Abhurahama egadziwabgwe nkololo
1 Yahwe bakaboneka kuna Abhurahama ali gele pa nkoba we nshasha uwe upa miti mikulu ye pakayengemala ya Mamure masikati zhuba lipisa. 2 Kati emilidza mesho kabona balume bali batatu bali mile pejo naye. Kati ebabona kalabuka kunobashanganidza edwa pa nkoba we nshasha uwe ngono kabathigamila. 3 Kabe eti, “She wangu, ha kuamutjilika, musindinyenyeledze imi nlanda wenyu. 4 Imani kuzhisiwe vula shomanana mungule makumbo enyu, ngono munyaluluke kusi kwe nti. 5 Mume ndizhise tjiwunga kuti muje, se mazha pa nlanda wenyu, shule kwa ikoko mungapinda zwenyu.”
Ndiko bakabe beti, “Shinga sekwa waleba.”
6 Ngono Abhurahama kalibilidza kangina mu nshasha kuna Sara ebe eti, “Tola zwiyelo zwitatu zwe bgwisa ulibilidza uvange ubhike tjiwunga.” 7 Abhurahama kalabukila ku ng'ombe kashalula ikondolo tjibuyanana katjipa nlanda wakati kalibilidza kutjibhaya ne kubabhikila itjo. 8 Ngono ipapo kazhisa mashwe ne nkaka mmbisi ne nyama ye ikondolo yabhikiwa kabapa izo. Bakati beja iye kabe ali mile pejo nabo kusi kwe nti.
9 Balume ibabo bakambhuzwa beti, “Sara nkadzi uwo ungayi?”
Abhurahama kadabila eti, “Umu nshasha.”
10 Yahwe bakati, “Ndolebesa ndowobuya ku kuli gole linozha mu nsi iwoyu, Sara nkadzi uwo unowowana mwana we tjilisana.”
Sara wakabe akahwilila ali tjemukati kwe nkoba we nshasha shule kwa Abhurahama. 11 Abhurahama na Sara bakabe bakwegula batjikula kwazo. Sara wakabe apinda misi ye kuwana bana. 12 Ndizo Sara kaseka tjemu moyo eti, “Shule kwe ndakwegula ne nlume wangu akwegula ndingawana kushatha kene?”
13 Yahwe bakati kuna Abhurahama, “Ini Sara aseka eti, ‘Apa ndingawana mwana dumbu ndakwegula kene?’ 14 Apa tjimwe tjiyapo tjakasimila Yahwe kene? Ndowobuya ku kuli nge tjibaka tjakabigwa mu gole linozha ngono Sara unowobe ne mwana we tjilisana.”
15 Sara kalandula kati, “Andizoseka,” ngoti wakabe etja.
Yahwe bakati, “Waseka.”
Abhurahama unokumbilila Sodoma
16 Balume ibabo bakamilika bakayenda bakalinga ku Sodoma, ngono Abhurahama kabapeleka. 17 Yahwe bakati, “Apa ndingasumbikila Abhurahama tjandinowoshinga, 18 koga ndiziba kuti Abhurahama unowobe itjaba tjikulu tjakasima ne kuti zwitjaba zose zwe shango zowokombolegwa ndiye kene? 19 Aa, ngoti ndakanshalula kuti alaye bana babe ne nsha uwe kun'yedza kulondolodza zila ya Yahwe ngoshinga ndulamo ne ndingisanyo kuti ndizo Yahwe bathamile Abhurahama tjabakan'gadzabgwe.”
20 Ipapo Yahwe bakati, “Tjililo ngekwe Sodoma ne Gomora tjikulu ne jinyo labo lapindilila. 21 Ndoyenda kunobona kene bakashinga kunoyendidzana ne tjililo itjetji tjakaswika kundili, ngono akusakajalo ndowoziba.”
