1, 2. Ngiwuphi umsebenzi obewenziwa nguNuwa nomndenakhe, begodu baqalana nayiphi imiraro?

 UNUWA walula idini nemisiphakhe ebuhlungu. Mcabange ahlezi ebhangeni, aphumula emsebenzinakhe isikhatjhana njengombana aqale umkhumbi omkhulu lo. Bekuzwakala iphunga lesikontiri esitjhisako; kuzwakala nobukhahlakhahla bamaplanka. Lapho egade ahlezi khona, uNuwa bekangabona amadodanakhe asebenza nzima eengcenyeni ezihlukahlukeneko zephahla leengodo. Amadodanakhe, abafazi bawo, nomkakhe amthandako boke gade basebenza naye esakhiwenesi amatjhumi weminyaka. Bekukude lapho bavela khona, kanti bekusesekude nalapho baya khona!

² Abantu bendaweni leyo bebacabanga bona ziindlhadlha. Njengombana umkhumbi sewubonakala, abantu baragela phambili bahleka indaba kakukhulamungu ozokugubuzesa iphasi. Ihlekelele uNuwa egade asolo abayelelisa ngayo yabonakala ilibhudango begodu ibudlhayela! Bebangakholwa bona umuntu angamorosa isikhathi sakhe—somndenakhe—emsebenzini onjengalo. Nokho, uZimu kaNuwa, uJehova, akhenge amqale njengesidlhayela.

3. Kungayiphi indlela uNuwa akhamba ngayo noZimu?

³ ILizwi lakaZimu lithi: “UNuwa wakhamba noZimu weqiniso.” (Funda uGenesisi 6:9.) Kutjho ukuthini lokho? Akusikho bona uZimu wakhamba ephasini, nanyana bona uNuwa ngandlela thize waya ezulwini. Kunalokho, uNuwa wamhlonipha khulu uZimakhe begodu bekamthanda kwamambala kwanga yena noJehova bebakhambisana njengabangani. Iinkulungwana zeminyaka ngemva kwalokho, iBhayibhili ithi ngoNuwa: ‘Ngokukholwa walahla iphasi.’ (Heb. 11:7) Wakwenza njani lokho? Khuyini namhlanje esingayifunda ekholweni lakhe?

4, 5. Ngesikhathi sakaNuwa, iphasi larhagala njani ngobumbi?

⁴ UNuwa wakhulela ephasini ebelirhagele ngobumbi. Belilimbi ngesikhathi sakakhokho wakhe u-Enoke, enye indoda elungileko eyakhamba noZimu. U-Enoke wabikezela bona ilanga lesahlulelo lizokufikela abantu abangamsabiko uZimu ephasini. Manje, ngesikhathi sakaNuwa, ubumbi beburhagele kwamambala. Eqinisweni, ngokombono  kaJehova, iphasi belonakele, ngombana belizele inturhu. (Gen. 5:22; 6:11; Juda 14, 15) Kwenzekani eyabangela izinto zarhagala kangakangaka?

⁵ Ihlekelele yavela hlangana namadodana kaZimu angokomoya, iingilozi. Enye yazo besele ihlubukile kwakade kuJehova, yaba nguSathana uDeveli ngokuhleba uZimu nokudosela u-Adamu no-Efa esonweni. Ngesikhathi sakaNuwa, ezinye iingilozi zahlubuka ekubuseni kwakaJehova okulungileko. Zitjhiya izabelo zazo ezulwini, zeza ephasini, zambatha imizimba yabantu, zazithathela abafazi abahle. Iingilozi eziziinhlubuki ezizikhakhazisakwezi nezimarhamaru beziyitjhefu ebantwini.—Gen. 6:1, 2; Juda 6, 7.

