UJehova uyahambela u-Abrahama
1UJehova wabonakala kuye ngasema-okini* aseMamre, ehlezi emnyango wetende ngesikhathi sokushisa kwemini. 2Waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabuka; bheka, amadoda amathathu ayemi phambi kwakhe; wathi ukuba awabone, wasuka emnyango wetende, wagijima ukuwahlangabeza, wakhothama, 3wathi: “Nkosi, uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mawungadluli encekwini yakho. 4Makulethwe ingcosana yamanzi, nigeze izinyawo zenu, niphumule phansi komuthi. 5Ngizakulanda ucezu lwesikwa, nithokozise izinhliziyo zenu, andukuba nidlule, njengokuba senifikile encekwini yenu.”
Athi: “Yenza njengokusho kwakho.”
6U-Abrahama waphuthuma etendeni kuSara, wathi: “Sheshisa, uthathe amaseya* amathathu empuphu ecolekileyo, uyixove, wenze amaqebelengwane.”
7U-Abrahama wagijima, waya ezinkomeni, walanda ithole elihle nelinonileyo, walinika encekwini; yashesha ukulilungisa. 8Wathatha amangqanga, nobisi, nethole abelilungisile, wakubeka phambi kwawo; wema ngakuwo phansi komuthi; adla.
9Athi kuye: “Uphi uSara umkakho na?”
Wathi: “Nangu etendeni.”
10Wayesethi: “Impela ngiyakubuyela kuwe emva komnyaka ngalesi sikhathi; bheka, khona umkakho uSara uyakuba nendodana.” USara wakuzwa lokhu esemnyango wetende ongasemva kwakhe. 11Kepha o-Abrahama noSara base begugile, beneminyaka eminingi; kwase kuphelile kuSara okwabesifazane. 12USara wahleka phakathi kwakhe, wathi: “Lapho sengimdala, nenkosi yami igugile, ngiyakuba nalenjabulo na?”
13UJehova wathi ku-Abrahama: “Uhlekeleni uSara, ethi: ‘Imbala ngizakuzala ngimdala na?’ 14Kukhona into emahlula uJehova na? Ngalesi sikhathi emva komnyaka ngiyakubuyela kuwe, uSara abe nendodana.”
15USara waphika wathi: “Angihlekanga,” ngokuba wesaba.
Kepha wathi: “Qha, uhlekile.”
Ukumenyezelwa kokuchithwa kweSodoma nokulikhulekela kuka-Abrahama
16Amadoda asuka lapho, abheka ngaseSodoma; u-Abrahama wahamba nawo ewaphelekezela. 17UJehova wathi: “Ngingamfihlela u-Abrahama lokho engizakukwenza na? 18U-Abrahama uyakuba yisizwe esikhulu, esinamandla; ziyakubusiswa kuyena izizwe zonke zomhlaba. 19Ngokuba ngimkhethele ukuba ayale abantwana bakhe nendlu yakhe emva kwakhe ukugcina indlela kaJehova nokusebenza ukulunga nokwahlulela, ukuze uJehova amenzele u-Abrahama lokho amthembise khona.”
20UJehova wathi: “Isikhalo saseSodoma nesaseGomora sikhulu, nezono zabo zinzima impela. 21Ngalokho ngiyakwehla, ngibone ukuba benzile impela konke njengokwesikhalo esesifikile kimi; uma kungenjalo, ngiyakukwazi.”
22Ayesefulathela lapho amadoda, aya ngaseSodoma, kepha u-Abrahama wayesemi ebusweni bukaJehova. 23U-Abrahama wasondela, wathi: “Uyakubhubhisa olungileyo kanye nomubi na? 24Mhlawumbe kukhona abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu phakathi komuzi; imbala uyakuyibhubhisa, ungayiyeki indawo ngenxa yabalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu abakuyo na? 25Makube kude nawe ukwenza ngale ndlela, ukubulala olungileyo kanye nomubi, olungileyo abe njengomubi; lokhu makube kude nawe; umahluleli womhlaba wonke ubengayikwenza ukulunga na?”
26UJehova wathi: “Uma ngifumana eSodoma abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu phakathi komuzi, ngiyakuyekela indawo yonke ngenxa yabo.”
27Kepha u-Abrahama waphendula wathi: “Bheka, sengiqalile ukukhuluma eNkosini, mina engiluthuli nomlotha. 28Mhlawumbe kuyakusweleka abayisihlanu kubo abalungileyo abangamashumi ayisihlanu; ubuyakubhubhisa wonke umuzi ngenxa yalabo abayisihlanu na?”
Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa, uma ngifumana khona abangamashumi amane nanhlanu.”
29Kepha wabuye wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “Mhlawumbe kungafunyaniswa khona abangamashumi amane.”
Wathi: “Angiyikukwenza ngenxa yabangamashumi amane.”
30Wayesethi: “Mayingathukutheli iNkosi ukuthi ngisakhuluma. Mhlawumbe kungafunyaniswa khona abangamashumi amathathu.”
Wathi: “Angiyikukwenza, uma ngifumana abangamashumi amathathu lapho.”
31Kepha wathi: “Bheka, ngiqalile ukukhuluma neNkosi. Mhlawumbe kungatholakala abangamashumi amabili khona.”
Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yabangamashumi amabili.”
32Wayesethi: “Mayingathukutheli iNkosi ukuthi ngisakhuluma kanye nje. Mhlawumbe kungafunyanwa abayishumi khona.”
Wathi: “Angiyikuwubhubhisa ngenxa yalabo abayishumi.”
33UJehova wasuka, nxa eseqedile ukukhuluma no-Abrahama; u-Abrahama wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
