IGenesisi 19

19 ¹Izingelosi ezimbili zafika eSodoma kusihlwa; uLoti wayehlezi esangweni laseSodoma. Ezibona, wasukuma waya ukuzihlangabeza, wakhothamela phansi ngobuso. ^a a v1 Yizingelosi ezimbili kuphela kwabathathu ababonakala ku-Abrahama eMamre ezaqhubekela eSodoma—uBaba wethu wasala wahamba no-Abrahama; lezi zingelosi ezimbili zaqhubekisa isahlulelo phambili. ²Wathi: “Ngiyanicela, makhosi ami, phambukelani endlini yenceku yenu, nilale khona, nigeze izinyawo zenu; nivuke ekuseni kakhulu nihambe indlela yenu.” Bathi: “Cha, sizolala enkundleni.”

³Wabancenga kakhulu, baze baphambukela kuye, bangena endlini yakhe. Wabenzela idili, wabhaka isinkwa esingenamvubelo, badla. ⁴Bengakalali, amadoda omuzi—amadoda aseSodoma—abasha nabadala, bonke abantu, kungasali namunye, bawuzungeza umuzi. ⁵Bambiza uLoti bathi: “Aphi amadoda afike kuwe namuhla ebusuku? Wakhiphele ngaphandle—ukuze silale nawo.”

⁶ULoti waphumela kubo emnyango, wawuvala umnyango emva kwakhe, ⁷wathi: “Ngiyanicela, bafowethu, ningenzi okubi. ⁸Nginamadodakazi amabili angakaze alale nendoda. Ngizowakhiphela kini—nenze kuwo njengokuthanda kwenu. Kodwa ningenzi lutho kula madoda; ngokuba angene emthunzini wophahla lwami.”

⁹Bathi: “Buyela emuva!” Base bethi: “Lo muntu ongumfokazi weza ukuzohlala, kodwa manje usesahlulela? Sizokwenza kuwe okubi kunakubo.” Bamfuqa kakhulu uLoti, basondela ukuze bafohle umnyango. ¹⁰Kodwa amadoda elula izandla, amdonsela uLoti endlini kanye nawo, awuvala umnyango. ¹¹Ashaya amadoda ayesemnyango wendlu ngobumpumputhe, kusukela komncane kuya komkhulu, aze akhathala efuna umnyango.

¹²Amadoda athi kuLoti: “Usenobani lapha—umkhwenyana, amadodana, amadodakazi, nanoma ngubani wakho osemzini? Bakhiphe kule ndawo. ¹³Sesizoyichitha le ndawo—ngokuba ukukhala ngabantu bayo sekukhulile phambi kukaBaba wethu, uBaba wethu wasithuma ukuba siyichithe.”

¹⁴ULoti waphuma wakhuluma nabakhwenyana bakhe, ababezothatha amadodakazi akhe, wathi: “Sukumani, niphume kule ndawo—uBaba wethu usezowuchitha umuzi!” Kodwa abakhwenyana bakhe bakuthatha njengehlaya.

¹⁵Emadabukakusa izingelosi zamncenga uLoti zathi: “Sukuma, uthathe umkakho namadodakazi akho amabili alapha, funa uqedwe ekujezisweni komuzi.” ¹⁶Wathikaza, ngakho amadoda abamba isandla sakhe, nesomkakhe, nesamadodakazi akhe amabili, uBaba wethu emhawukela, amkhiphela ngaphandle, amshiya ngaphandle komuzi. ¹⁷Kwathi sebekhishelwe ngaphandle, omunye wazo wathi: “Balekela impilo yakho! Ungabheki emuva, ungemi ndawo ethafeni. Balekela ezintabeni, funa ukhukhulwe.”

¹⁸Kodwa uLoti wathi kuzo: “Cha, ngiyacela, Baba wami oyiNkosi. ¹⁹Inceku yakho ithole umusa kuwe; ubonise umusa omkhulu ngokusindisa ukuphila kwami. Kodwa angikwazi ukubalekela ezintabeni—inhlekelele izongifica ngife. ²⁰Ngiyacela—lowo muzi useduze, mncane ngokwanele ukuba ngibalekele kuwo. Ake ngiphephele khona—awumncane yini?—ukuze ngiphile.”

²¹Wathi kuye: “Nalokhu ngikuvumela: angiyikuwuchitha umuzi owukhulumile. ²²Sheshisa, ubalekele khona—angikwazi ukwenza lutho uze ufike khona.” Yingakho lowo muzi wabizwa ngokuthi yiZowari. ^b b v22 IZowari lisho ukuthi “mncane”—uLoti waqamba umuzi ngokwesicelo sakhe sokuthi “umncane nje.”

²³Ilanga lase liphumile phezu komhlaba lapho uLoti efika eZowari. ²⁴Khona-ke uBaba wethu wanisa phezu kweSodoma neGomora isibabule nomlilo okuvela ezulwini. ^c c v24 Abanye abafundi abangamaKhristu beve aBantu ababili boZiqu-zintathu ekuphindweni kwegama kuleli vesi, kodwa iFHB izwa oyedwa—uBaba wethu, osahlulelo sakhe sivela esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi. ²⁵Wayichitha leyo mizi, nalo lonke ithafa, nabo bonke abahlali bemizi, nakho konke okukhula emhlabeni. ²⁶Kodwa umkaLoti wabheka emuva esemva kwakhe, waphenduka waba yinsika kasawoti.

²⁷Ekuseni kakhulu ngakusasa u-Abrahama waya endaweni lapho ayeke wema khona phambi kukaBaba wethu. ²⁸Wabheka ngaseSodoma, naseGomora, nakulo lonke ithafa, wabona intuthu ikhuphuka emhlabeni njengentuthu yeziko.

²⁹Kwathi lapho uBaba wethu echitha imizi yethafa, uBaba wethu wamkhumbula u-Abrahama, wamkhipha uLoti ekubhujisweni kwemizi ayehlala kuyo uLoti.

ULoti emhumeni

³⁰ULoti wenyuka esuka eZowari waya kuhlala ezintabeni kanye namadodakazi akhe amabili, ngoba esaba ukuhlala eZowari; wahlala emhumeni yena namadodakazi akhe amabili. ³¹Izibulo lathi komncane: “Ubaba wethu usemdala; akukho ndoda eseleyo ezweni engalala nathi, njengokwenzeka ezweni lonke. ³²Woza, asinike ubaba wethu iwayini, bese silala naye, ukuze sigcine inzalo iphila ngobaba wethu.” ³³Ngalobo busuku banika uyise iwayini; izibulo langena lalala naye. Akazange akwazi ukuthi ulele nini noma uvuka nini. ³⁴Ngakusasa izibulo lathi komncane: “Ngilele nobaba izolo ebusuku. Masimnike iwayini futhi namuhla ebusuku—hamba ulale naye, ukuze sigcine inzalo ngobaba wethu.” ³⁵Nangalobo busuku banika uyise iwayini aliphuza; omncane wasukuma walala naye, akazange akwazi ukuthi ulele nini noma uvuka nini. ³⁶Kanjalo womabili amadodakazi kaLoti akhulelwa nguyise. ³⁷Izibulo lazala indodana, lamqamba igama lokuthi uMowabi—nguyise wamaMowabi kuze kube namuhla. ³⁸Nomncane naye wazala indodana, wamqamba igama lokuthi uBheni-Ami—nguyise wama-Amoni kuze kube namuhla.