Eyeziqalo 24 FHB Father's Heart Bible™

24 ¹Ke kaloku u-Abraham wayaluphele, eselekhulile emihleni yakhe, yaye uBawo wethu wayembusisile u-Abraham kuyo yonke into. ²Wathi u-Abraham kwisicaka sakhe esidala, esasilawula konke awayenako: “Khawubeke isandla sakho phantsi kwethanga lam, ^a a v2 Ukubeka isandla phantsi kwethanga yayisisenzo samandulo sokutywina isifungo esizekayo nesibophelelayo. ³ndikufungise ngoBawo wezulu nomhlaba, ukuba ungamzekeli nyana wam umfazi kwiintombi zamaKanan, endihlala phakathi kwawo, ⁴kodwa uye kwilizwe lakowethu nakwizalamane zam, uze umzekele unyana wam u-Isake umfazi.”

⁵Sambuza isicaka, sathi: “Kuthekani ukuba umfazi akavumi ukundilandela eze kweli lizwe? Ndimbuyisele na unyana wakho kwelo lizwe uphume kulo?”

⁶Wathi u-Abraham kuso: “Lumka ungambuyiseli apho unyana wam. ⁷UBawo wethu, uBawo wezulu, owandithabathayo endlwini kabawo nasezweni lezalamane zam, owathetha kum wandifungela esithi: ‘Eli lizwe ndiya kulinika imbewu yakho’—yena uya kuthumela ingelosi yakhe phambi kwakho, uze umzekele unyana wam umfazi apho. ⁸Ke ukuba umfazi akavumi ukukulandela, uya kukhululeka kwesi sifungo sam; kodwa ungambuyiseli apho unyana wam.”

⁹Isicaka sabeka isandla saso phantsi kwethanga lika-Abraham inkosi yaso, saza samfungela ngale nto. ¹⁰Isicaka sathabatha iinkamela ezilishumi zenkosi yaso, siphethe zonke izinto ezihle zenkosi yaso ngesandla, saza sahamba saya e-Aram-naharayim, isixeko sikaNahori. ^b b v10 I-Aram-naharayim ithetha ukuthi “i-Aram yemilambo emibini” — ummandla osemantla eMesopotamiya apho izalamane zika-Abraham zazisahlala khona. ¹¹Waziqubudisa iinkamela ngaphandle kwesixeko ngasequleni lamanzi, ngokuhlwa, ngexesha abafazi abaphuma ngalo ukuya kukha amanzi. ¹²Wandula wathandaza, wathi: “Bawo wenkosi yam u-Abraham, khawundiphumelelise namhlanje, ubonakalise uthando lwakho oluthembekileyo kwinkosi yam u-Abraham. ¹³Nanku ndimi ngasemthonjeni wamanzi, iintombi zamadoda aseso sixeko ziyaphuma ukuza kukha amanzi. ¹⁴Makuthi intombi endithi kuyo: ‘Khawuthobe imbiza yakho ukuze ndisele’—ize iphendule isithi: ‘Sela, neenkamela zakho ndiza kuziseza’—ibe nguyo lowo ummiselele isicaka sakho u-Isake. Ndiya kwazi ngaloo ndlela ukuba ubonakalisile uthando oluthembekileyo kwinkosi yam.”

¹⁵Engekagqibi ukuthetha, kwaphuma uRebheka—intombi kaBhetuweli, unyana kaMilka umfazi kaNahori umntakwabo ka-Abraham—ethwele imbiza yakhe egxalabeni. ¹⁶Le ntombi yayintle kakhulu, iyintombi engazange yaziwa yindoda. Yehlela emthonjeni, yazalisa imbiza yayo, yanyuka. ¹⁷Isicaka sabalekela ukuyihlangabeza, sathi: “Khawundincede ndisele amanzi amancinane embizeni yakho.”

¹⁸“Sela, nkosi yam,” yatsho, yathi khawuleza yayithoba imbiza yayo egxalabeni, yamseza. ¹⁹Yakugqiba ukumseza, yathi: “Ndiza kukhela neenkamela zakho amanzi, zide zigqibe ukusela.” ²⁰Yakhawuleza yayithulula imbiza yayo emkhombeni, yabuya yabalekela equleni, yakhela zonke iinkamela zakhe amanzi.

