U-Abrahama Ufunela U-Isaka Umlobokazi
U-Abrahama uthuma inceku yakhe endala kunazo zonke ezihlotsheni zakhe ukuba ilandele u-Isaka umfazi, ifungiswe ngoBaba wethu. Inceku icela uphawu oluthile emthonjeni, uRebeka aphuzise amakamela ayishumi ngaphambi kokuba iqede ukuthandaza. Lapho ebuzwa ngqo ukuthi uzohamba yini, uthi: Ngizohamba.
24 1U-Abrahama wayeseguge, eseneminyaka eminingi, futhi uBaba wethu wayembusise u-Abrahama kukho konke. 2U-Abrahama wathi encekwini yakhe endala, eyayiphethe konke anakho: “Ake ubeke isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethanga lami, a a v2 Ukubeka isandla ngaphansi kwethanga kwakuyinkambiso yasendulo yokuqinisa isifungo esikhulu nesibophayo. 3ngizokwenza ufunge ngoBaba wezulu nomhlaba, ukuthi ungayithatheli indodana yami inkosikazi emadodakazini amaKhanani, engihlala phakathi kwawo, 4kodwa uye ezweni lakithi nasezihlotsheni zami, uthathele indodana yami u-Isaka inkosikazi.”
5Inceku yambuza yathi: “Kuthiwani uma owesifazane engafuni ukungilandela kuleli zwe? Kumele ngibuyisele indodana yakho ezweni owaphuma kulo na?”
6U-Abrahama wathi kuyo: “Qaphela ukuba ungayibuyiseli lapho indodana yami. 7uBaba wethu, uBaba wezulu, owangithatha endlini kababa nasezweni lezihlobo zami, owakhuluma kimi wafunga kimi wathi: ‘Ngizolinika inzalo yakho leli zwe’—yena uzothuma ingelosi yakhe phambi kwakho, uthathele khona indodana yami inkosikazi. 8Kodwa uma engafuni ukukulandela, uyakhululeka kulesi sifungo sami; kuphela nje ungayibuyiseli lapho indodana yami.”
9Inceku yabeka isandla sayo ngaphansi kwethanga lika-Abrahama inkosi yayo, yafunga kuye ngalento. 10Inceku yathatha amakamela ayishumi enkosi yayo, nazo zonke izinto ezinhle zenkosi yayo esandleni, yaqonda e-Aramu-naharayimi, umuzi kaNahori. b b v10 I-Aramu-naharayimi lisho ukuthi “Aramu wemifula emibili” — isifunda esisenyakatho yeMesophothamiya lapho izihlobo zika-Abrahama zazisahlala khona. 11Yawaguqisa amakamela ngaphandle komuzi eduze komthombo wamanzi kusihlwa, ngesikhathi abesifazane bephuma ukuyokha amanzi. 12Yabe isithandaza: “Baba wenkosi yami u-Abrahama, ngicela ungiphumelelise namuhla, ubonise uthando lwakho oluthembekile enkosini yami u-Abrahama. 13Nangu ngimi eduze komthombo wamanzi, amadodakazi amadoda omuzi ephuma ukuyokha amanzi. 14Make intombi engizothi kuyo: ‘Ake uthobe imbiza yakho ukuze ngiphuze’—bese iphendula ithi: ‘Phuza, nawamakamela akho ngizowaphuzisa’—ibe nguyona oyimisele inceku yakho u-Isaka. Yilokho engizokwazi ngakho ukuthi ubonise uthando oluthembekile enkosini yami.”
15Ingakaqedi ukukhuluma, kwavela uRebheka—indodakazi kaBhethuweli, indodana kaMilka, umkaNahori, umfowabo ka-Abrahama—ethwele imbiza yakhe ehlombe. 16Intombi yayiyinhle kakhulu, iyintombi nto okungekho ndoda eyayike yayazi. Yehlela emthonjeni, yagcwalisa imbiza yayo, yenyuka. 17Inceku yagijima ukuyohlangabeza yona, yathi: “Ake ungiphuzise amanzi amancane embizeni yakho.”