6. Ngiwuphi umthelela amaNefili ebekanawo ephasini, begodu khuyini uJehova ahlela ukuyenza?

⁶ Ukuragela phambili, ukuhlangana okungasikho kwemvelo kweengilozi eziziphendule abantu nabafazi babantu kwaveza ihlanganisela yamadodana amakhulu nanamandla ngendlela erarako. IBhayibhili ibabiza ngokuthi maNefili, ngokwelizwi nelizwi okutjho “Abawisi”—labo abawisa abantu. Abathelisi abanelunyaba, amaNefili arhagalisa ilunya ephasini, umoya wokungahloniphi uZimu. Ngebangelo umBumbi wabona bonyana “ubumbi bomuntu beburhagele ephasini begodu koke ukutjhigamela kwemicabango yehliziywakhe kukumbi ngaso soke isikhathi.” UJehova wahlela bona uzokuqeda umphakathi omumbi loyo eminyakeni eli-120.—Funda uGenesisi 6:3-5.

7. UNuwa nomkakhe baqalana nabuphi ubudisi ekuvikeleni amadodanabo emtheleleni wenturhu wangesikhatheso?

⁷ Akhe ucabange ulinga ukukhulisa umndeni ephasini elinjalo! Nokho, uNuwa wenza njalo. Bekanomfazi olungileko. Ngemva kobana  uNuwa abe neminyaka ema-500, umkakhe wambelethela amadodana amathathu—uShemi, uHamu noJafete. a Bobabili ababelethaba bekufuze bavikele abasanyana babo ebumbini obubabhodileko. Abasanyanaba bebarareka begodu bebabasaba ‘abantu abanamandla namadoda wedumo’—njengombana amaNefili bekanjalo. Bekubudisi ngoNuwa nomkakhe ukuvikela abantwababo kiwo woke umbiko wokuthelisa weenkakarambezi, kodwana bebangabafundisa ngeqiniso elinamandla ngoJehova uZimu, loyo ohloya boke ubumbi. Bekufuze basize abasanyanaba babone bona uJehova uzwa ubuhlungu ngenturhu nokuhlubuka ephasini.—Gen. 6:6.

8. Ababelethi namhlanje bangasilingisa njani isibonelo sakaNuwa nomkakhe?

⁸ Ababelethi namhlanje bayazi kuhle into uNuwa nomkakhe ebebaqalene nayo. Iphasi esiphila kilo nalo lizele inturhu nokuvukela. Amadorobho kanengi arholwa ngabatjha abalelesako. Ngitjho nezokuzithabisa ezenzelwe abantwana kanengi zigcwele inturhu. Ababelethi abahlakaniphileko benza koke abangakwenza bona bakhandele umthelela onjalo ngokufundisa abantwababo ngoZimu wokuthula, uJehova langelinye ozokuqeda yoke inturhu. (Rha. 11:5; 37:10, 11) Abantwana bangaphumelela ukwenza njalo! UNuwa nomkakhe baphumelela. Abasanyana babo baba madoda alungileko, begodu batjhada nabafazi ebebazimisele ukubeka uZimu weqiniso, uJehova qangi emaphilwenabo.

9, 10. (a) Ngiwuphi umlayo ovela kuJehova owatjhentjha ukuphila kwakaNuwa? (b) Khuyini uJehova ayitjela uNuwa ngendlela umkhumbi ebekufuze ube ngayo nomnqopho walokho?

⁹ Langelinye ukuphila kwakaNuwa kwatjhentjha safuthi. UJehova wakhuluma nencekwakhe ethandekako le begodu wayitjela Ngomnqophwakhe wokuqeda iphasi langesikhatheso. UZimu watjela uNuwa: “Zenzele umkhumbi ngeenkuni zomuthi okhupha ikghomu.”—Gen. 6:14.

