UGenesisi 18:1-33
18 Ngemva kwalokho uJehova+ wabonakala ku-Abrahama eduze kwezihlahla ezinkulu zeMamre.+ U-Abrahama wayehlezi emnyango wetende lakhe emini, ilanga litshisa bhe!
2 Wathi evusa ikhanda wabona amadoda amathathu emi bucwadlana laye.+ Wahle wagijima esuka emnyango wetende wawahlangabeza, wafika wathi mbo phansi emhlabathini.
3 Wasesithi: “Jehova nxa ngithole umusa kuwe, ngicela udlule emzini wenceku yakho.
4 Ngiyacela, akulethwe amanzanyana nje ligeziswe inyawo,+ beseliphumula ngaphansi kwesihlahla.
5 Njengoba selingenile emzini wenceku yenu, kahle ngiliphathele ucezwana lwesinkwa ukuze lidle lithole amandla, beseliqhubeka ngohambo lwenu.” Bona baphendula bathi: “Kulungile, ungenza lokho okutshoyo.”
6 Ngakho u-Abrahama waphangisa waya etendeni kuSara wafika wathi kuye: “Thatha izilinganiso* ezintathu zefulawa ecolekileyo masinyane, uyivube wenze izinkwa.”
7 Ngemva kwalokho u-Abrahama wagijima waya emhlambini wakhe wenkomo wakhetha iguqa eliduna elihle futhi elilenyama ebuthakathaka. Waselinika isisebenzi salihlinza masinyane, salipheka.
8 Wasethatha izankefu kanye lochago lenyama ayeseyiphekile, konke wakuthi qithi phambi kwabo. Ngesikhathi besidla, yena wayemi khonapho eduze kwabo ngaphansi kwesihlahla.+
9 Basebembuza bathi: “Ungaphi umkakho uSara?”+ Waphendula wathi: “Ukhona lapha etendeni.”
10 Ngakho omunye wabo wathi: “Ngizaphenduka kuwe ngasonalesisikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo futhi ngalesosikhathi umkakho uSara uzakuba lendodana.”+ USara wayelalele esemnyango wetende elalingemuva kwendoda eyayikhuluma.
11 U-Abrahama loSara basebegugile, iminyaka yabo isihambile+ njalo isikhathi sikaSara sokuba labantwana sasesidlule kudala.*+
12 USara wasehlekela enhliziyweni wathi: “Kambe ngingayithola sibili intokozo le mina sengimdala kangaka, lenkosi yami isiguge kanje?”+
13 UJehova wasesithi ku-Abrahama: “Kungani uSara ehlekile wathi, ‘Kambe ngingazala mina sengigugile?’
14 Kukhona yini okungehlula uJehova?+ Ngizaphenduka kuwe ngomnyaka ozayo ngalesisikhathi esibekiweyo njalo uSara uzakuba lendodana.”
15 Kodwa uSara waphika wathi, “Angizange ngihleke,” ngoba wayesesaba. UNkulunkulu wasesithi: “Ye, uhlekile sibili.”
16 Amadoda la athi esehamba, u-Abrahama wawaphelekezela aze afika endaweni ayesebona khona iSodoma.+
17 UJehova wathi: “U-Abrahama angisoze ngimfihlele lokho engizakwenza.+
18 Phela yena uzakuba yisizwe esikhulu njalo esilamandla futhi zonke izizwe zomhlaba zizabusiswa* ngaye.+
19 Sengimazi kuhle u-Abrahama njalo ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzalaya amadodana akhe labendlu yakhe abazalandela ngemva kwakhe ukuthi bagcine indlela kaJehova ngokwenza okuqondileyo lokulungileyo,+ ukuze uJehova agcwalise lokho athembise ukukwenzela u-Abrahama.”
20 UJehova wasesithi: “Insolo ngeSodoma leGomora inkulu sibili+ njalo isono sabantu bakhona sikhulu kakhulu.+
21 Yikho ngizakwehla ngiyebona ukuthi abakwenzayo kuyahambelana yini lensolo esifike kimi, nxa kungenjalo ngizakwazi.”+
22 Amadoda lawo asesuka kuleyondawo aqonda eSodoma kodwa uJehova+ wasala lo-Abrahama.
23 U-Abrahama wasesondela kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Kambe uzatshabalalisa abenza okubi uhlanganise labalungileyo yini?+
24 Ake sithi phakathi kwedolobho lelo kulabantu abangu-50 abalungileyo. Uzabatshabalalisa yini futhi ungabaxoleli abantu bendawo leyo lanxa kulabangu-50 abalungileyo?
25 Awungeke ufike umcabango onjalo kuwe futhi ngeke ubulale umuntu owenza okubi uhlanganise ndawonye lomuntu olungileyo, isiphetho solungileyo lowenza okubi sicine sesifanana.+ Umcabango onjalo ngeke ufike kuwe.+ Kambe uMahluleli womhlaba wonke kasoze enze okulungileyo yini?”+
26 UJehova wasesithi: “Nxa ngingathola abantu abalungileyo abangu-50 eSodoma, ngizalixolela lonke idolobho lelo ngenxa yabo.”
27 U-Abrahama wasesithi: “Awu bakithi, sengiqunge isibindi sokukhuluma loJehova lanxa ngiluthuli, lomlotha nje.
28 Ake sithi kusilela abantu abahlanu phakathi kwabantu abangu-50 abalungileyo. Uzalibhubhisa yini lonke idolobho lelo ngenxa yabantu abahlanu?” Yena wathi: “Angisoze ngilibhubhise nxa ngingathola abangu-45.”+
29 Waphinda wakhuluma laye wathi: “Ake sithi sekutholakale abangu-40 edolobheni lelo.” Waphendula wathi: “Angisoze ngilibhubhise ngenxa yabangu-40.”
30 U-Abrahama waqhubeka wathi: “Ngiyacela Jehova, ungathukutheli,+ ngivumela ukuthi ngiqhubeke ngikhuluma: Ake sithi kutholakale abangu-30 edolobheni lelo.” UNkulunkulu waphendula wathi: “Nxa ngingathola abangu-30 angisoze ngilibhubhise.”
31 Waseqhubeka wathi: “Awu bakithi, sengiqunge isibindi sokukhuluma loJehova: Ake sithi kutholakale abantu abangu-20 edolobheni lelo.” Yena wamphendula wathi: “Angisoze ngilibhubhise ngenxa yabangu-20.”
32 Ekucineni u-Abrahama wathi: “Jehova ngiyacela, ungathukutheli, ngivumela ngiphinde ngikhulume kanye nje kuphela: Ake sithi kulabalitshumi kuphela edolobheni lelo.” Wasemphendula wathi: “Angisoze ngilibhubhise ngenxa yabalitshumi.”
33 UJehova wathi eseqedile ukukhuluma lo-Abrahama wasuka kuye,+ u-Abrahama laye wabuyela emzini wakhe.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “izilinganiso zamaseya.” Iseya yayilingana lamalitha angu-7,33. Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ NgesiHebheru, “okwendlela yabesifazana kwasekuphelile kuSara.”
^ Kumbe, “zizazitholela isibusiso.”
