IGenesisi 8

8 ¹Kodwa uBaba wethu wamkhumbula uNowa, nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo, nazo zonke izinkomo ayenazo emkhunjini, wase ephephetha umoya emhlabeni, ngakho amanzi aqala ukwehla. ^a a v1 Lapho umBhalo uthi uBaba wethu “wakhumbula,” awusho ukuthi wayekhohliwe — usho ukuthi wenza ngokothando lwakhe lwesivumelwano ngesikhathi esimisiwe. ²Imithombo yokujula okukhulu namafasitela asezulwini kwavaleka, nemvula evela esibhakabhakeni yanqamuka. ³Amanzi aqhubeka ehla emhlabeni, kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi amahlanu, ehlile. ⁴Umkhumbi wahlala phezu kwezintaba zase-Ararati ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga yesikhombisa. ^b b v4 I-Ararati isho isifunda sezintaba, hhayi ngempela isiqongo esisodwa. ⁵Amanzi aqhubeka ehla kwaze kwaba yinyanga yeshumi; ngosuku lwayo lokuqala, iziqongo zezintaba zabonakala.

⁶Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezingamashumi amane, uNowa wavula ifasitela ayelenzile emkhunjini, ⁷wakhipha igwababa, landiza laya laphindela kwaze kwoma amanzi emhlabeni. ⁸Wase ethumela ijuba limsuke, ukuze abone ukuthi amanzi asehlile yini ebusweni bomhlaba. ⁹Kodwa ijuba alitholanga indawo yokuphumula unyawo lwalo, labuyela kuye emkhunjini, ngokuba amanzi ayesasibekele ubuso bomhlaba wonke. Wase elula isandla sakhe, walithatha, walibuyisela emkhunjini kuye. ¹⁰Walinda ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, waphinde wathumela ijuba liphuma emkhunjini. ¹¹Ijuba labuyela kuye ngalolo kusihlwa lineqabunga lom-oliva elisanda ukukhiwa emlonyeni walo, ngakho uNowa wazi ukuthi amanzi asehlile emhlabeni. ¹²Walinda ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, wabe eselithumela futhi ijuba; alabe lisabuyela kuye.

¹³Ngonyaka wama-600 nanye wokuphila kukaNowa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala, amanzi ayesomile emhlabeni. UNowa wasusa isisibekelo somkhumbi, wabheka phandle, wabona ukuthi ubuso bomhlaba base bomile. ¹⁴Kwathi ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nesikhombisa lwenyanga yesibili, umhlaba wase womile nya.

¹⁵Wase uBaba wethu ethi kuNowa:

¹⁶“Phuma emkhunjini: wena nomkakho namadodana akho nabafazi bamadodana akho kanye nawe. ¹⁷Khipha kanye nawe zonke izidalwa eziphilayo—yonke inyama: izinyoni, izilwane, nakho konke okuhuquzela emhlabeni—ukuze zigcwale emhlabeni wonke, zithele, zande emhlabeni.”

¹⁸Wase ephuma uNowa, kanye namadodana akhe nomkakhe nabafazi bamadodana akhe. ¹⁹Zonke izilwane, konke okuhuquzelayo, zonke izinyoni—konke okunyakazayo emhlabeni—kwaphuma emkhunjini ngezinhlobo zakho.

²⁰UNowa wakhela uBaba wethu i-altare, wathatha okunye kuzo zonke izilwane ezihlanzekile nakuzo zonke izinyoni ezihlanzekile, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa phezu kwalo.

²¹UBaba wethu wahogela iphunga elimnandi, wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Angisayikuphinda ngiqalekise umhlaba ngenxa yabantu, nakuba isifiso senhliziyo yomuntu sibi kusukela ebusheni, futhi angisayikuphinda ngibhubhise zonke izinto eziphilayo njengoba ngenzile. ^c c v21 UBaba wethu akazange ajatshuliswe yiphunga ngokwalo, kodwa yikukhonza okuthembekile nokulalela umnikelo owawukubonakalisa. ²²Kuze kube khona umhlaba, ukutshala nokuvuna, ukubanda nokushisa, ihlobo nobusika, imini nobusuku akusayikuze kuphele.”