EYEZIQALO 24
24
UIsake ufunelwa umfazi
1Wayeseleyinkothovu yexhego uAbraham ngeli xesha, waye *uNdikhoyo emthamsanqelisa kuyo yonke into ayenzayo. 2Ngenye imini wathi kwisicaka sakhe esithembekileyo esasiyinduna emzini wakhe: “Khawufunge! 3Ndifuna ufunge phambi kukaNdikhoyo uThixo wezulu nomhlaba ukuba akusayi kumfunela umfazi unyana wam apha kwezi ntombi zaseKanana. 4Kufuneka uye kwilizwe lakowethu, apho ikhoyo inkaba yam. Kulapho uya kumfunela khona umfazi uIsake, phakathi kwezizalwane zam.”
5Sibuzile sathi isicaka sika-Abraham: “Ukuba loo ntombi ayivumi ukulishiya ikhaya layo ize apha kweli lizwe, ze ndithini? Ze ndimse apho kwelo zwe unyana wakho uIsake?”
6Uthe uAbraham: “Uze ungakhe umse apho unyana wam. 7NguNdikhoyo uThixo wezulu nomhlaba ngokwakhe owandisusa kwilizwe lakowethu, naphakathi kwezizalwane zam, wandithembisa efunga ukuba lo mhlaba uya kumiwa ngabazukulwana bam. Nguye oya kuthumela isithunywa sakhe apho, ungekafiki wena. Ke wofika apho uyifumane intombi eyoba ngumfazi wonyana wam. 8Ukuba ke loo ntombi ayifuni kuza kweli lizwe, woba ke ukhululekile wena kwesi sifungo. Kodwa nokuba sekutheni, uzungakhe ulinge ukumsa kwelo zwe unyana wam.” 9Sasenza ke isifungo saso isicaka, sithembisa ukwenza loo nto asiyalela yona uAbraham.
10Induna ka-Abraham yahamba neshumi leenkamela, yaphatha neendidi ngeendidi zezipho. Yanduluka ukuya kwisixeko esasiseAram-narayim apho wayemi khona uNahore. 11Yafika ukutshona kwelanga apho, ngexesha kanye iintombi ziya kukha amanzi. Iinkamela yaziphumza ngakumthombo owawusekungeneni kwesixeko eso.
12Wathandaza loo mfo wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo wenkosi yam uAbraham, khawundincede namhlanje usikhumbule isithembiso owasenza kuAbraham. 13Naku ndilapha ngakulo mthombo, apho iintombi zalapha zikha khona amanzi. 14Maze kuthi ke xa ndithi kuzo mazindikhelele amanzi ndisele, ithi leyo ithe yandipha yaza yathi iza kupha neenkamela zam zisele, ndiqonde ngaloo nto ke ukuba yile uyikhethele ukuba yendele kuIsake isicaka sakho. Ndokwazi kananjalo ukuba usigcinile isithembiso owasenza enkosini yam uAbraham.”
15Uthe engekaphezi nokuthandaza kwafika uRabheka emthonjeni, ethwele ingqayi yamanzi. Yena ke yintombi kaBhetuweli unyana kaNahore umninawa ka-Abraham. Unina kaBhetuweli nguMilika. 16Wayeyinzwakazi, eseyintombi nto engayaziyo indoda. Wehla waya emthonjeni, wayizalisa ingqayi, wabuya. 17Loo mfo wakhawuleza ukumhlangabeza, wathi: “Khawundiphe amanzi ndisele kuloo ngqayi yakho.”
18Wathi uRabheka: “Ungasela, mhlekazi.” Watsho eyithoba ingqayi, wambambela lo gama aselayo. 19Akugqiba ukusela loo mfo, uthe uRabheka: “Ndiza kuzikhelela neenkamela zakho, zisele zanele.” 20Wawagalela loo manzi ayesengqayini kwindawo yokuselela iinkamela, waquqa esiya kukha amanye, zada zasela zanela. 21Lo mfo wayebukele ethe cwaka, ecinga ukuba ngaba lwaluphumelele na uhambo lwakhe.
