Isithembiso Sihlaziywa ku-Isake
Indlala iyabuya, aze uIsake aphinde ubuxoki bukayise ngomkakhe, abhaqwe. Uba sisityebi njengoko uBawo wethu emsikelela, aze amaqula akhe ahluthwe elinye emva kwelinye, ade ambe apho kungekho bani ulwa naye. Emva koko ukumkani owayemmonela uyeza ecela umnqophiso.
26 1Kwabakho indlala elizweni, ngaphandle kwendlala yokuqala eyabakho ngemihla ka-Abraham. Ngoko u-Isake waya ku-Abhimeleki, ukumkani wamaFilisti, eGerare.
2Wabonakala kuye uBawo wethu, wathi: “Musa ukuhla usinge eYiputa; hlala kwelo zwe ndiya kukuxelela ngalo. 3Hlala kweli lizwe, ndibe nawe ndikusikelele, kuba ndiya kuwanika wena nenzala yakho onke la mazwe, ndize ndizalisekise isifungo endasifungayo ku-Abraham uyihlo. 4Ndiya kuyandisa inzala yakho ibe njengeenkwenkwezi zesibhakabhaka, ndinike inzala yakho onke la mazwe, zize ngenzala yakho zisikelelwe zonke iintlanga zomhlaba, 5kuba u-Abraham walithobela ilizwi lam, wawugcina umgaqo wam, imithetho yam, imimiselo yam, nemiyalelo yam.”
6Ngoko u-Isake wahlala eGerare. 7Amadoda aloo ndawo abuza ngomfazi wakhe, waza waphendula wathi: “Ngudade wethu”—esoyika ukuthi: “Ngumkam,” ecinga ukuba: “Amadoda alapha angandibulala ngenxa kaRebheka, kuba mhle.” 8Kwathi akuba u-Isake ehleli apho ixesha elide, u-Abhimeleki ukumkani wamaFilisti wakhangela phantsi ngefestile, wabona u-Isake ephulula umkakhe uRebheka. 9Ngoko u-Abhimeleki wambiza u-Isake, wathi: “Inene lo ngumkakho! Ubunokutsho njani ukuthi, ‘Ngudade wethu’?” Wathi u-Isake kuye: “Kungenxa yokuba bendicinga ukuba ndingafa ngenxa yakhe.”
10Wathi u-Abhimeleki: “Yintoni na le uyenzileyo kuthi? Omnye wabantu ngekulele lula nomkakho, waza wasizisela ityala.” 11U-Abhimeleki wabayalela bonke abantu, wathi: “Nabani na ochukumisa lo mntu nomfazi wakhe uya kubulawa afe, inene.”
12U-Isake wahlwayela kwelo lizwe, wavuna ikhulu ngokuphindiweyo kuloo nyaka, kuba uBawo wethu wamsikelela. 13Le ndoda yaba sisityebi, yaqhubeka isiba sisityebi ngokungakumbi, yada yaba sisityebi esikhulu kakhulu. 14Wayenemihlambi yeegusha neyeenkomo, nendlu enkulu yabakhonzi, ngangokuba amaFilisti amamonela. 15AmaFilisti ayewazalisile ngomhlaba onke amaqula awembiwa ngabakhonzi bakayise ngemihla kayise u-Abraham. 16U-Abhimeleki wathi ku-Isake: “Suka kuthi—uye waba namandla kakhulu ngaphezu kwethu.”
17Ngoko u-Isake wemka apho, wamisa iintente entilini yaseGerare, wahlala khona. 18U-Isake waphinda wemba amaqula amanzi awembiwa ngemihla kayise u-Abraham, awathi amaFilisti awavingca emva kokufa kuka-Abraham, waza wawathiya ngamagama awayewathiye ngawo uyise. 19Kodwa kwathi abakhonzi baka-Isake bakumba entilini, bafumana khona iqula lamanzi aqabukayo aphilileyo, 20abalusi baseGerare baxabana nabalusi baka-Isake, besithi: “La manzi ngawethu.” Walithiya elo qula igama elingu-Eseki, kuba babexabana naye. a a v20 Igama elithi Eseki lithetha “ukuphikisana.” 21Baza bemba elinye iqula, baxabana nangalo kananjalo, ngoko waligqiba igama elinguSitna. b b v21 Igama elithi Sitna lithetha “inkcaso.” 22Wafuduka apho, wemba elinye iqula; abazange baxabane ngalo, ngoko waligqiba igama elinguRehobhoti, esithi: “Ngoku uBawo wethu usenzele indawo ebanzi; siya kuqhama kweli lizwe.” c c v22 Igama elithi Rehobhoti lithetha “indawo” okanye “iindawo ezibanzi.”
23Wenyuka apho waya eBher-shebha.
24Ngobo busuku uBawo wethu wabonakala kuye, wathi: “NdinguThixo kayihlo u-Abraham. Musa ukoyika, kuba ndinawe. Ndiya kukusikelela, ndiyandise inzala yakho, ngenxa yomkhonzi wam u-Abraham.”
25Wakha isibingelelo apho, wanqula igama likaBawo wethu, wamisa intente yakhe, baza abakhonzi baka-Isake bemba iqula apho.
26U-Abhimeleki weza kuye evela eGerare, eno-Ahuzati umcebisi wakhe, noFikoli, intloko yomkhosi wakhe. 27U-Isake wathi kubo: “Kutheni nize kum, kanti naningthiyile naza nandigxotha kuni?”
28Bathi: “Sibonile kakuhle ukuba uThixo ebenawe, ngoko sithe, ‘Makubekho isifungo phakathi kwethu—phakathi kwakho nathi—senze umnqophiso nawe, 29ukuba akuyi kusenzakalisa—kanye njengoko singakuchukumisanga thina koko sakwenzela okulungileyo kuphela—saza sakundulula ngoxolo. Ngoku ungosikelelweyo nguThixo.’”
30Ngoko u-Isake wabenzela isidlo, badla basela. 31Kwathi kusasa ngengomso, bafungelana isifungo omnye komnye; u-Isake wabandulula, bemka kuye ngoxolo. 32Ngaloo mini kweza abakhonzi baka-Isake, bamxelela ngequla ababelimbile, bathi: “Sifumene amanzi!” 33Ngoko waligqiba igama elinguShibha; kungoko igama laloo dolophu linguBher-shebha unanamhla. d d v33 UShibha uthetha ‘isifungo’; uBher-shebha uthetha ‘iqula lesifungo.’
34Ekubeni eneminyaka engamashumi amane, u-Esawu wazeka uYudite intombi kaBheri umHeti, noBhasemati intombi ka-Eloni umHeti. 35Baba ngunobangela wosizi ku-Isake nakuRebheka.
