Bible

37UJakobe wasehlala elizweni uyise ayehlala kilo njengowezizwe1, ilizwe leKhanani. 2 Lezi zindaba zezizukulwana zikaJakobea. UJosefab, eleminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa umhlambi labafowabo, wayengumfana, elamadodana kaBiliha, lamadodana kaZilipa, omkayise; uJosefa waseletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngaboc. 3 Njalo uIsrayeli wayemthanda uJosefa kulawo wonke amadodana akhe, ngoba wayeyindodana yobudala bakhed; wamenzela isigqoko esilemibalabala2. 4 Kwathi abafowabo sebebonile ukuthi uyise uyamthanda kulabo bonke abafowabo, bamzonda, babengelakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.

5 UJosefa wasephupha iphupho, walazisa abafowabo; ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu. 6 Wasesithi kibo: Ake lizwe leliphupho engiliphuphileyo. 7 Khangelani-ke, besibopha izithungo phakathi kwensimu, njalo khangelani, isithungo sami sema saqonda futhi, khangelani-ke, izithungo zenu zazingelezela, zasikhothamela isithungo samie. 8 Abafowabo basebesithi kuye: Kanti ukubusa uzasibusa, ukulawula uzasilawula yini? Ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu, ngenxa yamaphupho akhe langenxa yamazwi akhe.

9 Wasebuya futhi waphupha elinye iphupho, walilandisela abafowabo, wathi: Khangelani, ngiphuphe futhi iphupho; khangelani-ke, ilanga lenyanga lenkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye zingikhothamela. 10 Waselandisela uyise labafowabo. Uyise wasemsola wathi kuye: Liyini leliphupho oliphuphileyo? Ukuza sizakuza, mina lonyokof labafowenu, sikhothamele emhlabathini phambi kwakho yini? 11 Abafowabo-ke baba lomona ngayeg, kodwa uyise waligcina lelilizwih.

12 Abafowabo basebesiyalagisa umhlambi kayise eShekemai. 13 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Abafowenu kabalagisi eShekema yini? Woza, ngikuthume kibo. Wasesithi kuye: Khangela ngilapha. 14 Wasesithi kuye: Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi baphila kuhle3 yini abafowenu, lokuthi uyaphila umhlambi, ungibuyisele ilizwi. Wasemthuma esuka esigodini iHebronij wasefika eShekema.

15 Indoda yamfica, ngoba khangela wayezula egangeni; indoda yasimbuza yathi: Udingani? 16 Wasesithi: Ngidinga abafowethu; ake ungazise ukuthi balagise ngaphi. 17 Indoda yasisithi: Basukile lapha, ngoba ngibezwile besithi: Asiye eDothani. UJosefa wasebalandela abafowabo, wabathola eDothanik. 18 Basebembona esekhatshana. Njalo engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokuthi bambulale. 19 Bakhulumisana besithi: Khangela, lo umphuphi4 uyeza; 20 khathesi-ke, wozani simbulale, simphosele komunye wemigodi, besesisithi: Isilo esibi simdlile. Khona sizabona ukuthi amaphupho akhe azakuba yini. 21 URubeni wasekuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo, wathi: Asingatshayi impilol. 22 URubeni wasesithi kubo: Lingachithi igazi, mphoseleni kulumgodi osenkangala, lingeluleli isandla kuye; ukuze amkhulule esandleni sabo, ukuze ambuyisele kuyisem.

23 Kwasekusithi uJosefa esefikile kubafowabo, bamhlubula uJosefa isigqoko sakhe, isigqoko esilemibalabala5, ayesigqokile; 24 basebemthatha, bamphosela emgodini; kodwa umgodi wawungelalutho, kungelamanzi kuwo. 25 Basebehlala phansi ukudla isinkwa. Baphakamisa amehlo abo babona, khangela-ke, udwendwe lwamaIshmayeli luvela eGileyadin, lamakamela awo ethwele isinongoo lenhlaka lemure*p, ehamba ukukwehlisela eGibhithe. 26 UJuda wasesithi kubafowabo: Yinzuzo bani uba simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakheq? 27 Wozani, simthengise kumaIshmayelir, lesandla sethu kasingabi phezu kwakhe, ngoba umgumfowethu, inyama yethus. Abafowabo basebelalela. 28 Kwasekudlula amaMidiyani angabathengiselanit; basebemdonsa bamphakamisa uJosefa emgodini, bathengisa uJosefa kumaIshmayeliu ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amabiliv. Amusa-ke eGibhithe.

29 Kwathi uRubeni ebuyela emgodini, khangela-ke, uJosefa wayengekho emgodini, wadabula izembatho zakhew. 30 Wasebuyela kubafowabo wathi: Umfana kakho; mina-ke, ngizakuya ngaphix? 31 Basebethatha isigqoko sikaJosefa, bahlaba izinyane lembuzi, bagxamuza isigqoko egaziniy. 32 Basebethumela isigqoko esilemibalabala, basisa kuyise, bathi: Lokhu sikuficile; akunanzelele ukuthi lesi yisigqoko sendodana yakho yini, loba hatshiz. 33 Wasinanzelela wathi: Yisigqoko sendodana yami! Isilo esibi simdlile, isibili udatshulwe uJosefaa. 34 UJakobe wasedabula izembatho zakhe, wafaka isaka ekhalweni lwakhe, wayililela indodana yakhe insuku ezinengib. 35 Njalo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe asukuma ukumduduzac, kodwa wala ukududuzwa, wathi: Ngoba ngizakwehlela engcwabeni endodaneni yami ngililad. Uyise wamlilela njalo. 36 AmaMidiyanie asemthengisa eGibhithe kuPotifa, umphathi kaFaro, induna yabalindi.

1 njengowezizwe: Heb. ilizwe lokuhlala kukayise njengowezizwe.

a 2.4; 6.9.

b 30.24.

c 1 Sam. 2.23,24.

d 44.20.

2 esilemibalabala: kumbe, esiyiziqaziqa.

e 42.6,9; 43.26; 44.14.

f 35.18.

g Seb. 7.9.

h Dan. 7.28. Luka 2.19,51.

i 33.18.

3 baphila kuhle: Heb. bona ukuthula kwabafowenu.

j 13.18; 35.27.

k 2 Kho. 6.13.

4 umphuphi: Heb. inkosi yamaphupho.

l 42.22.

m 37.29,30.

5 esilemibalabala: kumbe, esiyiziqaziqa.

n 37.27,28,36; 39.1.

o 43.11.

p Jer. 8.22; 46.11. Hez. 27.17.

q 37.20.

r 1 Sam. 18.17.

s 29.14.

t 25.2. Hlu. 6.3.

u 45.4. Hlab. 105.17. Seb. 7.9.

v 33.19; 20.16; 45.22. Hlu. 9.4; 16.5. 2 Kho. 5.5.

w 37.34; 44.13.

x 42.13,32,36; 44.31. Jer. 31.15. Lilo 5.7.

y 37.23.

z 38.25,26.

a 37.20; 44.28.

b 37.29. 2 Sam. 1.11.

c 2 Sam. 12.17.

d 42.38; 44.29,31.

e 25.2.