EYEZIQALO 8:1-22

UThixo wayengabalibalanga ooNowa nezilwanyana nezilo ezazisenqanaweni kunye nabo. Wavelisa umoya, aza andula ukuthotha amanzi. Yavalwa imithombo yamanzi engaphantsi komhlaba nesesibhakabhakeni, yapheza imvula. Aya ethotha amanzi kwada kwaziintsuku ezilikhulu linamashumi mahlanu. Ngomhla weshumi elinesixhenxe wenyanga yesixhenxe inqanawa yaya kuma phezu kweentaba zeArarati. Aya ephela amanzi, kwathi ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yeshumi zathi thu iincopho zeentaba. Emva kwamashumi amane eentsuku uNowa wavula ifestile yenqanawa, wakhupha ihlungulu. Lona lamana ukuphaphazela libheka ngapha nangapha, ada atshona amanzi emhlabeni. UNowa wandulula ihobe ukuya kuhlola ukuba atshile na amanzi. Kodwa alizanga lifumane ndawo yakuhlala ihobe, laza labuyela kuye enqanaweni, kuba umhlaba wawusagqunywe ngamanzi. Wolula isandla uNowa, walibamba, walingenisa enqanaweni. Walinda iintsuku zasixhenxe, waphinda walikhupha ihobe. Labuya ngokuhlwa seliphethe igqabi lomnquma ngomlomo, elalisandul' ukulikha. Waqonda ke uNowa ukuba amanzi athothile. Walinda ezinye iintsuku ezisixhenxe, waza walikhupha kwakhona ihobe. Alizanga liphinde libuye ngesi sihlandlo. Kuthe ke xa uNowa wayemakhulu mathandathu ananye ubudala, ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yokuqala, aba seletshonile amanzi emhlabeni. Wawuvula umnyango wenqanawa uNowa, wakhangela ngaphandle macal' onke, wawubona umhlaba womile. Ngomhla wamashumi mabini anesixhenxe, ngenyanga yesibini, laliselome khonkqo ilizwe. UThixo wathi kuNowa: “Phuma enqanaweni kunye nomkakho, noonyana bakho, kunye nabafazi babo. Zikhuphe zonke izidalwa ezisenqanaweni, iintaka neenyamakazi, nezinto ezirhubuluzayo, ukuze ziqhame, zande, zizalise ihlabathi.” Waphuma ke uNowa enqanaweni kunye nomkakhe, noonyana bakhe, kunye nabafazi babo. Zonke izidalwa ezishukumayo, iintaka nezilwanyana nezinto ezirhubuluzayo, zaphuma enqanaweni ngokweendidi zazo. Wenza iqonga lamadini *kaNdikhoyo uNowa. Wathatha isilwanyana ngasinye nentaka nganye, kwezo zodidi olutyiwayo, wazinikela zangumbingelelo phezu kwelo qonga. Lamkeleka ivumba lazo kuNdikhoyo, waza wathi: “Andisobe ndiliqalekise ilizwe ngenxa yezenzo zabantu. Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba umntu uneengcinga ezigwenxa kwaeselula. Andisobe ndizitshabalalise izinto eziphilayo njengoko sendenjenjalo. Kuya kusoloko kukho amaxesha okulima namaxesha okuvuna wonke lo gama lisemiyo ilizwe; kuya kubakho ingqele nobushushu, ihlobo nobusika, ubusuku nemini.”