Genesise
18 Kamuva uJehova wabonakala+ kuye phakathi kwemithi emikhulu kaMamre,+ lapho ehleli emnyango wetende ngesikhathi sokushisa kosuku.+ 2 Lapho ephakamisa amehlo,+ wabheka futhi kwakukhona amadoda amathathu emi buqamama naye. Lapho ewabona waqala ukugijima ewahlangabeza esuka emnyango wetende, wayesekhothama phansi emhlabathini.+ 3 Khona-ke wathi: “Manje, Jehova, uma ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, siza ungadluli encekwini yakho.+ 4 Ngiyacela, makuthathwe amanzi amancane nigezwe izinyawo.+ Khona-ke nihlale phansi komuthi.+ 5 Futhi mangithole ucezu lwesinkwa, ngiqabule izinhliziyo zenu.+ Ngemva kwalokho, ningadlula, ngoba kungaleso sizathu niye nadlula encekwini yenu ngale ndlela.” Kulokhu athi: “Kulungile. Ungenza njengoba nje ukhulumile.”
6 Ngakho u-Abrahama washesha waya etendeni kuSara wathi: “Shesha! Thatha amaseya amathathu kafulawa ocolekileyo, uxove inhlama wenze amaqebelengwane ayizindilinga.”+ 7 Ngokulandelayo u-Abrahama wagijima waya emhlambini wezinkomo wathatha iduna elihle nelithambile walinika isikhonzi, sashesha salilungisa.+ 8 Wabe esethatha ibhotela nobisi neduna ayelilungisile wakubeka phambi kwawo.+ Khona-ke yena wayelokhu emile ngakuwo phansi komuthi njengoba edla.+
9 Athi kuye: “Uphi uSara umkakho?”+ Wathi: “Ulapha etendeni!”+ 10 Ngakho yaqhubeka: “Ngokuqinisekile ngiyobuyela kuwe ngonyaka ozayo ngalesi sikhathi, futhi, bheka! uSara umkakho uyoba nendodana.”+ USara wayelalele esemnyango wetende, ungemva kwale ndoda. 11 U-Abrahama noSara base bebadala, sebekhulile impela.+ USara wayengasayi esikhathini.+ 12 Ngakho uSara wahleka ngaphakathi,+ ethi: “Ngemva kokuba sengigugile, ingabe ngempela ngizoba nenjabulo, ngaphandle kwalokho nenkosi yami isindala?”+ 13 Khona-ke uJehova wathi ku-Abrahama: “Uhlekeleni uSara, ethi, ‘Ingabe ngempela ngempela ngizozala nakuba sengimdala na?’+ 14 Ingabe kukhona okungaphezu kwamandla kaJehova?+ Ngesikhathi esimisiwe ngizobuyela kuwe, ngonyaka ozayo ngalesi sikhathi, uSara uyoba nendodana.” 15 Kodwa uSara waphika, ethi: “Angihlekanga!” Ngoba wayesaba. Kulokhu wathi: “Cha! impela uhlekile.”+
16 Kamuva la madoda asuka lapho abheka ezansi ngaseSodoma;+ u-Abrahama wahamba nawo ewaphelezela.+ 17 UJehova wathi: “Ingabe ngiyamfihlela u-Abrahama lokho engikwenzayo?”+ 18 Phela, u-Abrahama ngokuqinisekile uzokuba isizwe esikhulu nesinamandla, futhi zonke izizwe zomhlaba ziyobusiswa ngaye.+ 19 Ngoba ngiye ngajwayelana naye ukuze ayale amadodana akhe nendlu yakhe ngemva kwakhe ukuze bagcine indlela kaJehova ukuba benze ukulunga nokwahlulela;+ ukuze uJehova ngokuqinisekile akwenze ku-Abrahama lokho akukhulumile ngaye.”+
20 Ngakho uJehova wathi: “Isikhalo ngeSodoma neGomora,+ yebo, sikhulu, nesono sabo, yebo, sinzima kakhulu.+ 21 Ngizimisele impela ukwehla ukuze ngibone ukuthi ngempela benza ngokwesikhalo esiye safika kimi ngalo, futhi, uma kungenjalo, ngizokwazi.”+
22 Kuleli qophelo la madoda aphenduka esuka lapho angena indlela aya eSodoma; kodwa uJehova yena+ wayesamile phambi kuka-Abrahama.+ 23 Khona-ke u-Abrahama wasondela wathi: “Ingabe ngempela uzokhukhula olungile kanye nomubi?+ 24 Ake sithi kukhona abantu abalungile abangamashumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi. Ingabe-ke uzobakhukhula ungayixoleli indawo ngenxa yabalungile abangamashumi amahlanu abangaphakathi kwayo?+ 25 Kuyinto engacabangeki ukuba wenze ngale ndlela, ukuba ubulale umuntu olungile kanye nomubi ukuze kwenzeke kolungile njengoba kwenzeka komubi!+ Kuyinto engacabangeki ngawe.+ Ubengeke yini uMahluleli womhlaba wonke enze okulungile?”+ 26 Khona-ke uJehova wathi: “Uma ngingathola eSodoma abantu abalungile abangamashumi amahlanu phakathi komuzi ngizoyixolela yonke indawo ngenxa yabo.”+ 27 Kodwa u-Abrahama waphendula wathi: “Ngiyacela, bheka ngikwenzé umsebenzi wami ukukhuluma noJehova, kanti ngiluthuli nomlotha.+ 28 Ake sithi kulabo abangamashumi amahlanu abalungile kusilela abahlanu. Ingabe ngenxa yalabo abahlanu uzowuchitha wonke umuzi?” Waphendula wathi: “Ngeke ngiwuchithe uma ngithola khona abangamashumi amane nanhlanu.”+
29 Kodwa waphinda futhi waqhubeka ekhuluma naye ethi: “Ake sithi kutholakala lapho abangamashumi amane.” Yena wathi: “Ngeke ngikwenze ngenxa yalabo abangamashumi amane.” 30 Kodwa waqhubeka wathi: “Ngiyacela, kwangathi uJehova angevuthe ngentukuthelo,+ kodwa angivumele ngiqhubeke ngikhulume:+ Ake sithi kutholakala lapho abangamashumi amathathu.” Yena wathi: “Ngeke ngikwenze uma ngithola abangamashumi amathathu khona.” 31 Kodwa waqhubeka wathi: “Ngiyacela, bheka ngikwenzé umsebenzi wami ukukhuluma noJehova:+ Ake sithi kutholakala lapho abangamashumi amabili.” Yena wathi: “Ngeke ngiwuchithe ngenxa yabangamashumi amabili.”+ 32 Ekugcineni wathi: “Ngiyacela, kwangathi uJehova angevuthe ngentukuthelo,+ kodwa angivumele ngikhulume kanye nje kuphela:+ Ake sithi kutholakala abayishumi.” Yena wathi: “Ngeke ngiwuchithe ngenxa yalabo abayishumi.”+ 33 Khona-ke eseqedile ukukhuluma no-Abrahama uJehova+ wahamba lapho, no-Abrahama wabuyela endaweni yakhe.