¹⁰ Umkhumbi lo bewungasiso iskepe njengombana abanye bebacabanga. Lo, bekungasiwo umkhumbi ojayelekileko. Bekulibhoksi elikhulu. UJehova wanikela uNuwa iinlinganiso ezinqophileko, imininingwana yendlela okufuze wakhiwe ngayo neenqophiso zokuwusinda ngesikontiri ngaphandle nangaphakathi. Begodu watjela uNuwa bona kubayini athi: “Ngiletha ukukhulamungu wamanzi ephasini . . . Yoke into esephasini izokutjhabalala.” Nokho, uJehova wenza isivumelwano esingokomthetho nasi noNuwa: “Kufuze ungene emkhunjini, wena namadodanakho, nomkakho nabafazi bamadodanakho.” UNuwa godu bekufuze angenise iinlwana ezijamele yoke imihlobo.  Ngilabo ebebasemkhunjini kwaphela ebebangasinda kuKukhulamungu!—Gen. 6:17-20.

11, 12. Ngiwuphi umsebenzi omkhulu uNuwa aqalana nawo, begodu wasabela njani esitjhijilwenesi?

¹¹ UNuwa gade aqalene nomsebenzi omkhulu. Umkhumbi lo bekufuze ube mkhulu tle—ube mamitha ali-133 ubude, namamitha ama-22 ububanzi, namamitha ali-13 ukuphakama. Bewumkhulu khulu kunemikhumbi yelwandle yamaplanka eyenziwa namhlanje. UNuwa walinga ukusibalekela na isabelwesi, wanghonghoyila ngeentjhijilo zaso, namtjhana watjhentjha indlela ebekufuze kwakhiwe ngayo ukuzenzela ubulula? IBhayibhili iyaphendula: “UNuwa wenza koke uZimu amlayela khona. Wenza njalo.”—Gen. 6:22.

¹² Umsebenzi lo wathatha amatjhumi weminyaka, mhlamunye iminyaka ema-40 ukuya kwema-50. Bekunemithi okufuze ikatjwe, irhorhwe, ibazwe begodu ihlanganiswe. Umkhumbi lo bekufuze ube neentezi eentathu, amakamaro ambalwa nomnyango eqadi. Ngokukhanyako, bekunamafesdiri phezulu, namafulelo aphakeme phakathi ukwenzela bona azokwazi ukuthulula amanzi.—Gen. 6:14-16.

13. Ngiyiphi ingcenye yomsebenzi kaNuwa okungenzeka beyibudisi khulu ukudlula ukwakha umkhumbi, begodu abantu basabela njani kiyo?

¹³ Njengombana iminyaka ikhamba nomkhumbi uphakama, uNuwa kufuze bona wathaba khulu ukusekelwa mndenakhe! Bekunomunye umsebenzi okungenzeka bewubudisi khulu kunokwakha umkhumbi. IBhayibhili ithi uNuwa “umtjhumayeli wokulunga.” (Funda 2 Pitrosi 2:5.) Ngalokho, ngesibindi wadosa phambili ukulinga ukuyelelisa abantu abambi nabangamsabiko uZimu ngokutjhatjalaliswa okuzako. Basabela njani? UJesu Krestu kamva nekakhumbula ngesikhatheso, uthi abantwabo “akhenge babona okwenzekako.” Uthi bebabambeke emisebenzini yaqobe langa—bagoma, basela, batjhada—kangangobana akhenge bamnake uNuwa. (Mat. 24:37-39) Akunakuzaza bona abanengi bamhleka yena nomndenakhe; abanye kungenzeka bona bamthusela begodu bamphikisa ngenturhu. Kungenzeka bona balinga nokuthikazisa umsebenzi wokwakha.

