Ukubuyela E-altare
Ingcebo yenza abelusi baka-Abrama nabakaLoti baxabane, ngakho u-Abrama uvumela umshana wakhe ukuba akhethe kuqala. ULoti uthatha ithafa laseJordani elinamanzi amaningi, asondele kancane eSodoma. Esesele nalokho okusele, u-Abrama utshelwa nguBaba wethu ukuba abheke nxazonke: konke lokho kungokwenzalo yakhe.
13 1UAbrama wenyuka esuka eGibhithe waya eNegebi, yena nomkakhe nakho konke ayenakho, noLoti kanye naye. 2UAbrama wayesecebe kakhulu ngemfuyo, ngesiliva nangegolide. 3Wahamba ngezigaba esuka eNegebi eya eBhetheli, endaweni ephakathi kweBhetheli ne-Ayi, lapho itende lakhe lalimi khona kuqala, 4nalapho ayeqale wakha khona i-altare. Lapho uAbrama wabiza igama likaBaba wethu. 5ULoti, owayehamba noAbrama, naye wayenemihlambi yezimvu neyezinkomo namatende. 6Izwe lalingeke libasekele ukuba bahlale ndawonye; impahla yabo yayiningi kakhulu ukuba bahlale ndawonye. 7Kwavela ukuxabana phakathi kwabelusi bakaAbrama nabelusi bakaLoti. AmaKhanani namaPherizi ayehlala kulelo zwe ngaleso sikhathi. 8UAbrama wathi kuLoti: “Masingaxabani—mina nawe, noma abelusi bakho nabami—singabazalwane. 9Akusilo yini lonke izwe eliphambi kwakho na? Ngiyacela, yehlukana nami: uma uya ngakwesokhohlo, mina ngiya ngakwesokudla; uma uya ngakwesokudla, mina ngiya ngakwesokhohlo.”
10ULoti waphakamisa amehlo wabona ukuthi lonke ithafa laseJordani eliya eZowari lalinamanzi amahle yonke indawo—njengensimu kaBaba wethu, njengezwe laseGibhithe. (Lokhu kwakungaphambi kokuba uBaba wethu achithe iSodoma neGomora.). 11ULoti wazikhethela lonke ithafa laseJordani wahamba waya ngasempumalanga; bobabili behlukana omunye komunye. 12UAbrama wahlala ezweni laseKhanani; uLoti wahlala phakathi kwemizi yethafa wamisa amatende akhe kwaze kwaba seSodoma. 13Abantu baseSodoma babebabi, beyona kakhulu kuBaba wethu.
14Emva kokuba uLoti ehlukene naye, uBaba wethu wathi kuAbrama: “Phakamisa amehlo lapho umi khona ubheke enyakatho, naseningizimu, nasempumalanga, nasentshonalanga. 15Ngokuba lonke izwe olibonayo ngizakulinika wena nabantwana bakho kuze kube phakade. 16Ngizakwenza abantwana bakho babe njengothuli lomhlaba—uma uthuli lomhlaba lungabalwa, kuyophinde kubalwe nabantwana bakho. 17Sukuma, uhambe izwe ngobude nangobubanzi balo, ngokuba ngizakulinika wena.”
18UAbrama wamisa amatende akhe, wahamba wayohlala ngasemithini emikhulu yaseMamre eHebroni, wakha khona i-altare likaBaba wethu.
