uBawo uSomandla Ubonakala ku-Abram
Emva kweminyaka elishumi elinesithathu yokuthi cwaka, uBawo wethu ufika njengo-El Shaddai, aguqule amagama ka-Abram noSarayi, enze ulwaluko lube ngumqondiso womnqophiso emzimbeni. U-Abraham uhleka ngonyana xa aneminyaka elikhulu, acele uIshmayeli endaweni yoko, aze aluse yonke indlu yakhe ngaloo mini.
17 1Xa u-Abram wayeneminyaka engamashumi alithoba anesithoba ubudala, uBawo wethu wabonakala kuye, wathi: “Ndingu-El Shaddai—uBawo wakho uSomandla. Hamba phambi kwam, ube ngongenasiphoso. a a v1 I-El Shaddai ithetha ukuthi “uThixo uSomandla.” Emnyango wesithembiso somnqophiso, uBawo wethu uzityhila ngeli gama—uSomandla, yena yedwa onokunika u-Abraham noSara unyana ebudaleni babo. 2Ndiya kuwumisa umnqophiso wam phakathi kwam nawe, ndikwandise kakhulu kunene.”
3Wawa ngobuso bakhe u-Abram, waza uBawo wethu wathetha naye, esithi:
4“Mna ke, umnqophiso wam unawe, uya kuba nguyise wenkitha yezizwe. 5Igama lakho aliyi kuba sangu-Abram, kodwa uya kuba ngu-Abraham, kuba ndikwenze uyise wenkitha yezizwe. 6Ndiya kukwenza uqhame kakhulu kunene; ndikwenze ube zizizwe ezininzi, kuphume ookumkani kuwe. 7Ndiya kuwumisa umnqophiso wam phakathi kwam nawe nenzala yakho emva kwakho, kuzo zonke izizukulwana—umnqophiso ongunaphakade—ukuze ndibe nguBawo kuwe nakwinzala yakho emva kwakho. b b v7 Umgaqo womnqophiso—“ukuba nguThixo kuwe nakubantwana bakho”—uguqulelwe ngokuthi “ukuba nguBawo wakho noBawo wabantwana bakho” ngenxa yokuba lowo ngumnqophiso awenzayo uBawo wethu: asingommiselo, koko lusapho. Uzibophelela ku-Abraham nakwisizukulwana ngasinye esilandelayo. 8Ndiya kunika wena nenzala yakho emva kwakho ilizwe ohlala kulo njengowasemzini—lonke ilizwe laseKanan—libe lilifa elingunaphakade; ndibe nguBawo wabo.”
9Waza uBawo wethu wathi ku-Abraham: “Wena ke: wugcine umnqophiso wam, wena nabantwana bakho emva kwakho, kuzo zonke izizukulwana zabo. 10Nguwo lo umnqophiso wam eniya kuwugcina, phakathi kwam nawe nenzala yakho emva kwakho: yonke into eyindoda phakathi kwenu mayalukwe. 11Yalusani inyama yejwabi lenu; iya kuba ngumqondiso womnqophiso phakathi kwam nani. 12Yonke into eyindoda phakathi kwenu, kwisizukulwana ngesizukulwana, mayalukwe xa ineentsuku ezisibhozo ubudala—nokuba izelwe endlwini yakho okanye ithengwe ngesilivere kowasemzini ongeyonzala yakho. 13Wonke umntu ozelwe endlwini yakho okanye othengwe ngemali yakho makalukwe. Umnqophiso wam uya kuba senyameni yenu, umnqophiso ongunaphakade. 14Nayiphi na indoda engalukanga, engalukelwanga enyameni yejwabi layo, iya kunqunyulwa ebantwini bayo—iwaphulile umnqophiso wam.”
Igama Elitsha likaSara
15Waza uBawo wethu wathi ku-Abraham: “Ungabi sambiza ngokuthi nguSarayi umfazi wakho—igama lakhe nguSara. 16Ndiya kumsikelela, ndikunike ngokwenene unyana ngaye. Ndiya kumsikelela—uya kuba zizizwe; kuphume ookumkani bezizwe kuye.”
17Wawa ngobuso bakhe u-Abraham, ehleka, wathi entliziyweni yakhe: “Ingazalelwa unyana na indoda eneminyaka elikhulu ubudala? Angazala na uSara oneminyaka engamashumi alithoba?” 18Waza u-Abraham wathi kuBawo wethu: “Akwaba u-Ishmayeli angaphila phambi kwakho!”
19Kodwa uBawo wethu wathi: “Hayi, uSara umfazi wakho uya kukuzalela unyana, umthiye igama lithi ngu-Isake. Ndiya kuwuqinisa umnqophiso wam kuye, umnqophiso ongunaphakade kwinzala yakhe emva kwakhe. c c v19 Igama elingu-Isake lithetha ukuthi “uyahleka”—isikhumbuzo esinothando sokuhleka kukaSara ngenxa yokumangaliswa xa sanikwa isithembiso. 20Ngokubhekiselele ku-Ishmayeli, ndikuvile. Ndiya kumsikelela, ndimenze aqhame, ndimandise kakhulu kunene. Uya kuzala iinkokheli ezilishumi elinambini, ndimenze isizwe esikhulu. 21Kodwa ndiya kuwuqinisa umnqophiso wam ku-Isake, lowo uSara aya kukuzalela yena ngeli xesha kunyaka ozayo.”
22Akugqiba ukuthetha naye u-Abraham, uBawo wethu wenyuka wemka kuye. 23Waza u-Abraham wamthatha u-Ishmayeli unyana wakhe, nabo bonke abazalelwa endlwini yakhe, nabo bonke abathengwa ngemali yakhe—yonke into eyindoda endlwini ka-Abraham—wayalusa inyama yamajwabi abo kwangaloo mini, njengoko uBawo wethu wayemxelele. 24U-Abraham wayeneminyaka engamashumi alithoba anesithoba ubudala xa walukwayo enyameni yejwabi lakhe. d d v24 Ulwaluko lwaluwumqondiso osemzimbeni wokuba ngowabantu bomnqophiso bukaBawo wethu. 25U-Ishmayeli unyana wakhe wayeneminyaka elishumi elinesithathu xa walukwayo enyameni yejwabi lakhe. 26Kwangaloo mini balukwa u-Abraham no-Ishmayeli unyana wakhe. 27Onke amadoda endlu yakhe—azalelwa endlwini nathengwa ngesilivere kowasemzini—alukwa kunye naye.