14. Khuyini imindeni yamaKrestu engayifunda kuNuwa nomndenakhe namhlanje?

¹⁴ Nokho, uNuwa nomndenakhe akhenge balise. UNuwa nomndenakhe baragela phambili nokwakha umkhumbi nanyana abantu abababhodileko bebacabanga bona bekungakaqakatheki begodu kubudlhayela. Imindeni yamaKrestu namhlanje ingafunda likhulu ekholweni lakaNuwa nomndenakhe. Ngaphezu kwakho koke, siphila esikhathini iBhayibhili esibiza “ngemihla yokuphela” yephasi lakaSathaneli. (2 Thi. 3:1) UJesu wathi isikhathi sethu sizokufana tswe nesikhathi uNuwa akha ngaso umkhumbi. Nengabe abantu abasabeli kuhle emlayezweni womBuso kaZimu, bayahleka, namtjhana bayasitlhorisa, amaKrestu enza kuhle ukukhumbula uNuwa. Akusiwo wokuthoma aqalene nobujamo obufanako.

15. UNuwa waqalana nakuphi ukuhlongakalelwa njengombana abandamela iminyaka ema-600?

¹⁵ Kwadlula amatjhumi weminyaka, umkhumbi kancani kancani wabonakala kuhle bona unjani. UNuwa besele abandamela iminyaka ema-600, waqalana nokuhlongakalelwa. Uyise uLameki wahlongakala. b Iminyaka emihlanu ngemva kwalokho, uyise kaLameki, uyisemkhulu kaNuwa uMethusela, wafa aneminyaka ema-969—okumumuntu owaphila isikhathi eside khulu emlandweni weBhayibhili. (Gen. 5:27) Bobabili uMethusela noLameki bebaziinzukulwana zendoda yokuthoma, u-Adamu.

16, 17. (a) Ngiwuphi umlayezo omutjha owafunyanwa nguNuwa eminyakenakhe yama-600? (b) Hlathulula into engalibalekiko eyabonwa nguNuwa nomndenakhe.

¹⁶ Eminyakenakhe ema-600, ihloko yembeleko uNuwa yafumana umlayezo omutjha kuJehova uZimu: “Ngena, emkhunjini wena nawo woke umndenakho.” Ngesikhathi esifanako, uZimu watjela uNuwa bona angenise yoke imihlobo yeenlwana ngemkhunjini—ngazikhomba kwezihlanzekileko, ezilungele ukwenza umnikelo, ezinye azingenise ngazimbili.—Gen. 7:1-3.

¹⁷ Leyo bekuyinto angekhe ayikhohlwe. Kwangena iinkulungwana  zeenlwana—ezikhambako, eziphaphako, ezikhasako, ezirhurhubako, ezinanabako—zoke ezinobukhulu obungalinganiko, ukwakheka nendlela eziziphatha ngayo. Kubudisi ukucabanga ngoNuwa alinga ukukhandela, ukulawula nokunqophisa zoke iimbandanezo ukungena endaweni elinganiselweko emkhunjini. Umlando uthi “zangena  . . . kuNuwa emkhunjini.”—Gen. 7:9.

18, 19. (a) Singayiphendula njani imibuzo ephakanyiswa banyefuli malungana nomlando kaNuwa? (b) Sikubona njani ukuhlakanipha kwakaJehova endleleni akhetha ngayo ukuphulusa iinlwana?

¹⁸ Abanye abanyefuli bangabuza: ‘Ingenzeka njani mara into efana nale? Begodu kungenzeka njani bona zoke iinlwanezi zihlalisane ngokuthula endaweni elinganiselweko le?’ Cabanga: Kungaphezu kwamandla womBumbi wezulu nephasi na ukulawula iimbunjwa zakhe eziziinlwana, ukuzifundisa nokuzimagisa nekutlhogekako? Khumbula, uJehova nguZimu obumbe iinlwana. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, wahlukanisa iLwandle Elibomvu wenza nelanga lajama tsi. Kghani angabhalelwa ukwenza zoke izinto ezihlathululwe emlandweni kaNuwa? Kwamambala, angakwenza lokho, begodu wakwenza!