18“Phuza, nkosi yami,” yasho, yashesha yathoba imbiza yayo ehlombe, yamphuzisa. 19Isiqedile ukumphuzisa, yathi: “Nawamakamela akho ngizowakhela amanzi, aze aqede ukuphuza.” 20Yashesha yathululela imbiza yayo emkhombeni, yaphinda yagijima yaya emthonjeni, yakhela amanzi onke amakamela akhe.
21Indoda yayibukele ithule, ukuze yazi ukuthi uBaba wethu uluphumelelisile uhambo lwayo, noma cha. 22Lapho amakamela eseqedile ukuphuza, indoda yathatha indandatho yegolide yasekhaleni esindayo cishe ingxenye yesihlanu ye-awunsi, namasongo amabili egolide ezihlakaleni zayo esindayo cishe ama-awunsi amane, 23yathi: “Uyindodakazi kabani? Ake ungitshele, ikhona yini indawo endlini kayihlo yokuba silale khona?”
24Yamphendula yathi: “Ngiyindodakazi kaBhethuweli, indodana uMilka ayizalela uNahori.” 25Yaphinda yathi: “Sinotshani oluningi nokudla kwezilwane, nendawo yokulala.”
26Khona-ke indoda yakhothama yakhuleka kuBaba wethu. 27Yathi: “Makabongwe uBaba wethu, uBaba wenkosi yami u-Abrahama, ongalushiyanga uthando lwakhe oluthembekile neqiniso lakhe enkosini yami. Mina-ke, ungiholile ohambeni oluya endlini yezihlobo zenkosi yami.”
28Yabe intombi igijima yayitshela abendlu kanina ngalezi zinto. 29URebheka wayenomfowabo ogama lakhe linguLabani, uLabani wagijima waphumela kuleyo ndoda emthonjeni. 30Ebona indandatho yekhala namasongo ezihlakaleni zikadadewabo, ezwa udadewabo uRebheka ethi: ‘Indoda ingitshele lokhu,’ waphumela kuleyo ndoda—nansiya imi eduze kwamakamela emthonjeni. 31Wathi: “Ngena, wena obusiswe nguNkulunkulu. Umeleni ngaphandle? Sengilungise indlu nendawo yamakamela.” 32Indoda yangena endlini, amakamela ethulwa imithwalo. Kwanikwa amakamela utshani nokudla, kwaba namanzi okugeza izinyawo zayo nezinyawo zamadoda ayenayo. 33Kwabekwa ukudla phambi kwayo, kodwa yathi: “Angeke ngidle ngingakakhulumi lokho okumele ngikusho.” “Khuluma,” kusho uLabani.
34Ngakho yathi: “Ngiyinceku ka-Abrahama. 35uBaba wethu uyibusise kakhulu inkosi yami wayenza yaceba, eyinika imihlambi yezimvu neyezinkomo, isiliva negolide, izinceku nezincekukazi, amakamela nezimbongolo. 36USara, umfazi wenkosi yami, wamzalela indodana ebudaleni bakhe; u-Abrahama unike u-Isaka konke anakho. 37Inkosi yami ingifungisile yathi: ‘Ungayithatheli indodana yami inkosikazi kwabesifazane bamaKhanani, engihlala ezweni labo, 38kodwa uye endlini kababa, ezihlotsheni zami, uthathele indodana yami inkosikazi.’ 39Ngathi enkosini yami: ‘Mhlawumbe owesifazane ngeke angilandele.’ 40Kodwa yathi kimi: ‘uBaba wethu, engihambe phambi kwakhe, uzothuma ingelosi yakhe nawe, aluphumelelise uhambo lwakho, uthathele indodana yami inkosikazi esizweni sakithi nasendlini kababa. 