UBawo wethu utyelela u-Abraham
Iindwendwe ezithathu zamkela imbeko engxamileyo ka-Abraham, aze omnye aphinde isithembiso sonyana. USara uhleka ngasemva kwentente, aze abhaqwe ngobunono. Emva koko u-Abraham uthethathethana noBawo wethu, ewunciphisa umyinge wamalungisa aseSodom ukusuka kumashumi amahlanu ukuya kwalishumi.
18 1UBawo wethu wabonakala ku-Abraham emioki yaseMamre, xa wayehleli emnyango wentente yakhe ebushushwini bemini. a a v1 Kulo lonke iTestamente eNdala uBawo wethu ubonakala ngeendlela abantwana bakhe abanokudibana nazo — njengamadoda, emlilweni nasefwini, njengesithunywa. Lowo ufika apha ku-Abraham nguBawo wethu, osoloko ebasukela abantwana bakhe ngothando. 2Waphakamisa amehlo wabona amadoda amathathu emi ngakuye. Akuwabona, wabaleka esuka emnyango wentente yakhe esiya kuwahlangabeza, waqubuda emhlabeni. 3Wathi: “Bawo wam oyiNkosi, ukuba ndibufumene ubabalo emehlweni akho, musa ukudlula kwisicaka sakho. 4Mayiziswe amanzi amancinci ukuze nihlambe iinyawo zenu, niphumle phantsi komthi. 5Mandiphathe iqhekeza lesonka ukuze nihlaziyeke ningekahambi, ekubeni nize kwisicaka senu.” Athi: “Yenza njengoko utshilo.”
6U-Abraham wangxama waya ententeni kuSara, wathi: “Khawuleza, uthathe malunga neeponti ezingamashumi amabini anesihlanu zomgubo ocolekileyo, uwuxove, wenze isonka.” 7U-Abraham wabalekela emhlambini, wathatha ithole elithambileyo nelihle, walinika isicaka, esakhawuleza ukulilungisa. 8Wathatha amasi, nobisi, nethole elalilungisiwe, wakubeka phambi kwamadoda, waza wema ngakuwo phantsi komthi ngoxa esidla.
9Athi kuye: “Uphi uSara umkakho?” Wathi: “Ulapho, ententeni.”
10Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Ndiya kubuya ngokuqinisekileyo kuwe ngeli xesha kunyaka ozayo, uSara umkakho uya kuba nonyana.” USara wayephulaphule emnyango wentente ngasemva kwakhe.
11U-Abraham noSara babebadala, bekhulile ngeminyaka; uSara wayeyekile ukuya exesheni. 12USara wahleka ngaphakathi kuye, esithi: “Emva kokuba ndonakele, ndiya kuba nolonwabo na, inkosi yam imdala kanjalo?”
13Waza uBawo wethu wathi ku-Abraham: “Kutheni uSara ehleka, esithi, ‘Ndiya kuzala ngokwenene umntwana na, ndimdala kangaka?’ 14Ingaba ikho na into enzima kakhulu kuBawo wakho? Ndiya kubuya kuwe ngexesha elimisiweyo kunyaka ozayo, uSara uya kuba nonyana.”
15USara wakhanyela, esithi: “Andihlekanga,” kuba wayesoyika. Wathi: “Hayi, uhlekile.”
Ukukhangela ngaseSodom
16Asuka apho amadoda, akhangela ezantsi ngaseSodom, waza u-Abraham wahamba nawo ukuwaphelekezela.
17UBawo wethu wathi: “Ndiya kumfihlela na u-Abraham oko ndiza kukwenza, 18ekubeni u-Abraham eza kuba sisizwe esikhulu nesinamandla ngokuqinisekileyo, zize zisikelelwe ngaye zonke izizwe zomhlaba? 19Kuba ndimnyule, ukuze ayalele abantwana bakhe nendlu yakhe emva kwakhe ukuba bagcine indlela yam ngokwenza okulungileyo nokusesikweni, ukuze ndizalisekise oko ndakuthembisayo ku-Abraham.” 20Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Isikhalo esichasene neSodom neGomora sikhulu, nesono sabo sinzima kakhulu, 21ukuba ndiya kuhla ndibone ukuba benze ngokupheleleyo na njengoko isikhalo esifike kum sisitsho; ukuba akunjalo, ndiya kwazi.”
22Ngoko amadoda ajika apho aya ngaseSodom, ngoxa u-Abraham wayesasele emi phambi koBawo wethu. 23Waza u-Abraham wasondela wathi: “Uya kubatshabalalisa ngokwenene na amalungisa kunye nabakhohlakeleyo? 24Masithi kukho amalungisa angamashumi amahlanu esixekweni—uya kusitshabalalisa ngokwenene na, ungayixoleli loo ndawo ngenxa yamalungisa angamashumi amahlanu akuyo? 25Makube lee kuwe ukubulala amalungisa kunye nabakhohlakeleyo, ubaphathe ngokufanayo! Makube lee kuwe! UMgwebi womhlaba wonke akayi kokwenza okusesikweni na?”
26UBawo wethu wathi: “Ukuba ndifumana amalungisa angamashumi amahlanu phakathi kwesixeko saseSodom, ndiya kuyixolela yonke loo ndawo ngenxa yabo.”
27U-Abraham wathi: “Ndikhe ndaba nesibindi sokuthetha kuBawo wam oyiNkosi, nangona ndiluthuli nothuthu kuphela.
28Masithi amalungisa angamashumi amahlanu asilele ngamahlanu. Uya kusitshabalalisa na sonke isixeko ngenxa yabahlanu?” Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Andiyi kusitshabalalisa ukuba ndifumana amashumi amane anesihlanu apho.”
29Waphinda wathetha kuye: “Masithi kufunyanwe amashumi amane apho.” Wathi: “Ngenxa yamashumi amane andiyi kukwenza oko.”
30U-Abraham wathi: “Makangaqumbi uBawo wam oyiNkosi, ndithethe. Masithi kufunyanwe amashumi amathathu apho.” Wathi: “Andiyi kukwenza ukuba ndifumana amashumi amathathu apho.”
31U-Abraham wathi: “Ekubeni ndikhe ndaba nesibindi sokuthetha kuBawo wam oyiNkosi, masithi kufunyanwe amashumi amabini kuphela apho.” Wathi: “Ngenxa yamashumi amabini, andiyi kusitshabalalisa.”
32Wandula wathi: “Makangaqumbi uBawo wam oyiNkosi, mandithethe kube kanye kuphela: masithi kufunyanwe ishumi kuphela apho.” Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Ngenxa yeshumi, andiyi kusitshabalalisa.”
33Akugqiba uBawo wethu ukuthetha no-Abraham, wemka; waza u-Abraham wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
