1 Wayeseleyinkothovu yexhego uAbraham ngeli xesha, waye *uNdikhoyo emthamsanqelisa kuyo yonke into ayenzayo.
2 Ngenye imini wathi kwisicaka sakhe esithembekileyo esasiyinduna emzini wakhe: “Khawufunge!
3 Ndifuna ufunge phambi kukaNdikhoyo uThixo wezulu nomhlaba ukuba akusayi kumfunela umfazi unyana wam apha kwezi ntombi zaseKanana.
4 Kufuneka uye kwilizwe lakowethu, apho ikhoyo inkaba yam. Kulapho uya kumfunela khona umfazi uIsake, phakathi kwezizalwane zam.”
5 Sibuzile sathi isicaka sika-Abraham: “Ukuba loo ntombi ayivumi ukulishiya ikhaya layo ize apha kweli lizwe, ze ndithini? Ze ndimse apho kwelo zwe unyana wakho uIsake?”
6 Uthe uAbraham: “Uze ungakhe umse apho unyana wam.
7 NguNdikhoyo uThixo wezulu nomhlaba ngokwakhe owandisusa kwilizwe lakowethu, naphakathi kwezizalwane zam, wandithembisa efunga ukuba lo mhlaba uya kumiwa ngabazukulwana bam. Nguye oya kuthumela isithunywa sakhe apho, ungekafiki wena. Ke wofika apho uyifumane intombi eyoba ngumfazi wonyana wam.
8 Ukuba ke loo ntombi ayifuni kuza kweli lizwe, woba ke ukhululekile wena kwesi sifungo. Kodwa nokuba sekutheni, uzungakhe ulinge ukumsa kwelo zwe unyana wam.”
9 Sasenza ke isifungo saso isicaka, sithembisa ukwenza loo nto asiyalela yona uAbraham.
10 Induna ka-Abraham yahamba neshumi leenkamela, yaphatha neendidi ngeendidi zezipho. Yanduluka ukuya kwisixeko esasiseAram-narayim apho wayemi khona uNahore.
11 Yafika ukutshona kwelanga apho, ngexesha kanye iintombi ziya kukha amanzi. Iinkamela yaziphumza ngakumthombo owawusekungeneni kwesixeko eso.
12 Wathandaza loo mfo wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo wenkosi yam uAbraham, khawundincede namhlanje usikhumbule isithembiso owasenza kuAbraham.
13 Naku ndilapha ngakulo mthombo, apho iintombi zalapha zikha khona amanzi.
14 Maze kuthi ke xa ndithi kuzo mazindikhelele amanzi ndisele, ithi leyo ithe yandipha yaza yathi iza kupha neenkamela zam zisele, ndiqonde ngaloo nto ke ukuba yile uyikhethele ukuba yendele kuIsake isicaka sakho. Ndokwazi kananjalo ukuba usigcinile isithembiso owasenza enkosini yam uAbraham.”
15 Uthe engekaphezi nokuthandaza kwafika uRabheka emthonjeni, ethwele ingqayi yamanzi. Yena ke yintombi kaBhetuweli unyana kaNahore umninawa ka-Abraham. Unina kaBhetuweli nguMilika.
16 Wayeyinzwakazi, eseyintombi nto engayaziyo indoda. Wehla waya emthonjeni, wayizalisa ingqayi, wabuya.
17 Loo mfo wakhawuleza ukumhlangabeza, wathi: “Khawundiphe amanzi ndisele kuloo ngqayi yakho.”
18 Wathi uRabheka: “Ungasela, mhlekazi.” Watsho eyithoba ingqayi, wambambela lo gama aselayo.
19 Akugqiba ukusela loo mfo, uthe uRabheka: “Ndiza kuzikhelela neenkamela zakho, zisele zanele.”
20 Wawagalela loo manzi ayesengqayini kwindawo yokuselela iinkamela, waquqa esiya kukha amanye, zada zasela zanela.
21 Lo mfo wayebukele ethe cwaka, ecinga ukuba ngaba lwaluphumelele na uhambo lwakhe.
22 Zakugqiba ukusela iinkamela loo mfo wakhupha ijikazi legolide, waliqhoboshela empumlweni kaRabheka, wamfaka nezacholo zegolide ezingalweni.
