Genesis 24
U-Isaka LoRabheka
1U-Abhrahama wayeseluphele kakhulu, njalo uThixo wayembusisile kukho konke. 2Wasesithi encekwini yakhe enkulu, leyo eyayilawula konke ayelakho, “Beka isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethangazi lami. 3Ngifuna ukuthi ufunge ngoThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini loNkulunkulu wasemhlabeni, ukuthi kawuyikuzuzela indodana yami umfazi emadodakazini amaKhenani engihlala phakathi kwawo, 4kodwa uzakuya elizweni lakithi lasezihlotsheni zami uzuzele indodana yami u-Isaka umfazi.”5Inceku yambuza yathi, “Pho nxa lowo wesifazane engavumi ukuza lami kulelilizwe-ke? Ngizathatha indodana yakho ngiyise kulelolizwe lapho owavela khona na?”
6U-Abhrahama wathi, “Ungaqali ukuhambisa indodana yami khonale. 7UThixo, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owangikhupha emzini kababa laselizweni lakithi njalo owakhuluma kimi, wangithembisa ngesifungo wathi, ‘Ilizwe leli ngizalinika inzalo yakho,’ uzathuma ingilosi yakhe ihambe phambi kwakho ukuze ukwazi ukutholela indodana yami umfazi khonale. 8Nxa owesifazane lowo esala ukuza lapha lawe, uzabe usukhululwe kulesi isifungo sami. Kodwa ungaqali ukusa indodana yami khonale.” 9Ngakho inceku yasifaka isandla sayo ngaphansi kwethangazi lenkosi yayo u-Abhrahama yafunga isifungo kuye ngodaba lolu.
10Inceku yasithatha amakamela enkosi yayo alitshumi yasuka, yathatha yonke imihlobo yezinto ezinhle zenkosi yayo. Yaqonda e-Aramu Naharayimu, yahamba yaze yayafika emzini waseNahori. 11Amakamela yawaguqisa phansi eduzane lomthombo ngaphandle komuzi; kwasekuntambama, sekuyisikhathi sabesifazane ukuyakukha amanzi.
12Yasikhuleka yathi, “Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, yenza ngiphumelele lamuhla, utshengise umusa enkosini yami u-Abhrahama. 13Khangela-ke, nanku ngimi lapha eceleni komthombo lo, njalo amadodakazi abantu balelidolobho asesiza ukuzakukha amanzi. 14Kungasake kuthi ngingathi entombini, ‘Ake ungikhele amanzi ngenkezo yakho nginathe,’ yona ithi, ‘Natha, njalo ngizanathisa lamakamela akho,’ kube yiyo kanye oyikhethele inceku yakho u-Isaka. Ngalokho ngizakwazi ukuthi usutshengise umusa enkosini yami.”
15Ingakaqedi ukukhuleka, uRabheka waphuma ethwele imbiza yakhe yamanzi ehlombe lakhe. Wayeyindodakazi kaBhethuweli indodana kaMilikha, owayengumfazi womfowabo ka-Abhrahama uNahori. 16Intombi le yayinhle kakhulu, igcwele; ingakaze ilale lendoda. Yehlela emthonjeni, yagcwalisa imbiza yayo yasiqansa.
17Inceku yaphanga yamhlangabeza yathi, “Ngicela amanzi embizeni yakho.”
18Wathi, “Natha nkosi yami,” watsho esehlisa imbiza eyibamba ngezandla emnathisa.
19Esemnathisile wathi, “Ngizakhelela lamakamela akho lawo ngiwanathise.” 20Wasethululela imbiza yakhe emkolweni, wagijimela emthonjeni njalo ukukha amanye, wawakhelela wonke amakamela akhe. 21Indoda yabukela ithule ilokhu inanzelela idinga ukubona ukuthi ngeqiniso uThixo wayeluphumelelisile yini uhambo lwayo.
