Abraham, Ndilapha
UBawo wethu ucela ku-Abraham unyana isithembiso esixhomekeke kuye. U-Abraham akatsho nto kuSara, uhamba iintsuku ezintathu, aze aphendule umbuzo kaIsake ngemvana ngokuthemba ukubonelela. Isitshetshe sinqandwa siphakathi emoyeni, kuze kufumaneke inkunzi yegusha etyholweni.
22 1Kwathi emva kwexesha elithile, uBawo wethu wamlinga uAbraham. Wathi kuye: “Abraham!” “Ndilapha,” waphendula uAbraham.
2Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Thabatha unyana wakho, okuphela kwakhe, omthandayo—uIsake. Uye ezweni laseMoriya, umnikele khona abe lidini elinyukayo kwenye yeentaba endiya kukuxelela yona.” a a v2 Uthando oluphindwe kathathu — “unyana wakho, okuphela kwakhe, omthandayo” — lusingisa kuYohane 3:16 nakumaRoma 8:32. UAbraham wasindiswa ekunikeleni ngoIsake; kodwa uBawo wethu akazange amsindise owakhe uNyana.
3Wavuka kusasa ngengomso uAbraham, wabopha iesile lakhe, wathabatha unyana wakhe uIsake kunye namadodana amabini; emva kokucanda iinkuni zedini elinyukayo, wanduluka esiya kuloo ndawo awayemxelele ngayo uBawo wethu. 4Ngomhla wesithathu uAbraham waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wayibona loo ndawo isekude. 5Wathi kumadodana akhe: “Hlalani apha neesile. Mna nenkwenkwe siya kuya phaya, siqubude, size sibuyele kuni.” 6UAbraham wazithabatha iinkuni zedini elinyukayo, wazibeka phezu konyana wakhe uIsake, waza yena waphatha umlilo nesitshetshe. Bahamba bobabini kunye. 7UIsake wathi kuyise uAbraham: “Tata?” “Ndilapha, nyana wam,” waphendula uAbraham. “Nanku umlilo neenkuni,” watsho uIsake, “kodwa iphi na imvana yedini elinyukayo?”
8Waphendula uAbraham wathi: “UBawo wethu ngokwakhe uya kusibonelela imvana yedini elinyukayo, nyana wam.” Baza bahamba bobabini kunye. 9Bakufika kuloo ndawo awayemxelele ngayo uBawo wethu, uAbraham wakha isibingelelo, wazilungisa iinkuni, wambopha uIsake unyana wakhe, wambeka phezu kwesibingelelo phezu kweenkuni. 10Waza uAbraham wolula isandla sakhe, wathabatha isitshetshe ukuze abulale unyana wakhe.
11Kodwa isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sabiza kuye sivela ezulwini: “Abraham! Abraham!” “Ndilapha,” waphendula.
12“Musa ukubeka isandla sakho phezu kwenkwenkwe,” satsho. “Ungenzi nto kuyo. Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba uyandoyika, ekubeni ungamgodlanga unyana wakho, okuphela kwakhe, kum.”
13UAbraham waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona inkunzi yemvu emva kwakhe, ibambeke ngeempondo zayo etyholweni. Waya, wayithabatha inkunzi yemvu, wayinikela yaba lidini elinyukayo endaweni yonyana wakhe. 14UAbraham wathiya loo ndawo igama elithi: “UBawo Uya Kubonelela,” oko kukuthi: “uBawo wethu uya kubonelela.” Unanamhla kuthiwa: “Entabeni yakhe kuya kubonelelwa.” b b v14 YHWH-Jireh ithetha ukuthi “uNdikhoyo uya kubonelela.” UAbraham wayithiya le ntaba emva kokuba uBawo wethu ebonelele ngenkunzi yemvu endaweni ka-Isake — esingisa phambili kwisibonelelo esingunaphakade sikaYesu emnqamlezweni.
15Isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sabiza kuAbraham sivela ezulwini okwesibini,
16sathi: “Ndizifungela ngokwam, utsho uBawo wethu: ngenxa yokuba uyenzile le nto, akwamgodla unyana wakho, okuphela kwakhe, 17ndiya kukusikelela inene, ndiyandise inene imbewu yakho ngangeenkwenkwezi zezulu nangentlabathi eselunxwemeni lolwandle. Imbewu yakho iya kulidla ilifa isango leentshaba zayo, 18zaye ngembewu yakho zonke iintlanga zehlabathi ziya kusikelelwa, ngenxa yokuba uliphulaphule izwi lam.”
19UAbraham wabuyela kumadodana akhe, baza besuka bahamba bonke baya eBher-shebha. Wahlala uAbraham eBher-shebha.
20Kwathi emva kwexesha elithile, uAbraham waxelelwa, kwathiwa: “UMilka naye umzalele oonyana umnakwenu uNahore: 21ngu-Utse owamazibulo, noBhuzi umninawa wakhe, noKemuweli (uyise ka-Aram), 22noKhesedi, noHazo, noPildashi, noYidlafi, noBhetuweli.” 23UBhetuweli wazala uRebheka. Aba ngoonyana abasibhozo uMilka awabazalela uNahore, umnakwabo ka-Abraham. 24Ishweshwe likaNahore, ekwakuthiwa nguRehuma, nalo lazala abantwana: uTebha, noGaham, noTahashi, noMahaka.
