Naʻe nofo ʻa Lote mo ʻĒpalahame ko e tokoua ʻo ʻene tamaí, ʻi he fonua ko Kēnaní. Naʻe faai atu pē ʻo tokolahi ʻaupito ʻa e fanga manu ʻa ʻĒpalahame mo Loté ʻo ʻikai ʻi ai ha feituʻu feʻunga kiate kinautolu kotoa. Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻĒpalahame kia Lote: ‘Heʻikai kei lava ke ta nofo fakataha ʻi ha feituʻu ʻe taha. Fili muʻa pe ko fē ʻa e tafaʻaki te ke fie ʻalu ki aí, pea te u ʻalu au ki he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá.’ Naʻe ʻikai ke siokita ʻa ʻĒpalahame, ʻikai ko ia?

Naʻe sio ʻa Lote ki ha konga fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e fonuá naʻe ofi ki ha kolo ko Sōtoma. Naʻe lahi ai ʻa e vaí pea pehē ki he musie lanu matá. Ko ia naʻá ne fili ʻa e feituʻu ko iá pea hiki ki ai mo hono fāmilí. Naʻe faifai pē ʻo nau nofo ʻi he kolo ko Sōtomá.

Ko e kakai ʻo Sōtomá mo e kolo ofi ki ai ko Komolá naʻa nau kovi ʻaupito. Ko hono moʻoní, naʻa nau mātuʻaki kovi ʻo fakapapauʻi ai ʻe Sihova ke fakaʻauha ʻa e ongo kolo ko iá. Ka naʻe loto ʻa e ʻOtuá ke fakahaofi ʻa Lote mo hono fāmilí, ko ia naʻá ne fekauʻi atu ai ha ongo ʻāngelo ke na fai ha fakatokanga kiate kinautolu: ‘Fakavavevave! Hū ki tuʻa mei he koló ni! ʻE fakaʻauha ia ʻe Sihova.’

Naʻe ʻikai ke mavahe ʻa Lote he taimi pē ko iá. Naʻá ne fakatuotuai. Ko ia naʻe puke ʻe he ongo ʻāngeló ʻa e nima ʻo Loté, ko hono uaifí, mo hono ongo ʻofefiné ʻo fakavaveʻi kinautolu ki tuʻa mei he koló, ʻo na pehē: ‘Lele! Hola koeʻuhi ko hoʻomou moʻuí, pea ʻoua ʻe sio ki mui. Kapau te mou sio ki mui, te mou mate!’

ʻI heʻenau aʻu ki ha kolo ko Soa, naʻe ʻai ʻe Sihova ke ʻalu hifo ha ʻuha afi mo e sūlifa ki Sōtoma mo Komola. Naʻe fakaʻauha ʻosi ʻa e ongo kolo ko iá. ʻI he talangataʻa ʻa e uaifi ʻo Loté kia Sihova peá ne sio ki muí, naʻá ne liliu ai ʻo hoko ko ha pou māsima! Ka naʻe hao ʻa Lote mo hono ongo ʻofefiné koeʻuhí naʻa nau talangofua kia Sihova. ʻOku pau pē naʻa nau loto-mamahi ʻaupito ʻi he talangataʻa ʻa e uaifi ʻo Loté. Ka naʻa nau fiefia ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he fakahinohino ʻa Sihová.

Naʻe akoʻi ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa hono foha ko ʻAisaké ke ʻofa kia Sihova pea ke ne falala ki he ngaahi palōmesi kotoa ʻa Sihová. Ka ʻi he taʻu 25 nai ʻa ʻAisaké, naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe Sihova ke fai ʻe ʻĒpalahame ha meʻa ʻa ia naʻe faingataʻa ʻaupito ke ne fai. Ko e hā nai ia?

Naʻe tala ʻe he ʻOtuá kia ʻĒpalahame: ‘ʻAve muʻa ho foha pē ʻe tahá pea foaki ia ko ha feilaulau ʻi ha moʻunga ʻi he fonua ko Molaiá.’ Naʻe ʻikai ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa e ʻuhinga naʻe fiemaʻu ai ʻe Sihova ke ne fai iá. Ka naʻá ne kei talangofua pē kia Sihova.

Pongipongia he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe ʻave ai ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa ʻAisake mo e ongo sevāniti ʻe toko ua ʻo nau ō ki Molaia. Hili ʻa e ʻaho ʻe tolu, naʻe lava ke nau sio atu ki he ʻotu moʻungá mei he mamaʻó. Naʻe tala ange ʻe ʻĒpalahame ki heʻene ongo sevānití ke na tatali ai ka ne ʻalu mo ʻAisake ke fai ha feilaulau. Naʻe ʻoange ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa e fefié kia ʻAisake ke ne toʻo, pea naʻe toʻo ʻe ʻĒpalahame ha hele. Naʻe ʻeke ʻe ʻAisake ki heʻene tamaí: ‘Ko fē ʻa e manu ki he feilaulaú?’ Naʻe tali ange ʻe ʻĒpalahame: ‘ʻE hoku foha, ʻe tokonaki mai ia ʻe Sihova.’

ʻI heʻena aʻu atu ki he moʻungá, naʻá na fokotuʻu ai ha ʻōlita. Pea naʻe haʻi ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa e ongo nima mo e vaʻe ʻo ʻAisaké peá ne tuku ia ki he ʻōlitá.

Naʻe toʻo hake ʻe ʻĒpalahame ʻa e helé. ʻI he taimi pē ko iá, naʻe ui kiate ia ʻa e ʻāngelo ʻa Sihová mei langi: ‘ʻĒpalahame! ʻOua naʻá ke tāmateʻi ʻa e tamasiʻí! Ko eni ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi ʻokú ke tui ki he ʻOtuá he naʻá ke loto-lelei ke feilaulau ʻaki ho fohá.’ Naʻe sio atu leva ʻa ʻĒpalahame ki ha sipi tangata naʻe fihia mai hono meʻatuí ʻi he vaó. Naʻá ne vete fakavave ʻa ʻAisake ka ne feilaulau ʻaki ʻa e sipi tangatá.

Talu mei he ʻaho ko iá mo hono ui ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻĒpalahame ko hono kaumeʻa. ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi hono ʻuhingá? Naʻe fai ʻe ʻĒpalahame ha meʻa pē naʻe fiemaʻu ʻe Sihova ke ne fai, naʻa mo e taimi naʻe ʻikai ai te ne mahinoʻi ʻa e ʻuhinga naʻe fiemaʻu ai ʻe Sihova ke ne fai iá.

Naʻe toe leaʻaki ʻe Sihova ʻene palōmesi kia ʻĒpalahamé: ‘Te u tāpuakiʻi koe, pea te u ʻai ke tokolahi hoʻo fānaú, pe hakó.’ Naʻe ʻuhinga ení ʻe tāpuakiʻi ʻe Sihova ʻa e kakai leleí fakafou ʻi he fāmili ʻo ʻĒpalahamé.