4 – Umnqophiso kaThixo noNowa

₁UThixo wayengabalibalanga ooNowa nezilwanyana nezilo ezazisenqanaweni kunye nabo. Wavelisa umoya, aza andula ukuthotha amanzi. ₂Yavalwa imithombo yamanzi engaphantsi komhlaba nesesibhakabhakeni, yapheza imvula. ₃Aya ethotha amanzi kwada kwaziintsuku ezilikhulu linamashumi mahlanu. ₄Ngomhla weshumi elinesixhenxe wenyanga yesixhenxe inqanawa yaya kuma phezu kweentaba zeArarati. ₅Aya ephela amanzi, kwathi ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yeshumi zathi thu iincopho zeentaba.

₆Emva kwamashumi amane eentsuku uNowa wavula ifestile yenqanawa, ₇wakhupha ihlungulu. Lona lamana ukuphaphazela libheka ngapha nangapha, ada atshona amanzi emhlabeni. ₈UNowa wandulula ihobe ukuya kuhlola ukuba atshile na amanzi. ₉Kodwa alizanga lifumane ndawo yakuhlala ihobe, laza labuyela kuye enqanaweni, kuba umhlaba wawusagqunywe ngamanzi. Wolula isandla uNowa, walibamba, walingenisa enqanaweni. ₁₀Walinda iintsuku zasixhenxe, waphinda walikhupha ihobe. ₁₁Labuya ngokuhlwa seliphethe igqabi lomnquma ngomlomo, elalisandul' ukulikha. Waqonda ke uNowa ukuba amanzi athothile. ₁₂Walinda ezinye iintsuku ezisixhenxe, waza walikhupha kwakhona ihobe. Alizanga liphinde libuye ngesi sihlandlo.

₁₃Kuthe ke xa uNowa wayemakhulu mathandathu ananye ubudala, ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yokuqala, aba seletshonile amanzi emhlabeni. Wawuvula umnyango wenqanawa uNowa, wakhangela ngaphandle macal' onke, wawubona umhlaba womile. ₁₄Ngomhla wamashumi mabini anesixhenxe, ngenyanga yesibini, laliselome khonkqo ilizwe. ₁₅UThixo wathi kuNowa: ₁₆“Phuma enqanaweni kunye nomkakho, noonyana bakho, kunye nabafazi babo. ₁₇Zikhuphe zonke izidalwa ezisenqanaweni, iintaka neenyamakazi, nezinto ezirhubuluzayo, ukuze ziqhame, zande, zizalise ihlabathi.”

₁₈Waphuma ke uNowa enqanaweni kunye nomkakhe, noonyana bakhe, kunye nabafazi babo. ₁₉Zonke izidalwa ezishukumayo, iintaka nezilwanyana nezinto ezirhubuluzayo, zaphuma enqanaweni ngokweendidi zazo.

₂₀Wenza iqonga lamadini *kaNdikhoyo uNowa. Wathatha isilwanyana ngasinye nentaka nganye, kwezo zodidi olutyiwayo, wazinikela zangumbingelelo phezu kwelo qonga. ₂₁Lamkeleka ivumba lazo kuNdikhoyo, waza wathi: “Andisobe ndiliqalekise ilizwe ngenxa yezenzo zabantu. Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba umntu uneengcinga ezigwenxa kwaeselula. Andisobe ndizitshabalalise izinto eziphilayo njengoko sendenjenjalo. ₂₂Kuya kusoloko kukho amaxesha okulima namaxesha okuvuna wonke lo gama lisemiyo ilizwe; kuya kubakho ingqele nobushushu, ihlobo nobusika, ubusuku nemini.”

₁UThixo wamthamsanqelisa uNowa kunye noonyana bakhe, esithi: “Qhamani nande, nizalise ihlabathi ngenzala yenu. ₂Izilo zonke, kwaneentaka neentlanzi, mazinoyike. Zonke ziphantsi kwegunya lenu. ₃Yonke into ephilayo yoba kukutya kwenu. Njengoko ndaninikayo uhlaza, ndininika into yonke ngoku. ₄Into eningayi kuyitya yinyama yento engophanga. Andiyivumeli loo nto, kuba igazi libubomi. ₅Umntu obulala omnye umntu unetyala. Nasiphi na isilwanyana esibulala umntu ndiya kusibulala. ₆Umntu wenziwa wangumfuziselo kaThixo, nabani na ke obulala omnye umntu naye uya kubulawa kwangomnye umntu.

₇“Ze nichume nande, ukuze inzala yenu ilizalise ilizwe.”

₈Uqokele wathi uThixo kuNowa nakoonyana bakhe: ₉“Ngoku ndiza kwenza umnqophiso nani kwakunye nenzala yenu, ₁₀nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo: izilo zonke, kunye nempahla efuyiweyo, neentaka zonke; nditsho yonke into ebisenqanaweni kunye nani. ₁₁Ndithi andisobe ndizitshabalalise ngemvula kwakhona izinto eziphilayo. Ilizwe alisobe liphinde lipheliswe ngemvula. Ngumnqophiso wam lowo. _12-13Umqondiso walo mnqophiso endikwenzela wona kunye nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo, ngumnyama oya kubakho esibhakabhakeni. Nguwo lowo umqondiso womnqophiso ongasoze ujike endiwenzela abantu nalo lonke elimiweyo. _14-15Nanini na xa lisibekele, amafu eziingqimba, ndowukhumbula lo mnqophiso wam kwakuvela umnyama. Nditsho lo mnqophiso ndiwenzele wena nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo, ndisithi andisobe ndilitshabalalise ilizwe kwakhona ngemvula. ₁₆Wakuvela umnyama emafini, ndiwubone, ndokhumbula umnqophiso ongasoze ujike endiwuthembise zonke izinto eziphilayo elizweni. ₁₇Nguwo ke lowo umqondiso womnqophiso endiwenzela yonke into ephilayo.”