22 Ndizo balume ibabo bakafupatila bakayenda bakalinga ku Sodoma, Abhurahama kasala ali mile mbeli kwa Yahwe. 23 Ipapo Abhurahama kasedzela pana Yahwe kabhuzwa eti, “Apa mungalobesa balulwami kang'ompela ne babi kene? 24 Ngatitini pamwe kuna balulwami bali makumi mashanu (50) mu nzi iwoyo, apa mowoulobesa musingautjidze ngoti una balulwami bali makumi mashanu kene (50)? 25 Ngakube kutjena namwi kuthama tjakajali, kubulaya balulwami kang'ompela ne babi, kubhata balulwami kunofanana ne babi. Ngakube kutjena namwi ikoku. Apa nsumikilisi we shango yose aangashinge tjakalulwama kene?”
26 Ngono Yahwe bakati, “Ha ndingawana bathu bakalulwama mu nzi we Sodoma bali makumi mashanu (50), ndowotjidza magalo iyawo wose nge kwabo.”
27 Abhurahama kati, “Bonani, ndazwipa kulebeleka na She nenguba ndisi tjimwe ndili hwuluba ne nlota koga. 28 Ngatitini pamwe kwasheteka bali bashanu kuti balulwami babe makumi mashanu (50), mungalobesa nzi wose ngoti basingaswike nge bathu bali bashanu kene?”
Ngono Yahwe bakati, “Andingaulobese ha ndingawana bali makumi manna ana bashanu (45).”
29 Kapapha kalebeleka nabo kati, “Ha kungawang'wa bali makumi manna (40) koga kee?”
She kadabila eti, “Ha ndingawana makumi manna (40) andingaulobese.”
30 Ipapo Abhurahama kati, “She ngabasigwadze moyo, imani ndilebeleke kakale. Ngatitini ha kungawang'wa makumi matatu (30) kee?”
She kati, “Andingakushinge ha ndingawana makumi matatu e bathu (30).”
31 Ipapo Abhurahama kati, “Ndazwipa kulebeleka na She. Ha kungawang'wa makumi mabili kee?”
She kati, “Andingaulobese ha ndingawana makumi mabili (20) e balulwami.”
32 Ipapo Abhurahama kati, “She ngabasigwadze moyo, ndowolebeleka kakale gwe bupelo. Ha kungawanika bali gumi koga kee?”
She kashandula eti, “Ha ndingawana bali gumi andingaulobese.” 33 Yahwe bakati bapedza kulebeleka na Abhurahama bakayenda zwabo, Abhurahama kabgwilila ku nzi uwe.
The Lord Promises Abraham a Son
1 One hot summer afternoon while Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, the Lord appeared to him. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, 3 and said, “Please come to my home where I can serve you. 4 I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under a tree. 5 Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you.”
“Thank you very much,” they answered. “We accept your offer.”
6 Abraham went quickly to his tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread.” 7 After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. 8 He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.
While they were eating, he stood near them under the tree, 9 and they asked, “Where's your wife Sarah?”
“She is right there in the tent,” Abraham answered.
10 One of the guests was the Lord, and he said, “I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son.”
Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. 12 So she laughed and said to herself, “Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?”
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14 I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.”
15 Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, “I didn't laugh.”
“Yes, you did!” he answered.
Abraham Prays for Sodom
16 When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.
17 The Lord said to himself, “I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, 18 since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations on earth. 19 I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. If they do, I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised.”
20 The Lord said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. 21 Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I would like to know.”
22 The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the Lord stayed with Abraham. 23 And Abraham asked him, “Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? 24 Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only 50 good people in it? 25 You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
26 The Lord replied, “If I find 50 good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
27 Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this. 28 But suppose there are only 45 good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find 45 good people,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
29 “Suppose there are just 40 good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“If I find 30,” the Lord replied, “I still won't destroy it.”
31 Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was the Lord's answer.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
“For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won't destroy the city.”
33 After speaking with Abraham, the Lord left, and Abraham went back home.