23 Wabuza wathi: “Uyintombi kabani? Phofu singayifumana indawo yokulala kowenu, sikhe siphumle ngokuhlwanje?”
24 “Ndiyintombi kaBhetuweli, ozalwa nguNahore noMilika,” yatsho ukuphendula.
25 “Kukho iindiza nehabile eninzi ekhaya, ikwakho nendawo yokulala.”
26 Loo ndoda yaguqa yathandaza yathi:
27 “Makabongwe uNdikhoyo, uThixo ka-Abraham inkosi yam, othe wanyaniseka ekugcineni isithembiso sakhe. NguNdikhoyo ondikhokelele ngqo emzini wezizalwana zenkosi yam.”
28 Loo ntombi yabaleka ukuya kowayo, yafika yabalisa.
29 URabheka wayenomnakwabo ekuthiwa nguLabhan. Yena wasukela ukuya emthonjeni apho kwakukho isicaka sika-Abraham.
30 ULabhan wayelibonile ijikazi nezacholo zodade wabo, eyivile nento eyathethwa nguloo mfo kuye. Ufike wathi kweso sicaka sika-Abraham sasimi ngasemthonjeni neenkamela zaso:
31 “Mhlekazi, wena uNdikhoyo ukuthamsanqelisile; yiza siye ekhaya; mus' ukum' apha. Kukho indawo ekhaya, nditsho neyokugcina iinkamela zakho.”
32 Yahamba naye ke loo ndoda, yaya kowabo, uLabhan wazithula imithwalo iinkamela, wazipha nokutya. Weza namanzi, aza loo madoda ahlamba iinyawo.
33 Kweziswa nokutya, sathi isicaka sika-Abraham: “Andikazi kutya ndide ndiluthethe udaba endihambele lona.”Uthe uLabhan: “Thetha sive.”
34 “Mna ndisisicaka sika-Abraham,” utshilo lo mfo.
35 “UNdikhoyo wamthamsanqelisa uAbraham, wamenza isityebi. Uneenkomo, neegusha, neebhokhwe, kunye nemali yesiliva negolide. Unazo nezicaka ezingamadoda nezibhinqileyo, ukwanazo neenkamela needonki.
36 USara inkosikazi yenkosi yam wazala unyana sele aluphele. Nguloo nyana indlalifa ka-Abraham.
37 Inkosi yam uAbraham yathi mandifunge ukuba andiyi kumthathela umfazi unyana wakhe phakathi kweentombi zaseKanana apho akhoyo.
38 Wathi kufuneka ndiye kowabo, ndimthathele umfazi unyana wakhe phakathi kwezizalwane zakhe.
39 Ndathi ke mna kuye: ‘Ukuba loo ntombi ayifuni kumka kowayo, ze ndithini?’
40 Wathi yena uNdikhoyo amkhonzayo wothumela isithunywa sakhe phambi kwam, khon' ukuze uphumelele umcimbi endiwuhambelayo. Mna kufuneka ndithathe umfazi kowabo, phakathi kwezizalwana zakhe.
41 Wathi ukuba ndiyenzile loo nto, zaza izizalwana zakhe azavuma ukundinika intombi yazo, ndoba ke mna ndikhululekile esifungweni sam.
42 “Ndithe ke ndakufika kulaa mthombo namhlanje, ndamcela uNdikhoyo uThixo wenkosi yam uAbraham ukuba ze lo mcimbi ndiwuhambeleyo uphumelele.
43 Ndathi: ‘Ndim lo, ndimi apha ngakulo mthombo. Ze kuthi ke xa kukho ntombi ifikayo apha, ndithi ndakucela amanzi
44 indiphe, ivume ukuseza neenkamela zam, ndiya kuqonda ngaloo nto ke ukuba yile uyikhethele unyana wenkosi yam.’
45 Ndithe ndingekaphezi noko kuthandaza wee gqi uRabheka ethwele ingqayi, wehla waya kukha amanzi emthonjeni. Ndicelile ukuba andiphe amanzi ndisele.