²¹Indoda yayibukele ithe cwaka, ifuna ukwazi ukuba uBawo wethu uluphumelelisile na uhambo lwayo, okanye akalophumelelisanga. ²²Zakugqiba iinkamela ukusela, indoda yathabatha icici lempumlo legolide elinesisindo malunga nesahlulo sesihlanu se-ounce, nezacholo zegolide ezimbini zezandla zayo ezinesisindo malunga nee-ounce ezine, ²³yaza yathi: “Uyintombi kabani na? Khawundixelele, ikhona na indawo endlwini kayihlo apho singalalisa khona?”

²⁴Yaphendula yathi kuyo: “Ndiyintombi kaBhetuweli, unyana uMilka amzalela uNahori.” ²⁵Yaphinda yathi: “Sinengca nokudla okuninzi, kwanendawo yokulala.”

²⁶Yandula indoda yaqubuda yanqula uBawo wethu. ²⁷Yathi: “Makabongwe uBawo wethu, uBawo wenkosi yam u-Abraham, ongalushiyanga uthando lwakhe oluthembekileyo nokunyaniseka kwakhe kwinkosi yam. Mna ke, undikhokele endleleni esa endlwini yezalamane zenkosi yam.”

²⁸Yaza intombazana yabaleka, yaxelela abendlu kanina ngezi zinto. ²⁹Ke kaloku uRebheka wayenomntakwabo ogama linguLabhan, waza uLabhan wabalekela kuloo ndoda ngasemthonjeni. ³⁰Akubona icici lempumlo nezacholo ezisezandleni zodade wabo, eva udade wabo uRebheka esithi: “Indoda ithethe oku kum,” waphuma waya kuloo ndoda—yabe imi ngasezinkameleni emthonjeni. ³¹Wathi: “Ngena, wena ulisikelelwe nguThixo. Yini na ukuba ume ngaphandle? Ndiyilungisile indlu, nendawo yeenkamela.” ³²Yangena indoda endlwini, zaza zothulwa iinkamela. Zanikwa ingca nokudla iinkamela, kwanikwa namanzi okuhlamba iinyawo zayo neenyawo zamadoda eyayinawo. ³³Kwabekwa ukutya phambi kwayo, kodwa yathi: “Andiyi kudla ndingekakuthethi oko ndinako ukukuthetha.” Wathi uLabhan: “Thetha.”

³⁴Yaza yathi: “Ndiyisicaka sika-Abraham. ³⁵UBawo wethu uyisikelele kakhulu inkosi yam, wayenza sisityebi, wayinika imihlambi yezimvu neyeenkomo, isilivere negolide, izicaka ezingamadoda nezingabafazi, iinkamela, nama-esile. ³⁶USara, umfazi wenkosi yam, uyizalele unyana ekwaluphaleni kwakhe; waza u-Abraham wamnika u-Isake konke anako. ³⁷Inkosi yam yandifungisa yathi: ‘Ungamzekeli nyana wam umfazi kubafazi bamaKanan endihlala ezweni labo, ³⁸kodwa uye endlwini kabawo, kwizalamane zam, umzekele unyana wam umfazi.’ ³⁹Ndathi enkosini yam: ‘Mhlawumbi umfazi akayi kundilandela.’ ⁴⁰Kodwa yathi kum: ‘UBawo wethu, endihambe phambi kwakhe, uya kuthumela ingelosi yakhe nawe, aluphumelelise uhambo lwakho, uze umzekele unyana wam umfazi kwisizwe sakowethu nasendlwini kabawo. ⁴¹Wandule ukhululeke kwisifungo sam, wakufika kusapho lwakowethu; ukuba bayala ukumnika kuwe, uya kukhululeka kwisifungo sam.’ ⁴²Namhlanje xa ndifika emthonjeni, ndithe: ‘Bawo wenkosi yam u-Abraham, ukuba uya kuluphumelelisa uhambo lwam, ⁴³nanku ndimi ngasemthonjeni wamanzi. Ngoko ke xa kuphuma intombi iza kukha amanzi, ndithi kuyo: “Khawundiphe amanzi amancinane embizeni yakho ndisele,” ⁴⁴ize ithi kum: “Sela, nam ndiza kukhela iinkamela zakho amanzi”—mayibe nguye umfazi uBawo wethu amummiselele unyana wenkosi yam.’ ⁴⁵Ndingekagqibi ukuthandaza entliziyweni yam, kwaphuma uRebheka ethwele imbiza yakhe egxalabeni, wehlela emthonjeni, wakha amanzi. Ndathi kuye: ‘Khawundincede ndisele.’ ⁴⁶Wakhawuleza wayithoba imbiza yakhe egxalabeni, wathi: ‘Sela—neenkamela zakho ndiza kuziseza.’ Ndasela ke, waza waziseza neenkamela. ⁴⁷Ndabuza ndathi: ‘Uyintombi kabani na?’ Wathi: ‘Ndiyintombi kaBhetuweli, unyana kaNahori, lowo wamzalelwa nguMilka.’ Ndaza ndafaka icici empumlweni yakhe, nezacholo ezandleni zakhe. ⁴⁸Ndaqubuda ndanqula uBawo wethu, ndambonga uBawo wenkosi yam u-Abraham, owandikhokela endleleni eyiyo ukuze ndithabathele unyana wayo intombi yesizalwana senkosi yam. ⁴⁹Ngoko ke, ukuba niza kwenza ngothando oluthembekileyo nangenyaniso kwinkosi yam, ndixeleleni; ukuba akunjalo, ndixeleleni, ukuze ndijike ndiye ngasekunene okanye ngasekhohlo.”