22Zakugqiba ukusela iinkamela loo mfo wakhupha ijikazi legolide, waliqhoboshela empumlweni kaRabheka, wamfaka nezacholo zegolide ezingalweni. 23Wabuza wathi: “Uyintombi kabani? Phofu singayifumana indawo yokulala kowenu, sikhe siphumle ngokuhlwanje?”
24“Ndiyintombi kaBhetuweli, ozalwa nguNahore noMilika,” yatsho ukuphendula. 25“Kukho iindiza nehabile eninzi ekhaya, ikwakho nendawo yokulala.”
26Loo ndoda yaguqa yathandaza yathi: 27“Makabongwe uNdikhoyo, uThixo ka-Abraham inkosi yam, othe wanyaniseka ekugcineni isithembiso sakhe. NguNdikhoyo ondikhokelele ngqo emzini wezizalwana zenkosi yam.”
28Loo ntombi yabaleka ukuya kowayo, yafika yabalisa. 29URabheka wayenomnakwabo ekuthiwa nguLabhan. Yena wasukela ukuya emthonjeni apho kwakukho isicaka sika-Abraham. 30ULabhan wayelibonile ijikazi nezacholo zodade wabo, eyivile nento eyathethwa nguloo mfo kuye. Ufike wathi kweso sicaka sika-Abraham sasimi ngasemthonjeni neenkamela zaso: 31“Mhlekazi, wena uNdikhoyo ukuthamsanqelisile; yiza siye ekhaya; mus' ukum' apha. Kukho indawo ekhaya, nditsho neyokugcina iinkamela zakho.”
32Yahamba naye ke loo ndoda, yaya kowabo, uLabhan wazithula imithwalo iinkamela, wazipha nokutya. Weza namanzi, aza loo madoda ahlamba iinyawo. 33Kweziswa nokutya, sathi isicaka sika-Abraham: “Andikazi kutya ndide ndiluthethe udaba endihambele lona.”
Uthe uLabhan: “Thetha sive.”
34“Mna ndisisicaka sika-Abraham,” utshilo lo mfo. 35“UNdikhoyo wamthamsanqelisa uAbraham, wamenza isityebi. Uneenkomo, neegusha, neebhokhwe, kunye nemali yesiliva negolide. Unazo nezicaka ezingamadoda nezibhinqileyo, ukwanazo neenkamela needonki. 36USara inkosikazi yenkosi yam wazala unyana sele aluphele. Nguloo nyana indlalifa ka-Abraham. 37Inkosi yam uAbraham yathi mandifunge ukuba andiyi kumthathela umfazi unyana wakhe phakathi kweentombi zaseKanana apho akhoyo. 38Wathi kufuneka ndiye kowabo, ndimthathele umfazi unyana wakhe phakathi kwezizalwane zakhe. 39Ndathi ke mna kuye: ‘Ukuba loo ntombi ayifuni kumka kowayo, ze ndithini?’ 40Wathi yena uNdikhoyo amkhonzayo wothumela isithunywa sakhe phambi kwam, khon' ukuze uphumelele umcimbi endiwuhambelayo. Mna kufuneka ndithathe umfazi kowabo, phakathi kwezizalwana zakhe. 41Wathi ukuba ndiyenzile loo nto, zaza izizalwana zakhe azavuma ukundinika intombi yazo, ndoba ke mna ndikhululekile esifungweni sam.
