IGenesisi 24:1-50

U-Abhrahama wayesemdala, neminyaka yakhe isiminingi kakhulu. USimakade wayembusisile u-Abhrahama ezintweni zonke. U-Abhrahama watshela inceku yakhe eyase ikhulile, futhi yengamele indlu yakhe, nakho konke ayenakho, wathi: “Faka isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami. Ngizakukufungisa phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wezulu nomhlaba, ukuthi ngeke uyithathele indodana yami umfazi emadodakazini amaKhanani, esihlala phakathi kwawo. Kepha uyokuya kwelakithi ezihlotsheni zami, ufike uyithathele khona umfazi indodana yami u-Isaka.” Inceku yathi kuye: “Mhlawumbe lowo wesifazane angathandi ukubuya nami eze lapha kuleli lizwe. Uma kunjalo-ke, indodana yakho ngiyithathe yini ngiyiyise ezweni owavela kulo na?” U-Abhrahama wathi kuyo: “Uze ungalokothi ubuyisele indodana yami lapho. USimakade uNkulunkulu wezulu owangikhipha endlini kababa nakwelakithi lengabade, wakhuluma kimi, wangethembisa ngesifungo, wathi: ‘Leli lizwe ngiyolinika isizukulwane sakho.’ Uyothumela ingelosi yakhe ikuhole, okwakho ukuyotholela indodana yami umfazi lapho. Uma owesifazane lowo engathandi ukubuya nawe, uyobe ukhululekile kulesi sifungo engikufungise sona. Inqobo nje uma ungayibuyiselanga lapho indodana yami.” Ngakho-ke inceku yafaka isandla sayo phansi kwethanga lika-Abhrahama umniniyo, yafunga yagomela ngalolo daba. Inceku yathatha amakameli ayishumi omniniyo, yahamba iphethe izimpahla ezinhle ezinhlobonhlobo ezivela kumnumzane. Yalibangisa e-Aramu Naharayimu, emzini okwakwakhe kuwo uNahori. Yawaguqisa amakameli ngaphandle komuzi ngasemthonjeni wamanzi, kwaze kwaba kusihlwa ngesikhathi okuphuma ngaso abesifazane ukuyokukha amanzi. Yayisithandaza, ithi: “Simakade, Nkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama. Ngicela ukuba ungiphe impumelelo namhlanje, uyenzele isihawu inkosi yami u-Abhrahama. Ngimi lapha ngasemthonjeni, izintombi zendawo ziyeza zizokukha amanzi. Sengathi intombi engiyokuthi kuyo: ‘Ngicela uke uyethule imbiza yakho, ungiphuzise,’ iphendule ithi: ‘Phuza, futhi ngizowaphuzisa namakameli akho,’ kungaba yileyo oyimisele inceku yakho u-Isaka. Ngalokho ngiyoqiniseka ukuthi uyenzele isihawu inkosi yami.” Ithe ingakaqedi ukuthandaza, kwafika uRibheka etshethe imbiza, wayezalwa nguBhethuweli indodana kaMilkha, umkaNahori, umfowabo ka-Abhrahama. Wayenguzime, isiphalaphala sentombi eyayingakaze ithintwe yindoda. Wehlela emthonjeni, wagcwalisa imbiza, wayesekhuphuka. Inceku yagijima yamhlangabeza, yathi kuye: “Ngicela ungiphuzise ithamo lamanzi embizeni yakho.” Wayesethi: “Phuza nkosi yami.” Wayethula imbiza, wayinika inceku ukuze iphuze. Eseyiphuzisile, wathi: “Namakameli akho nawo ngizowaphuzisa aze adele.” Wathulula imbiza masinyane, wagijima ephindelela ethutha amanzi emthonjeni ewathela emkhombeni, aze adela wonke amakameli. Indoda yayimile, ithule, imgqolozele, ifuna ukuqiniseka ukuthi ngabe uSimakade ulwenze uhambo lwayo lwaba yimpumelelo yini na? Lapho amakameli eseqedile ukuphuza, inceku yathatha icici legolide lasekhaleni, elisisindo salo kuyingxenye yeshekeli, namasongo amabili asezingalweni, asisindo sawo singamashekeli ayishumi egolide, yathi: “Ngitshele ukuthi uyindodakazi kabani na? Ikhona yini indawo endlini kayihlo engingaphumula kuyo kulobu busuku na?” Waphendula wathi kuyo: “Ngiyindodakazi kaBhethuweli, indodana kaMilkha, ayizalela uNahori.” Waqhubeka wathi: “Sinotshani