UGenesisi 19:1-38
19 Izingilosi ezimbili zafika eSodoma kusihlwa njalo uLothi wayehlezi egedini leSodoma. ULothi wathi ezibona wathi lothu wazihlangabeza, wafika waguqa phansi ekhothamise ikhanda.+
2 Wasesithi: “Makhosi ami, ngiyacela, ake liphambukele emzini wenceku yenu lilale khona futhi lizahle ligeziswe lenyawo, beselivuka ekuseni kakhulu liqhubeke ngohambo lwenu.” Zona zathi: “Hatshi, sizalala egcekeni ledolobho.”
3 Kodwa yena wayelokhu ephikelela zaze zavuma ukuhamba laye emzini wakhe. Wafika wazilungisela ukudla okunengi, wapheka lesinkwa esingelamvubelo zasezisidla.
4 Bathi bengakalali kwatheleka amadoda edolobho lelo agombolozela indlu, wonke nje amadoda aseSodoma eliqembu, kusukela ebafaneni kuze kuyefika emaxhegwini.
5 Ayelokhu ememeza uLothi esithi: “Angaphi amadoda afike emzini wakho lamuhla kusihlwa? Wakhiphele phandle ukuze silale lawo.”+
6 ULothi wasephuma wavala isivalo, waya kuwo.
7 Wathi: “Bafowethu ngiyacela, lingenzi into le embi.
8 Zwanini, ngilamadodakazi amabili angakaze alale lendoda. Manini ngiwakhiphele phandle kini lenze loba yini eliyithandayo kuwo. Kodwa lingenzi lutho emadodeni la ngoba ayizethekeli emzini wami.”*+
9 Bona bathi: “Suka lapha!” baphinda bathi: “Umuntu lo wezizweni ongelabani wabuya wahlala lapha. Manje ukuthatha ngaphi ukuthi asahlulele? Khathesi sizakwenza okubi kakhulu kuwe ukwedlula lokhu esizakwenza kuwo.” Basebesondela baminyezela uLothi befuna ukubulala isivalo.
10 Ngakho amadoda ayesendlini elulela izandla zawo phandle, adonsela uLothi endlini asevala umnyango.
11 Asesenza ukuthi wonke amadoda ayesemnyango abe yiziphofu, kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu. Amadoda la ayelokhu ephumputha edinga umnyango aze adinwa.
12 Amadoda ayesendlini asesithi kuLothi: “Bakhona yini abanye abantu abayizihlobo zakho lapha? Kungaba ngabakhwenyana, amadodana akho, lamadodakazi akho, loba bonke nje abantu olabo edolobheni leli, basuse bonke endaweni le.
13 Indawo le sizayitshabalalisa ngoba insolo emayelana labantu bayo isinkulu kakhulu phambi kukaJehova,+ yikho uJehova esithumile ukuthi sizolitshabalalisa idolobho leli.”
14 Ngakho uLothi waphuma wayakhuluma labakhwenyana bakhe ababethembise ukutshada lamadodakazi akhe. Wayelokhu esithi kubo: “Phangisani! Phumani endaweni le, ngoba uJehova uzalitshabalalisa idolobho leli!” Kodwa abakhwenyana bakhe babebona angani uyazidlalela.+
15 Kwathi sekusemadabukakusa izingilosi zatshela uLothi ukuthi enze masinyane, zathi: “Phangisa! Thatha umkakho lamadodakazi akho amabili olawo ukuze ungabhujiswa nxa idolobho leli selitshabalaliswa ngenxa yecala lalo.”+
16 Wathi elokhu esatomatoma, izingilosi zambamba ngesandla, zabamba lesandla somkakhe lezamadodakazi akhe amabili, zamkhiphela phandle, zamtshiya phandle kwedolobho+ ngenxa yokuthi uJehova waba lozwelo kuye.+
17 Zathi sezibakhiphele phandle kwedolobho, enye yazo yathi: “Baleka ukuze usinde! Ungakhangeli emuva+ njalo ungami kuloba yiphi indawo esigabeni lesi!+ Balekela ezintabeni ukuze ungatshabalali.”
