uzamcolo nejuba likaNowa
uGenesisi 7
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uNkulunkulu waphatheka kabi ebona indlela isintu esiqhuba ngayo: Akekho owayesanaké ihlalakahle nobuntu; kwase kubhoké ubuqili nobudlova. Kwakuze kube sengathi useyazisola manje ukuthi wayebadaleleni-nje nempela. Usethi-ke: “Ngizovele ngisibhubhise sonke isintu lesi – ngiqede ngedlulele nasezilwaneni zonkana. Impela kwakuyoba ngcono ukuba angizange-nje ngikudale konke lokhu.”
NguNowa-nje kuphela owayemthokozisa; wayeyindoda eqotho, emazisayo uNkulunkulu. Wayebatshazwa, eyisibonelo. Amadodana akhe kwakungoSem noHham noJafeth.
Lalonakele izwe, kungekho namunye-nje ngaphandle kukaNowa owayengayigculisa iNkosi. Ubuqola nobudlwembe babudlangile. Intando yeNkosi yase yaphenduka inhlekisa-nje.
Usethi-ke uNkulnkulu kuNowa: “Lesi sinqumo ngisithathé ngisithathile: Ngiyasiqeda nya isintu manje; ngiyasibhubhisa ngothi lwaso. Wonakele umhlaba, ugcwele imikhuba namanyala enziwa yisintu. Gawula uxoze imithi wakhe umkhumbi; imifantu yawo uyigcike ngobumba. Uwakhe ube makamelo maningi. Ukuphakama kwawo kube ngamamitha alishumi nanhlanu, ububanzi angamashumi amabili nanhlanu, ubude alikhulu namashumi amahlanu, bese uyawufulela. Yakaha-ke uphahla lwesibili ukuze ube yisitezi esehlukene kathathu. Umnyango-ke uwuvule ohlangothini. Ngizokwehlisa uzamcolo ozominzisa konke okusemhlabeni; akuyukusinda muntu nasilwanyana. Lalela-ke: Wena ngikunika nasi isethembiso: ùyophepha.
“Ngena emkhunjini, wena nomkakho namadodana nabalobokazi bawo. Kuthi-ke ezilwaneni nithathe njalo ngambili, iduna nesikazi, ukuze ziphephiswe kanye nani. Ngifisa ukuthi impilo ihlengeke; yingakho-ke ngithi faka emkhunjini izilwane ngambili, enzincane nezinkulu, yonke inhlobo. Ungakhohlwa-ke izilwane ukuzifakela ukudla kwazo; nawe nomndeni wakho niphathe umphako owanele.” Wenza-ke uNowa njengokusho kweNkosi.
Wayeneminyaka engamakhulu ayisithupha uNowa ngesikhathi sikazamcolo lowo. Kwakuwusuku lweshumi nesikhombisa enyangeni yesibili mhla kuthululeka izimpophoma, kubheduka izikhukhula sengathi kukhumuké zonke izibopho esibhakabhakeni, kwaqhibuka ziphethukazi emathunjini omhlaba. Wasuka waqonda emkhunjini uNowa ngalolo lusuku, yena nomkakhe namadodana abo oSem noHham noJafeth nabafazi bawo kanye nezilwane ngambili ngambili: izinyoni, imfuyo, ezasendle – yonke inhlobo – njengokusho kweNkosi. Wayesevale-ke uNkulunkulu, esekhiya.
Layidliva-ke. Waqala nomkhumbi manje, wantanta. Ngokuqhubeka kwemvula wagcina usuntweza njengasolwandle. Kuhambé kwahamba nezintaba azabe zisabonakala; amanzi ayeseyedlula ngamamitha amahlanu intaba ende kunazo zonke. Kwagwila kwaminza konke okwakukade kuphila emhlabeni: izilwane, izinyoni nabantu. Wayishaya wayibhuqa, yabhubha kanjalo-ke impilo emhlabeni. NguNowa-nje nomndeni wakhe abasinda.
Ayelokhu ethululekile amanzi engapheli – izinsuku eziyikhulu
namashumi amahlanu! UNkulunkulu wakhumbula ukuthi uNowa nezilwane lokhu besemkhunjini belu. Usethumela izivunguvungu ukuze amanzi abohle; zakhawuka- ke nezimpophoma, neziphethu zathoba. Kwathi kuphela izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi amahlanu ayesebohlé impela-nje amanzi. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa enyangeni yesikhombisa umkhumbi wabambeka, wema esiqongweni sentaba iArarath. Aqhubeka amanzi ebohla; ngosuku lokuqala enyangeni yeshumi kwase kubonakala neziqongo zezinye izintaba.
Emva kwezinsuku ezingamashumi amane uNowa wavula ifastela, wadedela igwababa; kwabe uliwezé ngelibanzi! Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wadedela ijuba; ingani phela ufuna ukwazi ukuthi asehlé kangakanani amanzi.
Wedlulisa izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, waphinda walidedela. Lashay’ utshani!
Usephakamisa uphahla-ke uNowa, ethalaza, ehlola isimo phandle. Sezedlule izikhukhula.
Kwakulusuku lokuqala onyakeni omusha; uNowa wayehlanganisa unyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha nanye wobudala. Osukwini lwamashumi amabili nesikhomisa enyangeni yesibili wawusuwomé ngokwejwayelekile umhlaba.
Wayesethi-ke uNkulunkulu kuNowa:
“Phumani-ke manje emkhunjini, wena nomkakho namadodana enu nemizi yawo. Dedelani nezilwane zonke ezisemkhunjini nezinyoni, nemfuyo. Azizalane zande nezwe lonke.”