Genesisi
17 U-Abramu nakaneminyaka ema-99, uJehova wabonakala kuye wathi: “NginguZimu uMninimandla Woke. Khamba phambi kwami begodu ungabi namtjhapho. 2 Ngizosiphetha isivumelwano engasenza nawe+ begodu ngizokwenza ube neenzukulwana ezinengi.”+
3 U-Abramu nakezwa lokho, waguqa wakhothamisa ihloko, uZimu waragela phambili akhuluma naye, wathi: 4 “Ngenze isivumelwano nawe+ begodu kwamambala uzokuba nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi.+ 5 Igama lakho angeze lisaba ngu-Abramu;* lizokuba ngu-Abrahama* ngombana ngizokwenza ube nguyise weentjhaba ezinengi. 6 Ngizokwandisa abantwana bakho begodu ngizokwenza ube ziintjhaba, amakhosi azokuvela kuwe.+
7 “Ngizosiphetha isivumelwano engasenza nawe+ nesizukulwana sakho kizo zoke iinzukulwana zaso; lesi sivumelwano esingapheliko sokobana ngibe nguZimu kuwe nesizukulwaneni sakho. 8 Inarha ekungasingeyenu+ enihlala kiyo le, okuyinarha yoke yeKanana, ngizoyinikela wena neenzukulwana zakho bona ibe ngeyenu ngokungapheliko begodu mina ngizokuba nguZimazo.”+
9 UZimu wathi ku-Abrahama: “Kufanele uphethe isivumelwano sami, wena neenzukulwana zakho kiso soke isizukulwana sazo. 10 Isivumelwano sami nawe okufuze wena neenzukulwana zakho nisilalele, ngilesi: Woke umuntu omduna ophakathi kwenu kufuze asokwe.+ 11 Ukusokokhu kuzokuba litshwayo lesivumelwano esiphakathi kwami nani.+ 12 Esizukulwaneni sakho, kufuze kusokwe+ woke umuntu omduna onamalanga abunane, nanyana ngubani obelethelwe endlinakho, ongasisizukulwana sakho nothengwe ngemali kwenye inarha. 13 Kufuze kusokwe+ woke amadoda abelethelwe endlinakho, woke amadoda athengwe ngemalakho begodu isivumelwano sami esisenyamenakho kufuze sibe sivumelwano esingapheliko. 14 Nangabe kunomuntu omduna ongafuni ukusokwa, kufuze abulawe hlangana nabantu bekhabo ngombana uphule isivumelwano sami.”
15 Nje-ke uZimu wathi ku-Abrahama: “Ungasabizi umkakho ngokuthi nguSarayi*+ ngombana igama lakhe lizokuba nguSara.* 16 Ngizombusisa ngikuphe nendodana ngaye;+ ngizombusisa begodu uzokuba ziintjhaba; amakhosi wabantu azokuvela kuye.” 17 U-Abrahama nakezwa lokhu waguqa wakhothamisa ihloko wahleka wathi ehliziywenakhe:+ “Kghani indoda eneminyaka eli-100 ingabelethelwa umntwana noSara umfazi oneminyaka ema-90 angabeletha?”+
18 Yeke u-Abrahama wathi kuZimu weqiniso: “Kwanga ungabusisa u-Itjhimayeli!”+ 19 UZimu wathi: “USara umkakho uzokubelethela indodana, kufuze uyithiye ngokuthi ngu-Isaka.*+ Ngizokwenza isivumelwano esingapheliko naye bekube seenzukulwaneni zakhe.+ 20 Ngisizwile isibawo sakho malungana no-Itjhimayeli. Ngizombusisa begodu ngizomenza abe nabantwana abanengi, ngimandise khulu. Uzokuba nguyise wamakhosana ali-12, ngizomenza abe sitjhaba esikhulu.+ 21 Kodwana ngizosiphetha isivumelwano sami no-Isaka,+ loyo uSara azokubelethela yena umnyaka ozako+ ngesikhathesi.”
22 UZimu nakaqeda ukukhuluma no-Abrahama, wasuka lapho wamtjhiya. 23 Nje-ke u-Abrahama wathatha indodanakhe u-Itjhimayeli nawo woke amadoda abelethelwe endlinakhe nawo woke umuntu othengiweko, boke abaduna abasendlinakhe wabasoka ngelangelo njengombana uZimu akhulumile.+ 24 U-Abrahama bekaneminyaka ema-99 nakasokwako.+ 25 Indodanakhe u-Itjhimayeli beyineminyaka eli-13 nayisokwako.+ 26 U-Abrahama nendodanakhe u-Itjhimayeli basokwa ngelanga linye. 27 Woke amadoda asendlini ka-Abrahama, abelethelwe khona, athengwe ngemali esitjhabeni esinye asokwa naye.