⁵⁰Baphendula uLabhan noBhetuweli, bathi: “Le nto ivela kuThixo; asinako ukuthetha okuhle nokubi. ⁵¹Nanku uRebheka phambi kwakho; mthabathe uhambe—makabe ngumfazi wonyana wenkosi yakho, njengoko utshilo uBawo wethu.”

⁵²Sakuweva isicaka sika-Abraham amazwi abo, saqubuda emhlabeni phambi koBawo wethu. ⁵³Isicaka sakhupha izinto zesilivere nezegolide neengubo, sazinika uRebheka, saza sanika umntakwabo nonina izipho ezixabisekileyo. ⁵⁴Yadla yasela yalala khona, yona kunye namadoda eyayinawo. Kwathi kusasa bavuka, yaza yathi: “Ndindulule ndiye enkosini yam.”

⁵⁵Kodwa umntakwabo nonina bathi: “Makahlale nathi intombi iintsuku ezilishumi okanye ngaphezulu; ize emva koko ihambe.”

⁵⁶Kodwa yathi: “Musani ukundilibazisa—uBawo wethu uluphumelelisile uhambo lwam. Ndindulule, ndiye enkosini yam.”

⁵⁷Bathi: “Masiyibize intombi, siyibuze ngaloo nto.” ⁵⁸Bayibiza uRebheka, bambuza bathi: “Uya kuhamba na nale ndoda?” Wathi: “Ndiya kuhamba.”

⁵⁹Baza bamndulula udade wabo uRebheka nomongi wakhe, kunye nesicaka sika-Abraham namadoda aso. ⁶⁰Bamsikelela uRebheka, bathi: “Dade wethu, wanga ungaba ngunina wamawaka ngamawaka; inzala yakho yanga ingathimba izixeko zabo bayithiyileyo.” ^c c v60 Ukubamba isango lotshaba yayikukubamba amandla alo; esi sisikelelo sithandazela ukuba inzala kaRebheka iya koyisa abo bayichasayo.

⁶¹Besuka uRebheka namakhosazana akhe, bakhwela ezinkameleni, bayilandela indoda. Saza isicaka samthabatha uRebheka, sahamba.

⁶²Ke kaloku u-Isake wayevela eBheri-lahayi-royi, kuba wayehlala eNegebhi. ⁶³U-Isake waphuma waya kucamngca entsimini ngokuhlwa; wathi ephakamisa amehlo, wabona iinkamela zisiza. ⁶⁴URebheka naye waphakamisa amehlo, uthe akumbona u-Isake, wehla enkameleni yakhe. ⁶⁵Wabuza isicaka wathi: “Ngubani na laa ndoda ihamba entsimini isiza kusihlangabeza?” Saphendula sathi: “Yinkosi yam.” Waza wathabatha isigqubuthelo sakhe, wazigqubuthela.

⁶⁶Saza isicaka samxelela u-Isake konke oko sasikwenzile. ⁶⁷U-Isake wamngenisa ententeni kanina uSara, wamzeka uRebheka, wamthanda. Waza u-Isake wathuthuzeleka emva kokufa kukanina.