UGenesisi 12:1-20
12 UJehova wasesithi ku-Abrama: “Suka elizweni lakini lasezihlotsheni zakho lakwabendlu kayihlo uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.+
2 Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu, ngikubusise, ngenze ukuthi ibizo lakho libe likhulu njalo uzakuba yisibusiso.+
3 Ngizababusisa labo abakubusisayo njalo umuntu okuqalekisayo ngizamqalekisa.+ Zonke imuli ezisemhlabeni zizabusiswa* ngawe.”+
4 Ngakho u-Abrama wasuka njengoba nje uJehova wayemtshelile njalo uLothi wahamba laye. U-Abrama wayeleminyaka engu-75 ngesikhathi esuka eHarani.+
5 U-Abrama wathatha umkakhe uSarayi+ loLothi indodana yomfowabo,+ lazo zonke impahla ababezibuthelele,+ lazo zonke izisebenzi ababezithole eHarani baqonda eKhenani.+ Bathi befika elizweni laseKhenani,
6 u-Abrama wadabula kulo lonke ilizwe waze wayafika endaweni yaseShekhemu+ eduze lezihlahla ezinkulu zaseMore.+ Ngalesosikhathi elizweni lelo kwakuhlala amaKhenani.
7 UJehova wasebonakala ku-Abrama wathi: “Ilizwe leli ngizalipha+ izizukulwane zakho.”*+ Ngakho u-Abrama wakha i-alithare kuleyondawo, elakhela uJehova owayebonakale kuye.
8 Ngemva kwesikhathi waya ezintabeni ezisempumalanga kweBhetheli,+ wamisa itende lakhe kuleyondawo, iBhetheli ingasentshonalanga, i-Ayi+ ingasempumalanga. Wakhela uJehova i-alithare kuleyondawo+ njalo waqala ukubiza ibizo likaJehova.+
9 Ngemva kwalokho u-Abrama wasuka kuleyondawo waqonda emangweni weNegebhi+ njalo wayelokhu ethutha esuka kwenye indawo esiya kwenye.
10 Ngalesosikhathi kwaba lendlala elizweni. U-Abrama wasesiya eGibhithe wayahlala khona okwesikhatshana*+ ngoba indlala yayibhahile.+
11 Wathi esezafika eGibhithe wasesithi kumkakhe uSarayi: “Lalela nkosikazi, ngiyakwazi ukuthi umuhle kakhulu.+
12 AmaGibhithe azakuthi ekubona athi, ‘Lo yinkosikazi yakhe,’ abesengibulala wena akutshiye uphila.
13 Ngicela uwatshele ukuthi ungudadewethu ukuze angiphathe kuhle ngenxa yakho futhi angangibulali.”+
14 U-Abrama wathi engena nje eGibhithe, amaGibhithe ananzelela ukuthi owesifazana ayehamba laye wayemuhle kakhulu.
15 Leziphathamandla zikaFaro eziphezulu zambona zafika kuFaro zababaza ubuhle bakhe. Owesifazana lo wasethathwa wahanjiswa endlini kaFaro.
16 UFaro wamphatha kuhle u-Abrama ngenxa kaSarayi, wamupha izimvu lenkomo, obabhemi abaduna labasikazi, lezisebenzi zesilisa lezesifazana kanye lamakamela.+
17 UJehova wasetshaya uFaro labendlu yakhe ngenhlupho ezibuhlungu ngenxa kaSarayi umka-Abrama.+
18 Ngakho uFaro wabiza u-Abrama wathi kuye: “Kuyini lokhu ongenze khona? Uyekeleleni ukungitshela ukuthi ngumkakho?
19 Kungani uthe ngudadewenu?+ Phela ngiphose ngamthatha waba ngumkami. Nangu umkakho, mthathe uhambe.”
20 Yikho uFaro wanika izinceku zakhe umlayo mayelana lo-Abrama basebemyekela wahamba lomkakhe kanye lakho konke ayelakho.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “zizazitholela isibusiso.”
^ Kumbe, “inzalo yakho.”
^ Kumbe, “wayahlala khona njengowezizweni.”
