noAbhram wagcina efundile ukukholwa
noAbhram wagcina efundile ukukholwauGenesisi 17 nezahluko ezilandelayo
Waqhamuka uSmakade, waziveza kuAbhram, wathi: “Ungethuki, Abhram; yimi. Ngihlosé ukuba ngumvikeli wakho. Futhi nje-ke ngisophé ukukwemukelisa omkhulu umvuzo lo!”
“Kahle wena bo!” kukhuza uAbhram, „Mvuzo muni lowo osungethembisa wona manje? Ingani sikhuluma-nje awukaze unginike nanzalo kuze kube namhla lokhu! Nefa lami liyogcina lizidlelwe-nje yilona osebenza kwami, uEliyeza waseDamaseku.”
“Suka lapha!” kuphendula iNkosi, “Elakho ifa liyodliwa yindodana yakho! Woza lapha ngikukhombise.” Usemholela phambi kwethende, eseqhubeka ethi: “Bheka naziya izinkanyezi esibhakabhakeni. Ungaziqeda ukuzibala? Iyoba ngako-ke eyakho inzalo!”
Cha-ke, wakholelwa-ke kulokho uAbhram; kwayithokozisa iNkosi lokho.
USarayi umkakhe wayenesigqilikazi saseGibhithe esasimsebenzela, uHagari. Ngokubona ukuthi yena akazali, langa lithize usethi kumyeni wakhe: “Inkosi ayingiphi mntwana; nawe uyabona. Mhlawumbe isigqilikazi sami sona singakutholela indodana: Aké ngikunike sona, uzizamele.” Wavuma-ke uAbhram; kwaba njalo-ke. Kwasekuphelé iminyaka eyishumi bafika kwelaseKhenani.
Sekuthi-ke uAbhram esemkhulelisile uHagari, waqala manje uHagari ukumeya uSarayi, esembukela phansi. Wakhononda uSarayi kumyeni wakhe: “Yimi engikuvumelé ukuthi uzame ukuthola inzalo, ngakunika imvume yokuthi ulale nesigqilikazi sami. Sesithé singakhulelwa-ke manje sesizikhukhumeza; mina asisangazi nokuthi bengiyini-nje! Kukho konke lokho wena uyangibukelela nje. USmakade ungumahluleli oqotho; ngiqinisile!“ UAbhram waphendula ngelokuthi: “Yeka mina piansi wena. UHagari yisigqilikazi sakho; ùngenza okuthandayo ngaye!“ Uthé-ke uSarayi eseké wamdonsa ngendlebe uHagari, wayesevama ukumphatha ngesandla esiqinile; weqa uHagari, zaya!
Kwathi uHagari ephumule ngasemthonjaneni endleleni eya eShuri, wafikelwa yisithunywa seNkosi – ingelosi – sathi: „We Hagari, ncekukazi kaSarayi, ulibangisephi na?“ „Ngeqile!“ kuphendula uHagari. „Phindela emuva!“ kusho ingelosi, „Phindela uthobele umthetho womcindezeli wakho. Inkosi iyokupha inzalo eningi kakhulu. Ùzozibula ngendodana, uyethe elithi nguIshmayeli ngoba uSmakade ukuzwile ukubalisa kwakho. Uyokhula abe ùmdlwembe kuhle kwembongolo yasendle; uMpikayipheli othi echukuluza laba, abe ehlaselwa yilaba. Bayohlangana ngaye abafowabo, bamhlasele bephangelana!“
UHagari usevela ngelokuthi: “Kusho ukuthi-ke namuhla ngiboné ohlala engibona njalo, ohlala engibhekile!“ Wayesemetha uNkulunkulu abekhuluma naye elithi „ùnguNkulunkulu ongibonayo wena.“ Yingakho nje-ke lo mthombo sewabizwa ngokuthi ngumthombo iBeer-lhai-Roi, okungukuthi „ngumthombo woPhilayio ongibhekileyo“, uphakathi kwaseKhadeshi naseBheredi.
Wabeletha-ke uHagari; uAbhram wayiqamba elithi nguIshmayeli indodana. Wayesehlanganisé owamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nesithupha uAbhram.
Inxiwa likaAbhraham (usenegama elisha phela muva nje; bheka kuGenesisi 17,5) lalingekude nezihlahlakazi zaseMamre ezazaziswa kakhulu, zikhothanyelwa. Langa limbe ezihlalele phambi kwelinye lamathende akwakhe, wavakashelwa nguSmakade:
Buqama-nje ubona isihambi nababili abasiphelekezelayo; usephuthuma, ebahlangabeza, esho phansi ngedolo, ebabingelela: „Banumzane! Phambukelani kwami kengizwe ubumnandi bokunitatazelela nginitenda! Ngizophuthuma namanzi okususa uthuli ezinyaweni. Phumulani lapha phansi kwesihahla emthunzini, ngisalanda okokuqeda ukoma, nisuse esemehlweni ngaphambi kokuqhubeka nohambo lwenu. …“ Zavuma izihambi.
Waphuthuma ethendeni uAhbraham, wathi kumkakhe: We Sara (naye phela usenegama elisha!) Thatha izitsha zibe ntathu zikaflawa ubhakele nampa abantu phandle; bayedlula, balambile!“ Nanguya ephuma, eseqonde kwabelusé imfuyo yakhe. Wafike wakhetha ithole, wathi alihlatshwe, losiwe, liphekelwe izivakashi zakhe ngokushesha. Usethatha-ke ubisi namasi ekuletha kanye nakho konke lokhu kudla kwabahleli phansi kwesihlahla phandle; basina bazibethela.
Usebuza omuye wabo ukuthi uphi uSara. Uyasho-ke uAbhraham ukuthi usendlini – ethendeni. „Uma ngiphinda ngifika lapha ngonyaka ozayo,“ kusho lomlisa belu, „uyobe esebelethile – esegoné indodana umkakho!“
Bakhuluma-nje uyabezwa uSara! „Yimihlolo yami!“ esho ezicabangela yedwana. « Ngingathi sengizigugele ngingaka, kube kusathiwa ngiyokhulelwa, ngizale? Akubuyelw’ emuva kungemgqigqo! Nomyeni wami esazigugela-nje !? … »
Isithi-ke iNkosi kuAbhraham : « Awungitshele: Uhlekani uSara ? Akakukholwa lokhu engikushoyo ukuthi uzothola umntwana ? Akukho okwehlula uSmakade. Ngonyaka ozayo uyongibuza ungiphale ulimi: uyobe eseyigonile indodana!“