22Amakamela eseqedile ukunatha, indoda leyo yakhupha isongo lamakhala elenziwe ngegolide elilobunzima obungaba yingxenye yeshekeli, lezigqizo zegolide ezimbili ezilobunzima bamashekeli alitshumi. 23Yasibuza yathi, “Uyindodakazi kabani na? Ake ungitshele, kambe singazuza indawo yini emzini kayihlo kesicatshise amakhanda ubusuku balamuhla nje?”
24URabheka wamphendula wathi, “Ngiyindodakazi kaBhethuweli, indodana kaMilikha ayizalela uNahori.” 25Waphinda wengeza wathi, “Silotshani obunengi lamahlanga, kanye lendawo yokulala ikhona okwalamuhla ebusuku.”
26Indoda yakhothamela phansi yakhonza uThixo, 27isithi, “Udumo kalube kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, ongadelanga umusa wakhe lokuthembeka kwakhe enkosini yami. Mina ngokwami uThixo ungikhokhele ohanjweni lwami ngazafika endlini yezinini zenkosi yami.”
28Intombi yagijima yayabikela abendlu kanina ngalezizinto. 29URabheka wayelomnewabo owayethiwa nguLabhani, yena waphanga waya kuleyondoda eyayisemthonjeni. 30Wonela ukubona isongo lamakhala kanye lezigqizo engalweni kadadewabo, njalo esezwile uRabheka elandisa ngokwakhulunywa yindoda leyo kuye, wasuka waya kuyo wayifica imi eceleni kwamakamela eduze komthombo. 31Wathi, “Woza, wena obusisiweyo nguThixo. Umeleni phandle lapha? Sengilungisile indlu lendawo yamakamela.”
32Ngakho indoda yaya ngekhaya, lamakamela ethulwa imithwalo. Utshani lamahlanga kwalethwa emakameleni, yena lamadoda ayelawo balethelwa amanzi okugeza inyawo zabo. 33Kwasekulethwa ukudla kwabekwa phambi kwakhe, kodwa wathi, “Kangizukudla ngize ngiqale ngilitshele lokho okumele ngikutsho.”
ULabhani wathi, “Sitshele phela.”
34Ngakho wasesithi, “Ngiyinceku ka-Abhrahama. 35UThixo uyibusisile inkosi yami kakhulu, isinothile kakhulu. Uyiphile izimvu lenkomo, isiliva legolide, lezinceku zesilisa lezesifazane kanye lamakamela labobabhemi. 36Inkosikazi yenkosi yami, uSara, imzalele indodana ebudaleni bayo, inkosi yami yasiyinika leyondodana konke elakho. 37Njalo inkosi yami yangifungisa isifungo yathi, ‘Ungazuzeli indodana yami umfazi emadodakazini amaKhenani, engihlala elizweni lawo, 38kodwa yana ezininini zikababa, kwabosendo lwakithi, uzuzele indodana yami umfazi.’
39Ngasengiyibuza inkosi yami ngathi, ‘Pho nxa owesifazane lowo esala ukuza lapha-ke?’
40Yaphendula yathi, ‘UThixo, engihamba phambi kwakhe, uzathumela ingilosi yakhe ihambe lawe, iphumelelise uhambo lwakho ukuze uzuzele indodana yami umfazi kwabosendo lwakithi, lasezininini zikababa. 41Ngakho uzakuthi ungaya kwabosendo lwakithi, uzakhululwa esifungweni sami loba bangaze bale laye.’
42Ngithe ukufika kwami emthonjeni lamuhla ngathi, ‘Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, nxa uthanda, ngicela uphumelelise uhambo lolu engingalo lapha. 43Akubone, ngimi eceleni kwalo umthombo; nxa kufika intombi izokukha amanzi, ngithi kuyo, “Akunginathise amanzi amalutshwana enkonxeni yakho,” 44ingaze ithi kimi, “Natha, njalo ngizanathisa lamakamela akho lawo,” kabe nguye uThixo asemkhethele indodana yenkosi yami.’
45Ngingakaqedi ukukhuleka enhliziyweni yami, uRabheka waphuma, ethwele imbiza yakhe ehlombe. Wehlela emthonjeni wakha amanzi, ngathi kuye, ‘Akunginathise.’