46 Kwangoko uyithule ingqayi abeyithwele, wathi mandisele, watsho esithi neenkamela zam uza kuzithuthela amanzi zisele. Ndisele ke, neenkamela zam zasela.
47 Ndibuze ukuba uyintombi kabani na. Wathi yena uyintombi kaBhetuweli ozalwa nguNahore noMilika. Ndimfake elaa jikazi ahombe ngalo, ndamnxiba nezacholo ezingalweni.
48 Ndiguqile, ndinqula ndibulela uNdikhoyo uThixo ka-Abraham inkosi yam, lo undizise ngqo apha kwintombi engumzukulwana womtakwabo wenkosi yam engendela kunyana wayo.
49 Yitshoni ke ngoku ukuba nizimisele ukuyenzela le mbeko inkosi yam, ninyaniseke kuyo; naxa kungenjalo ndixeleleni, khon' ukuze ndibone cebo limbi.”
50 Bathe ukuphendula ooLabhan noBhetuweli: “Asingethi: ‘Hayi,’ okanye: ‘Ewe;’ kuba sijongile nje ngathi le nto ayiyodwa, inomnwe kaNdikhoyo kuyo.
51 Nanku uRabheka, ukho; mthathe uhambe naye, aye kwendela kunyana wenkosi yakho, njengoko ebonile uNdikhoyo.”
52 Yakuyiva loo nto induna ka-Abraham yaguqa yathandaza ibonga uNdikhoyo.
53 Ikhuphe izambatho ezihle, nezacholo zegolide nezesiliva, yazinika uRabheka. Iphe nomnakwabo kunye nonina izipho zexabiso.
54 Emva koko loo nduna ka-Abraham yaya kutya naloo madoda yayihamba nawo. Balala apho ngobo busuku. Bathe bakuvuka ngengomso, yathi induna ka-Abraham: “Siza kucela indlela sigoduke namhlanje.”
55 Umnakwabo-Rabheka nonina bathe: “Ubungeyishiyi na intombi okweentsukwana nokuba zilishumi, ize ibuye ilandele?”
56 Ithe induna: “Hayi, sanukundibambezela; uNdikhoyo ewuqabelisile nje umcimbi ebendiwuhambele, yini ngoku? Ndiyekeni ndibuyele ekhaya kwinkosi yam.”
57 Bathe ke makhe kubizwe uRabheka, khe kuviwe kuye.
58 Ubiziwe ke, wabuzwa ukuba uyahamba na kunye nalo mfo. Uphendule ngelithi: “Ewe, ndiyahamba.”
59 Bamkhulula ke uRabheka ukuba ahambe naloo nduna ka-Abraham kunye naloo madoda yayihamba nawo. Waphelekwa sisicakakazi sakowabo awayekhulela phantsi kwaso.
60 Bamndulula ngentsikelelo, besithi:“Hamba ke, ntombi!Unga ungazala waphule uluthi,ube nenyambalala yabantwana.Banga bangazoyis' iintshaba zabo,baziphange nemihlaba yazo.”
61 URabheka kunye nabafazana ababemkhapha bazilungiselela ukukhwela iinkamela, baza banduluka kunye nesicaka sika-Abraham.
62 UIsake wayeselefudukile waya kutsho ngakumthombo kaPhila-endibonile, selemi emazantsi eKanana.
63 Ngamhla uthile ngorhatya uIsake wayehamba-hamba endle, wabona kusithi gqi iinkamela, zisiza ngakuye.
64 URabheka akubona uIsake wehla enkameleni yakhe,
65 wabuza kwinduna ka-Abraham wathi: “Ngubani lowa ucanda emasimini esihlangabeza?”Ithe ukuphendula: “Yinkosi yam leya.” Kwangoko uRabheka uthathe iqhiya yakhe, wazigquma ubuso.
66 Yambalisela konke induna uIsake.
67 UIsake umngenise uRabheka kulaa ntente yayiyekanina uSara, wamenza umkakhe. UIsake wayemthanda kakhulu uRabheka, kangangokuba savaleka nesikroba esabangwa kukusweleka kukanina uSara.