KWAKUSELE kudlule iminyaka engama-350 ukususela kuMkhukula kaNowa. Usolusapho uAbraham wayehlala kwisixeko esimi kakuhle saseUre, indawo namhlanje eyaziwa ngokuba yi-Iraq. UAbraham wayebalasele ngokholo. Kodwa ngoku ukholo lwakhe lwavavanywa.

UYehova waxelela uAbraham ukuba emke kwilizwe awazalelwa kulo, aye kwilizwe lasemzini, eKanan. UAbraham wathobela. Wahamba nentsapho yakhe, umfazi wakhe, uSara, nomtshana wakhe uLote yaye emva kohambo olude baya kuhlala ezintenteni eKanan. Kumnqophiso awawenza noAbraham, uYehova wamthembisa ukuba inzala yakhe yayiya kuba luhlanga olukhulu, zonke iintsapho zomhlaba zisikelelwe ngenxa yakhe, ize inzala yakhe ilithabathele kuyo ilizwe laseKanan.

UAbraham noLote baba nemfuyo eninzi, imihlambi yeegusha neenkomo. UAbraham wavumela uLote ukuba akhethe kuqala indawo ayifunayo. ULote wakhetha ummandla ochumileyo okuMlambo iYordan waya kuhlala kufuphi nesixeko saseSodom. Noko ke, abantu baseSodom, babeziphethe kakubi—bemona ngokugqithiseleyo uYehova.

Kamva uYehova uThixo waqinisekisa uAbraham ukuba inzala yakhe yayiya kuba ninzi njengeenkwenkwezi zezulu. UAbraham waba nokholo kweso sithembiso. Sekunjalo, umfazi ka-Abraham uSara wayengekabi namntwana. Xa uAbraham wayeneminyaka engama-99 ubudala, yena uSara esondela kwengama-90, uThixo waxelela uAbraham ukuba baza kuba nonyana. Kanye njengoko uThixo wayetshilo, uSara wazala uIsake. UAbraham wayenabo abanye abantwana, kodwa uMhlanguli owayethenjiswe e-Eden wayeza kuza ngoIsake.

Ngelo xesha uLote nentsapho yakhe babehlala eSodom, kodwa uLote olilungisa akazange aziphathe kakubi njengabantu beso sixeko. Xa uYehova wayezimisele ukutshabalalisa iSodom wathumela iingelosi ukuba ziye kulumkisa uLote ngaloo ntshabalalo. Iingelosi zambongoza uLote nentsapho yakhe ukuba baphume eSodom baze bangakhangeli ngasemva. Ngoko uThixo wanisa umlilo nesalfure eSodom nakwisixeko esikufuphi esingendawo iGomora, etshabalalisa abemi bazo. ULote neentombi zakhe ezimbini basaba. Kodwa umfazi kaLote wakhangela ngasemva, mhlawumbi ecinga ngezinto awayezishiya. Ngenxa yokungathobeli kwakhe wafa.

—Oku kusekelwe kwiGenesis 11:10–19:38.