46Waphanga wethula imbiza yakhe ehlombe lakhe wathi, ‘Natha, ngizanathisa lamakamela akho njalo.’ Ngakho nganatha, waphinda wanathisa lamakamela njalo.
47Ngambuza ngathi, ‘Uyindodakazi kabani wena?’
Wathi, ‘Indodakazi kaBhethuweli indodana kaNahori, amzala kuMilikha.’
Ngasengimgqizisa isongo emakhaleni lezigqizo ezingalweni zakhe, 48ngasengikhothamela phansi, ngamkhonza uThixo. Ngadumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, ongikhokhele endleleni eqondileyo ngazathola intombi engumzukulu womfowabo wenkosi yami ngayizuzela indodana yayo inkosi yami. 49Manje-ke nxa lizatshengisa umusa lokwethembeka enkosini yami, ngitshelani; loba kungenjalo, ngitshelani ukuze ngazi ukuthi ngithini.”
50ULabhani loBhethuweli baphendula bathi, “Lokhu kuvela kuThixo; kakukho esingakutsho kuwe, loba yini. 51Nangu uRabheka; mthathe uhambe laye ayekuba ngumfazi wendodana yenkosi yakho, njengalokhu okuqondiswe nguThixo.”
52Kwathi inceku ka-Abhrahama ikuzwa lokhu abakutshoyo yakhothama phansi emhlabathini phambi kukaThixo. 53Ngakho inceku yasikhupha igolide lesiliva kanye lempahla zokugqoka yakupha uRabheka; yapha njalo umnewabo lonina izipho ezidulayo. 54Yena lamadoda ayehamba lawo basebesidla njalo banatha, balala khona.
Bathi bevuka ekuseni wathi, “Sivumeleni sibuyele enkosini yami.”
55Kodwa umnewabo lonina baphendula bathi, “Ake ume kesihlale lentombazana okwensukwana ezingaba litshumi; lapho selingahamba-ke.”
56Kodwa wathi kubo, “Lingangibambeleli, njengoba uThixo eseluphumelelisile uhambo lwami. Wothini ngihambe ukuze ngiyefika enkosini yami.”
57Basebesithi, “Wothi sibize intombazana kesiyibuze ngakho.” 58Ngakho bambiza uRabheka bambuza bathi, “Uyafuna ukuhamba layo indoda le na?”
Wathi, “Ngizahamba layo.”
59Ngakho basebemkhulula udadewabo uRabheka ukuba ahambe kanye lomlizane wakhe, bahamba lenceku ka-Abhrahama lamadoda ayelayo. 60Njalo bambusisa uRabheka bathi kuye,
“Dadewethu, sengathi ungandisa
izinkulungwane zezinkulungwane;
sengathi inzalo yakho ingathumba
amadolobho ezitha zayo.”
61URabheka lamantombazana akhe bazilungiselela, basebekhwela amakamela abo bahamba lendoda leyo. Ngakho inceku yamthatha uRabheka yahamba.
62Ngalesosikhathi u-Isaka wayesefikile evela eBheri-Lahayi-Royi, ngoba wayehlala eNegebi. 63Ngenye intambama waya ensimini ehambahamba ukuthi ake ahluze ingqondo, wasesithi uyakhangela wabona amakamela esiza. 64URabheka laye wakhangela wambona u-Isaka. Wehla ekameleni lakhe 65wabuza inceku wathi, “Indoda leyana esensimini ngubani, leyana esihlangabezayo?”
Inceku yaphendula yathi, “Uyinkosi yami.” Yikho uRabheka wasethatha ilembu elilula wazemboza ngalo.
66Inceku yasimtshela u-Isaka konke lokho eyayikwenzile. 67U-Isaka wamngenisa ethenteni likanina uSara, wahle wamthatha uRabheka. Ngakho wasesiba ngumkakhe, wamthanda; u-Isaka waduduzeka ngemva kokufa kukanina.
Copyright information for
NdeBEN