¹⁹ Kuyavunywa, uZimu bekangakhetha ukuphulusa iimbunjwa zakhezi ngenye indlela. Nokho, ngokuhlakanipha wakhetha indlela esikhumbuza ngokuthemba kwakhe abantu akwenza ekuthomeni bona batlhogomele zoke izinto eziphilako ephasinapha. (Gen. 1:28) Ababelethi abanengi namhlanje basebenzisa umlando kaNuwa ukufundisa abantwababo bona uJehova uziqala njengeziligugu iinlwana nabantu ababumbileko.

20. UNuwa nomndenakhe kungenzeka bebatinazela ngani hlangana neveke yokugcina ngaphambi kwakaKukhulamungu?

 ²⁰ UJehova watjela uNuwa bona uKukhulamungu uzokufika emalangeni alikhomba. Kufuze bona umndeni bewutinazela khulu ngesikhatheso. Akhe ucabange ngomsebenzi wokungenisa zoke iinlwana nokudla kwazo nokomndeni, nokubeka umndeni ngendlela ehlelekileko nokungenisa iimpahla zawo ngemkhunjini. Umfazi kaNuwa, kaShemi, kaHamu nokaJafete kungenzeka bebatinazela khulu ngokuhlophisa indawo ebebazokuhlala kiyo ngemkhunjini loyo.

21, 22. (a) Kubayini kungakafuzi isirare indlela abantu abasabela ngayo esikhathini sakaNuwa? (b) Kwaphela nini ukutshinywa bomakhelwana kwakaNuwa nomndenakhe?

²¹ Kuthiwani-ke ngomphakathi? “Akhenge babona okwenzekako”—ngitjho nangaphezu kokuba nabo boke ubufakazi obuphathekako bokobana uJehova bekabusisa uNuwa nomsebenzakhe. Bazibona ngawo womabili iinlwana nezingena emkhunjini. Kodwana akukafuzi isirare indlela abasabela ngayo. Ngokufanako abantu namhlanje ababutjheji ubufakazi obubonakalako bokobana kwanje siphila emihleni yokuphela yephasi lakaSathaneli. Begodu njengombana umpostoli uPitrosi abikezela, abahleki baragela phambili bahleka, batshima labo abamemezela isiyeleliso sakaZimu. (Funda 2 Pitrosi 3:3-6.) Ngokufanako, abantu bahleka uNuwa nomndenakhe.

²² Kwaphela nini ukuhleka? Umlando usitjela bona ngemva kobana uNuwa angenise umndenakhe neenlwana ngemkhunjini, “uJehova wavala umnyango ngemva kwakhe.” Nengabe abahlekabo bebaseduze, isenzo sakaZimeso ngokunganakuzaza sabavala umlomo. Nengabe akhenge kube njalo, izulu lona labavala—ngombana lana! Laragela phambili lina, lana, lana umvimbi—amanzi agcwala iphasi loke, njengombana uJehova atjhwile.—Gen. 7:16-21.

23. (a) Sazi njani bona uJehova akhenge akuthabele ukufa kwabambi ngesikhathi sakaNuwa? (b) Kubayini kukuhlakanipha ukulingisa ikholo lakaNuwa namhlanje?

²³ UJehova wakuthabela na ukufa kwabantu abambabo? Awa! (Eze. 33:11) Ngokuphambene nalokho, wabanikela ithuba elaneleko lokutjhentjha iindlela zabo nokwenza okulungileko. Kghani bebangakwazi ukwenza njalo? Ukuphila kwakaNuwa kwawuphendula umbuzo loyo. Ngokukhamba noJehova, ukuhlonipha uZimakhe kizo zoke izinto, uNuwa watjengisa bona kungakghoneka ukuphuluswa. Ngomqondo loyo, ikholo lakhe lalahla iphasi langesikhatheso; lalahla ubumbi besizukulwana sakhe epepeneneni. Ikholo lakhe laphulusa yena nomndenakhe. Newulingisa ikholo lakaNuwa, uzoziphulusa wena nalabo obathandako. NjengoNuwa, ungakhamba noJehova uZimu njengoMnganakho. Ubunganobo bungahlala unomphela!