Genesis
18 Emva koko uYehova+ wabonakala kuAbraham phakathi kwemithi emikhulu yaseMamre,+ ngoxa wayesahleli emnyangweni wentente, ngelona xesha litshisa kakhulu emini. 2 Waphakamisa amehlo akhe waza wabona amadoda amathathu eme qelele.+ Uthe nje akuwabona, wasuka emnyangweni wentente ebaleka esiya kuwo, waqubuda emhlabeni. 3 Emva koko wathi: “Yehova, ukuba ndiyathandeka emehlweni akho, ndiyacela ungadluli nje kumkhonzi wakho. 4 Ndiyacela, makuziswe intwana yamanzi, nihlanjwe iinyawo,+ nize nithi vu phantsi komthi. 5 Ekubeni nize apha kwisicaka senu, mandiniphathele iqhekeza lesonka, ukuze niphinde nibe namandla.* Emva koko ningahamba indlela yenu.” Wona athi: “Kulungile. Ungayenza loo nto uyithethileyo.”
6 Ngoko uAbraham wakhawuleza waya ententeni kuSara wathi: “Khawulezisa! Thatha imilinganiselo emithathu* yomgubo ocolekileyo, uxove intlama, wenze izonka.” 7 Emva koko uAbraham wabaleka waya emhlambini, wathatha ithole lenkunzi yenkomo elithambileyo nelihle. Walinika isicaka sakhe, sona saya kulixhela saza salipheka. 8 Wathatha ibhotolo, ubisi nethole lenkunzi yenkomo elalilungisiwe, wabeka oko kutya phambi kwaloo madoda. Emva koko wema ngakuwo phantsi komthi, njengoko ayesitya.+
9 Athi kuye: “Uphi umfazi wakho uSara?”+ Wathi: “Ulapha ententeni.” 10 Omnye wawo wathi: “Nakanjani, ndiza kubuyela kuwe ngeli xesha kunyaka ozayo, yaye jonga! uSara umfazi wakho uza kuba nonyana.”+ USara wayemamele esemnyangweni wentente eyayisemva kwaloo ndoda. 11 UAbraham noSara babebadala, begugile.+ USara wayesele egqithile kwiminyaka yokufumana abantwana.*+ 12 Ngoko uSara wahlekela ngaphakathi esithi: “Njengokuba sendiphelile nje, nenkosi yam seyigugile, ngaba nyhani ndingalufumana olu vuyo?”+ 13 Emva koko uYehova wathi kuAbraham: “Kutheni uSara eye wahleka nje waza wathi, ‘Ngaba nyhani ndiza kuzala nokuba ndigugile?’ 14 Ngaba ikho into enokumxaka uYehova?+ Ndiza kubuyela kuwe ngeli xesha kunyaka ozayo, ibe uSara uza kuba nonyana.” 15 Kodwa uSara waphika esithi: “Khange ndihleke!” kuba wayesoyika. Yena wathi: “Uhlekile.”
16 Kamva loo madoda aphakama eza kuhamba, waza uAbraham wawakhapha wawajikisa endleleni, aza abona iSodom.+ 17 UYehova wathi: “Ndingamfihlela njani uAbraham into endiza kuyenza?+ 18 Kaloku nakanjani uAbraham uza kuba luhlanga olukhulu nolunamandla, ibe zonke iintlanga zomhlaba ziza kusikelelwa* ngenxa yakhe.+ 19 Ndiye ndamazi, ukuze ayalele oonyana bakhe nendlu yakhe ukuba igcine indlela kaYehova, ngokwenza okulungileyo nokufanelekileyo,+ ukuze uYehova ayenze into ebeyithembise ngoAbraham.”
20 Emva koko uYehova wathi: “Kukhalwa kakhulu ngeSodom neGomora,+ ibe isono sezo ndawo sikhulu kakhulu.+ 21 Ndiza kwehla ukuze ndibone ukuba benza ngokwesikhalo esifikileyo kum na. Ukuba akunjalo, ndiza kuyazi loo nto.”+
22 Emva koko, loo madoda emka apho aya ngaseSodom, kodwa uYehova+ washiyeka noAbraham. 23 UAbraham wasondela waza wathi: “Ngaba nyhani uza kulitshayela ilungisa kunye nomenzi-bubi?+ 24 Masithi kweso sixeko kukho abantu abayi-50 abangamalungisa. Ngaba uza kubatshayela, ungayixoleli loo ndawo ngenxa yaloo malungisa ayi-50 akuyo? 25 Andiyicingi nokuyicinga ukuba ungenza into enjalo, ubulale umntu olilungisa nomenzi-bubi, lize ilungisa nomenzi-bubi babe nesiphelo esinye!+ Ngokuqinisekileyo awunakuyenza loo nto.+ Ngaba uMgwebi womhlaba wonke akazukwenza okulungileyo?”+ 26 UYehova wathi: “Ukuba ndifumene eSodom abantu abangamalungisa abayi-50 esixekweni, ndiza kuyixolela yonke loo ndawo ngenxa yabo.” 27 UAbraham waphinda wathi: “Kowu nako sendithetha noYehova kodwa ndiluthuli nothuthu. 28 Masithi ke angaphantsi ngesihlanu loo malungisa ayi-50. Ngaba uza kude utshabalalise isixeko sonke ngenxa nje yabahlanu?” UThixo wathi: “Andizukusitshabalalisa ukuba ndifumene abayi-45 kuso.”+
29 UAbraham waphinda wathi kuThixo: “Masithi ke kufumaneke abayi-40 apho.” Wathi: “Andizukusitshabalalisa ngenxa yabayi-40.” 30 Kodwa waqhubeka wathi: “Owu yhini Yehova, ungavuthi ngumsindo,+ kodwa ndivumele ndithethe: Masithi ke kufumaneke abayi-30 kuso.” UThixo wathi: “Andizukusitshabalalisa ukuba ndifumana abayi-30 kuso.” 31 Kodwa waphinda wathi: “Kowu, nako sendithetha noYehova: Masithi ke kufumaneke abayi-20 kuso.” UThixo wathi: “Andizukusitshabalalisa ngenxa yabayi-20.” 32 Ekugqibeleni wathi: “Owu yhini Yehova, ungavuthi ngumsindo, kodwa ndivumele ndithethe okokugqibela: Masithi ke, kufumaneke khona abalishumi.” UThixo wathi: “Andizukusitshabalalisa ngenxa yabalishumi.” 33 Uthe uYehova akugqiba ukuthetha, noAbraham wemka,+ waza noAbraham wabuyela endaweni yakhe.