IGenesisi 26

26 ¹Kwaba khona indlala ezweni, ngaphezu kwendlala yokuqala eyayenzeke ezinsukwini zika-Abhrahama. Ngakho u-Isaka waya ku-Abhimeleki inkosi yamaFilisti, eGerari.

²UBaba wethu wabonakala kuye wathi: “Ungehleli eGibhithe; akhe ezweni engizakutshela ngalo. ³Hlala kuleli zwe, ngibe nawe futhi ngikubusise, ngokuba ngizakunika wena nenzalo yakho onke lamazwe, ngigcwalise isifungo engasifunga ku-Abhrahama uyihlo. ⁴Ngizakwandisa inzalo yakho njengezinkanyezi zezulu, nginike inzalo yakho onke lamazwe, futhi ngenzalo yakho zonke izizwe zomhlaba ziyakubusiswa, ⁵ngokuba u-Abhrahama walalela izwi lami, wagcina umyalo wami, imiyalelo yami, izimiso zami, nemithetho yami.”

⁶Ngakho u-Isaka wakha eGerari. ⁷Amadoda akuleyo ndawo abuza ngomkakhe, waphendula wathi: “Ungudadewethu” — esaba ukuthi athi “Ngumkami,” ecabanga ethi: “Amadoda akhona lapha angangibulala ngenxa kaRebheka, ngokuba muhle.” ⁸Kwathi u-Isaka esehlale khona isikhathi eside, u-Abhimeleki inkosi yamaFilisti wabuka phansi ngefasitela, wabona u-Isaka etotosa umkakhe uRebheka. ⁹Ngakho u-Abhimeleki wabiza u-Isaka wathi: “Impela lo ngumkakho! Ubungasho kanjani ukuthi, ‘Ungudadewethu’?” U-Isaka wathi kuye: “Ngokuba ngacabanga ukuthi ngingafa ngenxa yakhe.”

¹⁰U-Abhimeleki wathi: “Yini le oyenzile kithi? Omunye wabantu ubengalala kalula nomkakho, ube ngakho usilethela icala.” ¹¹U-Abhimeleki wayala bonke abantu wathi: “Noma ngubani othinta lo muntu noma umkakhe uyakubulawa nokubulawa.”

¹²U-Isaka watshala kulelo zwe, wavuna okuphindwe kayikhulu ngalowo nyaka, ngokuba uBaba wethu wambusisa. ¹³Lo muntu wanotha, waqhubeka enotha, waze wanotha kakhulu impela. ¹⁴Wayenemihlambi yezimvu neyezinkomo nabasebenzi abaningi, kangangokuba amaFilisti aba nomona ngaye. ¹⁵AmaFilisti ayewagqibile onke imithombo eyayimbiwe yizinceku zikayise ezinsukwini zikayise u-Abhrahama. ¹⁶U-Abhimeleki wathi ku-Isaka: “Suka kithi — usuqine kakhulu kunathi.”

¹⁷Ngakho u-Isaka wasuka lapho, wamisa esigodini saseGerari, wakha khona. ¹⁸U-Isaka waphinda wemba imithombo yamanzi eyayimbiwe ezinsukwini zikayise u-Abhrahama, amaFilisti ayeyivalile emva kokufa kuka-Abhrahama, wayiqamba ngamagama uyise ayeyiqambe ngawo. ¹⁹Kepha kwathi izinceku zika-Isaka zimba esigodini, zafumana khona umthombo wamanzi aphilayo, ²⁰Abelusi baseGerari baphikisana nabelusi bika-Isaka bathi: “Amanzi ngawethu.” Waqamba lowo mthombo ngokuthi i-Eseki, ngokuba baphikisana naye. ^a a v20 Igama elithi i-Eseki lisho ukuthi “ukuphikisana.” ²¹Base bemba omunye umthombo, baxabana nangawo lowo, ngakho wawuqamba ngokuthi iSitna. ^b b v21 Igama elithi iSitna lisho ukuthi “ukumelana.” ²²Esuka lapho wathuthela wemba omunye umthombo; abaxabananga ngawo, ngakho wawuqamba ngokuthi iRehobothi, ethi: “Manje uBaba wethu usenzele indawo; sizakuchuma kuleli zwe.” ^c c v22 Igama elithi iRehobothi lisho ukuthi “indawo” noma “izindawo ezibanzi.”

²³Esuka lapho wenyukela eBherishebha.

²⁴Ngalobo busuku uBaba wethu wabonakala kuye wathi: “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo u-Abhrahama. Ungesabi, ngokuba nginawe. Ngizakukubusisa ngandise inzalo yakho, ngenxa yenceku yami u-Abhrahama.”

²⁵Khona lapho wakha i-altare, wabiza igama likaBaba wethu, wamisa itende lakhe, futhi izinceku zika-Isaka zemba khona umthombo.

²⁶U-Abhimeleki weza kuye evela eGerari, eno-Ahuzati umeluleki wakhe noFikoli induna yebutho lakhe. ²⁷U-Isaka wathi kubo: “Nizeleni kimi, njengoba naningizonda, nangixosha kini na?”

²⁸Bathi: “Sabona ngokusobala ukuthi uNkulunkulu ube nawe, ngakho sathi, ‘Makube khona isifungo phakathi kwethu — phakathi kwakho nathi — senze isivumelwano nawe, ²⁹ukuba ungasenzi lutho olubi — njengoba thina singakuthintanga kodwa senza kuwe okuhle kuphela — sakumukisa ngokuthula. Manje ubusisiwe nguNkulunkulu.’”

³⁰Ngakho u-Isaka wabenzela idili, badla baphuza. ³¹Ekuseni kakhulu ngakusasa bafungelana; u-Isaka wabamukisa, bahamba kuye ngokuthula. ³²Ngalolo suku izinceku zika-Isaka zafika zamtshela ngomthombo ezaziwumbile, zathi: “Sifumene amanzi!” ³³Ngakho wawuqamba ngokuthi iShibha; ngalokho igama lalowo muzi liyiBherishebha kuze kube namuhla. ^d d v33 IShibha isho ‘isifungo’; iBherishebha isho ‘umthombo wesifungo.’

³⁴U-Esawu eneminyaka engamashumi amane, washada noJudithi indodakazi kaBheyeri umHeti, noBasemati indodakazi ka-Eloni umHeti. ³⁵Baba yimbangela yosizi ku-Isaka nakuRebheka.