18 ULothi wasesithi kuzo: “Awu Jehova ungangisi kuleyondawo!
19 Inceku yakho isithole umusa kuwe njalo ube lothando oluqotho kimi ngokungigcina ngiphila+ kodwa angisoze ngenelise ukubalekela ezintabeni ngoba ngiyesaba ukuthi ingozi ingangifica endleleni besengisifa.+
20 Kuledolobho elincane eduze lapha. Ngicela ukubalekela khona! Liyindawo encane nje futhi nxa ngingaya kulo ngizasinda.”
21 Wasesithi kuye: “Kulungile, ngiyasamukela isicelo sakho,+ angisoze ngilitshabalalise idolobho okhuluma ngalo.+
22 Phangisa-ke! Ubalekele kulo ngoba angisoze ngenze lutho nxa ungakafiki khona.”+ Yikho idolobho lelo labizwa ngokuthi yiZowari.*+
23 Ilanga laseliphumile ngesikhathi uLothi efika eZowari.
24 Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wanisa isalufa kanye lomlilo phezu kweSodoma leGomora. Izinto lezi zavela kuJehova emazulwini.+
25 Ngakho wawatshabalalisa amadolobho lawo, sonke lesosigaba kanye labo bonke abantu ababehlala kuwo, lezimila ezazisemhlabathini.+
26 Kodwa umkaLothi wayengemva kwakhe njalo wakhangela emuva wasesiba yisiduli sesawudo.*+
27 U-Abrahama wavuka ekuseni waya endaweni ayeke wama kuyo phambi kukaJehova.+
28 Wathi uyakhangela eSodoma leGomora lakuyo yonke indawo esesigabeni leso wasala emangele. Wabona kuqubuka intuthu ejiyileyo elizweni futhi yayinjengentuthu ephuma esithandweni somlilo.+
29 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wathi esetshabalalisa amadolobho asesigabeni leso, wakhumbula u-Abrahama, wakhipha uLothi emadolobheni lawo, lapho uLothi ayehlala khona.+
30 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uLothi wasuka eZowari lamadodakazi akhe amabili wayahlala ezintabeni+ ngoba wayesesaba ukuhlala eZowari.+ Ngakho waqala ukuhlala ebhalwini lamadodakazi akhe amabili.
31 Indodakazi yakhe endala yathi kwencane: “Ubaba usegugile njalo akulandoda lapha engalala lathi ukuze sibe labantwana njengalokho okwenziwa emhlabeni wonke.
32 Buya sinike ubaba iwayini anathe, besesilala laye silondoloze usendo lwakhe.”*
33 Yikho ngalobobusuku baqhubeka benika uyise iwayini, indodakazi endala yasingena yalala laye kodwa uyise kazange akwazi ukuthi yalala nini lokuthi yavuka nini.
34 Kwathi-ke ngelanga elilandelayo, indodakazi endala yathi kwencane: “Ngilele lobaba izolo ebusuku. Lalamuhla ebusuku asimnike iwayini anathe, ubususiyalala laye ukuze silondoloze usendo lwakhe.”
35 Yikho langalobobusuku baqhubeka benika uyise iwayini, indodakazi encane yasingena yalala laye kodwa kazange akwazi ukuthi yalala nini lokuthi yavuka nini.
36 Ngakho womabili amadodakazi kaLothi azithwala.
37 Indodakazi endala yabeletha umntwana ongumfana yamnika ibizo yathi nguMowabi.+ Nguye owaba nguyise wamaMowabi akhona lamuhla.+
38 Encane layo yabeletha umntwana ongumfana, yamnika ibizo yathi nguBheni-ami. Nguye owaba nguyise wama-Amoni+ akhona lamuhla.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “ngaphansi komthunzi wophahla lwami.”
^ Ibizo leli litsho ukuthi, “Into encane.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “yinsika yesawudo.”
^ Kumbe, “inzalo yakhe.”
