UJosefa uyabalinga abafowabo

44Waselaya umphathi wendlu yakhe esithi: Gcwalisa amasaka amadoda ngokudla, okulingene abangakuthwala, ufake imali yalowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe. 2 Lenkezo yami, inkezo yesiliva, ifake emlonyeni wesaka lecinathunjana kanye lemali yamabele alo. Wenza-ke njengelizwi likaJosefa, ayelikhulumile. 3 Ekuseni sekusile, amadoda avunyelwa ukuhamba, wona labobabhemi bawo. 4 Wona aphuma emzini, ayengakhatshana, uJosefa wasesithi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: Sukuma xotshana lamadoda; lapho usuwaficile uzakuthi kuwo: Liphindiseleleni okuhle ngokubi? 5 Le kayisiyo enatha kuyo inkosi yami, lehlahlula ngayo sibili yini? Lenze okubi ngelikwenzileyo.

6 Wasewafica, wakhuluma kuwo la amazwi. 7 Asesithi kuye: Inkosi yami ikhulumelani amazwi anje? Kakube khatshana lezinceku zakho ukwenza into enje. 8 Khangela, imali esayifica emlonyeni wamasaka ethua sayibuyisela kuwe ivela elizweni leKhanani. Pho, besingeba njani isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho? 9 Lowo owezinceku zakho etholwa kuye, kafeb, lathi futhi sizakuba yizigqili zenkosi yami. 10 Wasesithi: Khathesi-ke, kakube njalo njengamazwi enu; lowo ezatholwa kuye uzakuba yisigqili sami, kodwa lina libe msulwa. 11 Basebephangisa, njalo ngulowo lalowo wethulela isaka lakhe emhlabathini, ngulowo lalowo wasevula isaka lakhe. 12 Waphenya eqala kwenkulu wacina ngecinathunjana; njalo inkezo yatholwa esakeni likaBhenjamini. 13 Asedabula izembatho zawoc; ileyo laleyo yethwesa ubabhemi wayo, asebuyela emzini.

14 Njalo uJuda wafika labafowabo endlini kaJosefa; ngoba wayesesekhona, bawela emhlabathini phambi kwakhed. 15 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yisenzo bani elisenzileyo? Belingazi yini ukuthi indoda enjengami ingahlahlula sibili? 16 UJuda wasesithi: Sizakuthini enkosini yami? Sizakhulumani? Loba sizazilungisisa njani? UNkulunkulu uthole ububi benceku zakho; khangela, siyizigqili zenkosi yami, thina sonke kanye laye inkezo etholwe esandleni sakhee. 17 Kodwa wathi: Kakube khatshana lami ukwenza lokho. Indoda esandleni sayo okutholwe inkezo, nguye ozakuba yisigqili sami; kodwa lina yenyukani ngokuthula liye kuyihlo.

18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi: Uxolo nkosi yami! Ake uvumele inceku yakho ikhulume ilizwi endlebeni zenkosi yamif, lolaka lwakho lungayivutheli inceku yakhog, ngoba unjengoFaro kanye. 19 Inkosi yami yabuza inceku zayo isithi: Liloyihlo kumbe umfowenu yini? 20 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Silobaba olixhegu, lomfana wobuxhegu, omncinyaneh, lomnewabo ufile, njalo yena usele yedwa kunina, loyise uyamthanda. 21 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Mehliseleni kimi ukuze ngibeke ilihlo lami phezu kwakhei. 22 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Umfana angetshiye uyise; uba emtshiya uyise, uzakufa uyisej. 23 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Uba umnawenu olicinathunjana engehli lani, kaliyikubona ubuso bami futhi. 24 Kwasekusithi sesenyukele kunceku yakho ubaba, samazisa amazwi enkosi yami. 25 Ubaba wasesithi: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwanak. 26 Sasesisithi: Singeke sehle; uba umnawethu olicinathunjana elathi singehla, ngoba singebone ubuso baleyondoda uba umnawethu olicinathunjana singelaye. 27 Inceku yakho ubaba yasisithi kithi: Lina liyazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili; 28 njalo omunye waphuma kimi, ngasengisithi: Isibili udatshuliwe lokudatshulwal; njalo kangimbonanga kuze kube khathesi. 29 Uba lithatha lalo limsusa ebusweni bami, esehlelwe yingozi, lizakwehlisela-ke izimvu zami engcwabeni ngosizim. 30 Khathesi-ke, lapho ngibuyela kunceku yakho ubaba, lomfana singelaye, njengoba umphefumulo wakhe ubotshelwe emphefumulweni wakhen, 31 kuzakuthi-ke, nxa ebona ukuthi umfana kakhoo, uzakufa; njalo inceku zakho zizakwehlisela izimvu zenceku yakho ubaba engcwabeni ngosizi. 32 Ngoba inceku yakho yaba yisibambiso somfana kubaba esithi: Uba ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngizakuba lecala kubaba zonke izinsukup. 33 Khathesi-ke, ake inceku yakho isale esikhundleni somfana, ibe yisigqili senkosi yami, lomfana enyuke kanye labafowabo. 34 Ngoba ngingenyukela njani kubaba, umfana ngingelaye, hlezi ngibone okubi okuzafica ubaba?