1Kwasekusiba lendlala elizweni, ngaphandle kwendlala yakuqala eyayikhona ngesikhathi sika-Abhrahama, u-Isaka waya ku-Abhimelekhi inkosi yamaFilistiya eGerari.
2UThixo* wabonakala ku-Isaka wathi, “Ungehleli eGibhithe; hlala elizweni engithi hlala khona.
3Ake uhlale kulelilizwe okwesikhatshana, mina ngizakuba lawe ngikubusise. Ngoba wena lezizukulwane zakho ngizalinika wonke amazwe la njalo ngiqinise isifungo engasifunga kuyihlo u-Abhrahama.
4Ngizakwenza izizukulwane zakho zibe zinengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini, ngizinike wonke lamazwe, njalo kuthi ngenzalo yakho zonke izizwe emhlabeni zizabusiswa,
5ngoba u-Abhrahama wangilalela, wagcina izimiso zami, lemilayo yami, kanye lemithetho yami.”
6Ngakho u-Isaka wahlala eGerari.
7Kwathi lapho abantu baleyondawo bembuza ngomkakhe wathi, “Ngudadewethu,” ngoba wayesesaba ukuthi, “Ngumkami.” Wacabanga wathi, “Amadoda alapha angangibulala ngenxa kaRabheka, ngoba muhle kakhulu.”
8Kwathi u-Isaka esehlale khona okwesikhathi eside, u-Abhimelekhi inkosi yamaFilistiya wakhangela ngefasitela wabona u-Isaka egone umkakhe uRabheka.
9Ngakho wasebiza u-Isaka wathi, “Kanti ngumkakho ngeqiniso! Kungani uthe ungudadewenu?”
10U-Abhimelekhi wasesithi, “Kuyini lokhu okwenzileyo kithi? Omunye wamadoda ubezaqabuka elala laye umkakho, ubususibangela icala.”
11Ngakho u-Abhimelekhi wasekhupha umlayo ebantwini bonke wathi, “Lowo ozake ayithinte indoda le loba umkayo ngempela uzabulawa.”
12U-Isaka walima amabele kulelolizwe, ngalowomnyaka wavuna okuphindwe ngekhulu, ngoba uThixo* wambusisa.
13Umuntu lo wanotha kakhulu, lemfuyo yakhe yanda kakhulukazi.
14Waba lemihlambi yezimvu lenkomo emikhulu kakhulu, kanye lezisebenzi ezinengi, amaFilistiya aze aba lomona ngaye.
15Kwasekusithi yonke imithombo eyayigejwe yizisebenzi ngesikhathi sikayise u-Abhrahama, amaFilistiya ayivala ngokuyigqibela ngenhlabathi.
16U-Abhimelekhi wasesithi ku-Isaka, “Suka kithi; ususuke waba lamandla kakhulu kulathi.”
17Ngakho u-Isaka wasuka lapho wayakuma eSigodini saseGerari, wahle wakha khona.
18U-Isaka wayiphanda imithombo eyayigejwe ngesikhathi sikayise u-Abhrahama, eyayigqitshelwe ngamaFilistiya ngemva kokuba u-Abhrahama esefile, wayibiza ngalawo mabizo uyise ayeyibiza ngawo.
19Izisebenzi zika-Isaka zagebha esigodini zafumana umthombo olamanzi amahle khonapho.
20Kodwa abelusi baseGerari baxabana labelusi baka-Isaka bathi, “Amanzi la ngawethu!” Ngakho umthombo lowo wawuthi yi-Eseki, ngoba bawubanga laye.
21Ngakho basebesimba omunye umthombo, kodwa lawo bawubanga njalo; wasewubiza ngokuthi yiSithina.
22Wasuka lapho wayagebha omunye umthombo, akwabe kusaba khona owubangayo. Wawuthi yiRehobhothi, esithi, “Manje uThixo* usesiphile indawo, sesizaphumelela kuleli ilizwe.”
23Esuka lapho waya eBherishebha.
24Ngalobobusuku uThixo* wabonakala kuye wathi, “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo u-Abhrahama. Ungesabi, ngoba ngilawe; ngizakubusisa ngandise ubunengi bezizukulwane zakho ngenxa yenceku yami u-Abhrahama.”
25U-Isaka wakha i-Alithari khonapho wamemeza ibizo likaThixo*. Wamisa ithente lakhe khonapho, izisebenzi zakhe zemba umthombo khonapho.
26Ngalesosikhathi u-Abhimelekhi weza kuye evela eGerari, elo-Ahuzathi umeluleki wakhe loFikholi umlawuli wamabutho akhe.
27U-Isaka wababuza wathi, “Lilandeni kimi, njengoba lalingizonda laze langixotsha?”
28Bamphendula bathi, “Sabona kamhlophe ukuthi uThixo* wayelawe; yikho sasesicabanga ukuthi kumele kube lesivumelwano esibotshiweyo phakathi kwethu lawe. Kasenze isibopho lawe
29esokuthi kawusoze usihlukuluze, njengoba lathi singazange sikulimaze ngalutho kodwa sakuvalelisa ngokuthula. Khathesi usubusisiwe nguThixo*.”
30U-Isaka wasebenzela idili, badla banatha.
31Ekuseni kakhulu ngelanga elilandelayo amadoda wonke enza isifungo omunye komunye. U-Isaka wasebavulela indlela bahamba ngokuthula.
32Ngalolosuku izisebenzi zika-Isaka zabuya zamtshela ngomthombo ezaziwugebhile. Zathi, “Sesiwatholile amanzi!”
33Wawuthi yiShibha, osekuze kube namuhla idolobho kuthiwa yiBherishebha.
34Kwathi u-Esawu eseleminyaka yobudala engamatshumi amane, wathatha uJudithi indodakazi kaBheri umHithi njalo loBhasemathi indodakazi ka-Eloni umHithi.