42“Ndithe ke ndakufika kulaa mthombo namhlanje, ndamcela uNdikhoyo uThixo wenkosi yam uAbraham ukuba ze lo mcimbi ndiwuhambeleyo uphumelele. 43Ndathi: ‘Ndim lo, ndimi apha ngakulo mthombo. Ze kuthi ke xa kukho ntombi ifikayo apha, ndithi ndakucela amanzi 44indiphe, ivume ukuseza neenkamela zam, ndiya kuqonda ngaloo nto ke ukuba yile uyikhethele unyana wenkosi yam.’ 45Ndithe ndingekaphezi noko kuthandaza wee gqi uRabheka ethwele ingqayi, wehla waya kukha amanzi emthonjeni. Ndicelile ukuba andiphe amanzi ndisele. 46Kwangoko uyithule ingqayi abeyithwele, wathi mandisele, watsho esithi neenkamela zam uza kuzithuthela amanzi zisele. Ndisele ke, neenkamela zam zasela. 47Ndibuze ukuba uyintombi kabani na. Wathi yena uyintombi kaBhetuweli ozalwa nguNahore noMilika. Ndimfake elaa jikazi ahombe ngalo, ndamnxiba nezacholo ezingalweni. 48Ndiguqile, ndinqula ndibulela uNdikhoyo uThixo ka-Abraham inkosi yam, lo undizise ngqo apha kwintombi engumzukulwana womtakwabo wenkosi yam engendela kunyana wayo. 49Yitshoni ke ngoku ukuba nizimisele ukuyenzela le mbeko inkosi yam, ninyaniseke kuyo; naxa kungenjalo ndixeleleni, khon' ukuze ndibone cebo limbi.”
50Bathe ukuphendula ooLabhan noBhetuweli: “Asingethi: ‘Hayi,’ okanye: ‘Ewe;’ kuba sijongile nje ngathi le nto ayiyodwa, inomnwe kaNdikhoyo kuyo. 51Nanku uRabheka, ukho; mthathe uhambe naye, aye kwendela kunyana wenkosi yakho, njengoko ebonile uNdikhoyo.” 52Yakuyiva loo nto induna ka-Abraham yaguqa yathandaza ibonga uNdikhoyo. 53Ikhuphe izambatho ezihle, nezacholo zegolide nezesiliva, yazinika uRabheka. Iphe nomnakwabo kunye nonina izipho zexabiso.
54Emva koko loo nduna ka-Abraham yaya kutya naloo madoda yayihamba nawo. Balala apho ngobo busuku. Bathe bakuvuka ngengomso, yathi induna ka-Abraham: “Siza kucela indlela sigoduke namhlanje.”
55Umnakwabo-Rabheka nonina bathe: “Ubungeyishiyi na intombi okweentsukwana nokuba zilishumi, ize ibuye ilandele?”
56Ithe induna: “Hayi, sanukundibambezela; uNdikhoyo ewuqabelisile nje umcimbi ebendiwuhambele, yini ngoku? Ndiyekeni ndibuyele ekhaya kwinkosi yam.”
57Bathe ke makhe kubizwe uRabheka, khe kuviwe kuye. 58Ubiziwe ke, wabuzwa ukuba uyahamba na kunye nalo mfo. Uphendule ngelithi: “Ewe, ndiyahamba.”
59Bamkhulula ke uRabheka ukuba ahambe naloo nduna ka-Abraham kunye naloo madoda yayihamba nawo. Waphelekwa sisicakakazi sakowabo awayekhulela phantsi kwaso. 60Bamndulula ngentsikelelo, besithi:
“Hamba ke, ntombi!
Unga ungazala waphule uluthi,
ube nenyambalala yabantwana.
Banga bangazoyis' iintshaba zabo,
baziphange nemihlaba yazo.”
61URabheka kunye nabafazana ababemkhapha bazilungiselela ukukhwela iinkamela, baza banduluka kunye nesicaka sika-Abraham.
62UIsake wayeselefudukile waya kutsho ngakumthombo kaPhila-endibonile, selemi emazantsi eKanana. 63Ngamhla uthile ngorhatya uIsake wayehamba-hamba endle, wabona kusithi gqi iinkamela, zisiza ngakuye. 64URabheka akubona uIsake wehla enkameleni yakhe, 65wabuza kwinduna ka-Abraham wathi: “Ngubani lowa ucanda emasimini esihlangabeza?”
Ithe ukuphendula: “Yinkosi yam leya.” Kwangoko uRabheka uthathe iqhiya yakhe, wazigquma ubuso.
66Yambalisela konke induna uIsake. 67UIsake umngenise uRabheka kulaa ntente yayiyekanina uSara, wamenza umkakhe. UIsake wayemthanda kakhulu uRabheka, kangangokuba savaleka nesikroba esabangwa kukusweleka kukanina uSara.
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EYEZIQALO 24: XHO96
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© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.