nefolishi eliningi ekhaya, nendawo yokulala.” Indoda yakhothama yamdumisa uSimakade uNkulunkulu, yathi: “Makabongwe uSimakade, uNkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, ongayekanga ukukhombisa umusa nokwethembeka kwakhe enkosini yami. Nami uSimakade ungiholile endleleni ngaze ngafinyelela emzini wesihlobo senkosi yami.” URibheka wagijima wayotshela abendlu kanina ngalezo zinto. URibheka wayenomfowabo ogama lakhe kunguLabani; uLabani wagijima waya kuleyo ndoda eyayisemthonjeni. Kwathi ukuba abone indandatho ekhaleni, namasongo ezingalweni zikadadewabo, futhi esekuzwile okushiwo ngudadewabo uRibheka, ethi: “Ikhulume kanjalo indoda kimi,” waya kuleyo ndoda eyayimi eduze kwamakameli ngasemthonjeni. Wathi kuyo: “Woza ungene, wena obusisekile kaSimakade. Usameleni ngaphandle lokhu sengikulungisele indlu nendawo yamakameli akho na?” Ngakho-ke indoda yangena endlini, uLabani wawethula imithwalo amakameli, wayesewaphakela utshani nefolishi. Indoda namadoda ayeyiphelezela babanika amanzi okugeza izinyawo. Base beyilethela okuya ngasethunjini, kodwa yathi: “Angizukudla ngize nginilandise indaba yami.” Wathi uLabani: “Silandise.” Ngakho-ke yathi: “Ngiyinceku ka-Abhrahama. USimakade uyibusisile kakhulu inkosi yami, iyisigwili. Uyiphe izimvu, izinkomo, isiliva, igolide, izinceku, nezincekukazi, amakameli nezimbongolo. USara inkosikazi yenkosi yami yamzalela indlalifa esemdala, futhi uyinike konke anakho. Inkosi yami yangifungisa yathi: ‘Uze ungayithatheli indodana yami umfazi ezintombini zamaKhanani engiphila ezweni lawo, kodwa yana kwelakithi ezihlotsheni zami, uyithathele khona umfazi, indodana yami.’ “Ngathi enkosini yami: ‘Mhlawumbe lowo wesifazane ngeke athande ukubuya nami.’ “Yathi: ‘USimakade engiphila phambi kwakhe, uyothumela ingelosi yakhe ikuhole, enze indlela yakho ibe yimpumelelo. Wena uzakutholela indodana yami umfazi kwelakithi nasezihlotsheni zami. Uma ufika ezihlotsheni zami bese ziyenqaba ukukuganisela, uyobe usukhululekile esifungweni engikufungise sona.’ “Ngifike namuhla emthonjeni, ngase ngithi: ‘Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, yenza manje ukuba uhambo lwami lube yimpumelelo. Ngimi lapha ngasemthonjeni, sengathi intombi efika ukuzokha amanzi engiyakuthi kuyo: “Ake ungiphuzise ithamo lamanzi embizeni yakho,” bese ithi: “Phuza, futhi ngizokukha amanzi ngiwaphuzise namakameli akho,” kungaba yileyo ntombi uSimakade ayimisele indodana yenkosi yami.’ Ngingakaqedi ukuthandaza ngizindla enhliziyweni yami, kwathi memfu uRibheka etshethe imbiza, wehlela emthonjeni, wakha amanzi. Ngathi kuye: ‘Ngicela ungiphuzise.’ “Wayethula imbiza ngokushesha, wathi: ‘Phuza; ngizakuwaphuzisa namakameli akho.’ Ngase ngiphuza-ke; wawaphuzisa amakameli. Ngambuza ngathi: ‘Uyindodakazi kabani na?’ “Wathi: ‘Ngiyindodakazi kaBhethuweli ozalwa nguNahori kuMilkha.’ “Ngakho-ke ngamfaka icici ekhaleni namabhengele ezihlakaleni zakhe. Ngakhothama, ngamdumisa uSimakade, ngimbonga uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenkosi yami u-Abhrahama, ongiholile endleleni okuyiyona ngaze ngathola indodakazi yezihlobo zenkosi yami, ukuba ibe ngumfazi wendodana yayo. Manje-ke ngicaciseleni ukuthi nizoyiphatha ngokwethembeka nangeqiniso yini inkosi yami, uma kungenjalo ngitsheleni, ukuze ngazi ukuthi ngenzenjani.” ULabani noBhethuweli baphendula, bathi: “Le ndaba ivela kuSimakade, ngeke thina sakwazi ukusho noma yini.