41Khona-ke uyokhululeka esifungweni sami lapho usufike emndenini wakithi; uma benqaba ukukunika yona, uyokhululeka esifungweni sami.’ 42Namuhla lapho ngifika emthonjeni, ngathi: ‘Baba wenkosi yami u-Abrahama, uma uzoluphumelelisa uhambo lwami, 43nangu ngimi eduze komthombo wamanzi. Ngakho uma kuvela intombi ukuyokha amanzi bese ngithi kuyo: “Ake unginike amanzi amancane embizeni yakho ngiphuze,” 44bese ithi kimi: “Phuza, nawamakamela akho ngizowakhela amanzi”—make abe ngowesifazane uBaba wethu ammisele indodana yenkosi yami.’ 45Ngingakaqedi ukuthandaza enhliziyweni yami, kwavela uRebheka, ethwele imbiza yakhe ehlombe, wehlela emthonjeni, wakha amanzi. Ngathi kuye: ‘Ake ngiphuze.’ 46Washesha wathoba imbiza yakhe ehlombe, wathi: ‘Phuza—nawamakamela akho ngizowaphuzisa.’ Ngaphuza-ke, waphuzisa namakamela. 47Ngabuza: ‘Uyindodakazi kabani?’ Wathi: ‘Ngiyindodakazi kaBhethuweli, indodana kaNahori, uMilka amzalela yena.’ Ngabe sengifaka indandatho ekhaleni lakhe namasongo ezihlakaleni zakhe. 48Ngakhothama ngakhuleka kuBaba wethu, ngabonga uBaba wenkosi yami u-Abrahama, ongihole endleleni eqinisileyo ukuze ngithathele indodana yakhe indodakazi yesihlobo senkosi yami. 49Manje, uma nizokwenza ngothando oluthembekile neqiniso enkosini yami, ngitsheleni; uma kungenjalo, ngitsheleni, ukuze ngiphendukele kwesokunene noma kwesokunxele.”
50ULabani noBhethuweli baphendula bathi: “Lokhu kuvela kuNkulunkulu; ngeke sisho okuhle noma okubi. 51URebheka nangu phambi kwakho; mthathe uhambe—make abe yinkosikazi yendodana yenkosi yakho, njengoba uBaba wethu eshilo.”
52Lapho inceku ka-Abrahama izwa amazwi abo, yakhothamela phansi emhlabathini phambi kukaBaba wethu. 53Inceku yakhipha izinto zesiliva nezegolide nezingubo, yazinika uRebheka, yanika umfowabo nonina izipho ezinhle. 54Yena namadoda ayenaye badla, baphuza, balala khona. Ekuseni bavuka, yathi: “Ngimukiseni enkosini yami.”
55Kodwa umfowabo nonina bathi: “Make intombi ihlale nathi izinsuku ezingaba lishumi; ibisihamba.”
56Kodwa yathi: “Ningangibambezeli—uBaba wethu uluphumelelisile uhambo lwami. Ngimukiseni, ngiye enkosini yami.”
57Bathi: “Masibize intombi siyibuze ngakho.” 58Bambiza uRebheka bambuza: “Uzohamba naleyo ndoda na?” Wathi: “Ngizohamba.”
59Ngakho bamvalelisa udadewabo uRebheka nomzanyana wakhe, kanye nenceku ka-Abrahama namadoda ayo. 60Bambusisa uRebheka, bathi: “Dadewethu, sengathi ungaba ngunina wezinkulungwane zezinkulungwane; sengathi inzalo yakho ingathatha imizi yalabo abayizondayo.” c c v60 Ukuphatha isango lesitha kwakusho ukuphatha amandla aso; lesi sibusiso sithandazela ukuthi inzalo kaRebheka izoba namandla phezu kwalabo abaphikisana nayo.
61URebheka nezincekukazi zakhe basuka, bakhwela emakameleni, bayilandela indoda. Ngakho inceku yathatha uRebheka yahamba.
62U-Isaka wayevela eBheri-lahayi-royi, ngokuba wayehlala eNegevi. 63U-Isaka waphuma ukuyozindla endle kusihlwa; ephakamisa amehlo, wabona amakamela eza. 64URebheka naye waphakamisa amehlo, wathi ebona u-Isaka, wehla ekameleni lakhe. 65Wabuza inceku: “Ubani lowo muntu ohamba endle eza ukuzosihlangabeza?” Yaphendula: “Yinkosi yami.” Ngakho wathatha iveli lakhe wazimboza.
66Khona-ke inceku yatshela u-Isaka konke eyayikwenzile. 67U-Isaka wamngenisa etendeni likanina uSara, washada noRebheka, wamthanda. Ngakho u-Isaka waduduzeka emva kokufa kukanina.
