiriyadile ukumnikela indodanami uTjhela.”
Ukusuka lapho azange alale naye godu.
27Kuthe lokha nakufika isikhathi sakhe sokubeletha, kwabonakala bona mawele wabantwana. 28Kwathi nakasabelethako omunye wamawele lawo waveza isandla sakhe, umbelethisi wasibopha ngentanjana ebomvu wathi: “Lo ngowamantange.” 29Kodwana labuyisela isandla salo emva kwase kuvela umfowabo. Umbelethisi wathi: “Kungendlela ophundlukele ngayo-ke leyo!” Nje-ke wathiywa ibizo bona nguPeretsi. 30Yeke umfowabo ogade abotjhwe ngentanjana ebomvu esandleni wabelethwa, wathiywa ibizo bona nguTserarhi.
