Abafowabo bakaJosefa baya eGibhithe

42UJakobe esebonile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithea, uJakobe wathi emadodaneni akhe: Kungani likhangelana? 2 Wathi futhi: Khangelani, sengizwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe; yehlani liye khona, lisithengele khona, ukuze siphile, singafib. 3 Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi basebesehla ukuthenga amabele eGibhithe. 4 Kodwa uBhenjaminic, umfowabo kaJosefa, uJakobe kamthumanga labafowabo, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ehlelwe yingozid.

5 Amadodana kaIsrayeli asefika ukuthenga phakathi kwababesiza, ngoba indlala yayikhona elizweni leKhanani. 6 Njalo uJosefa wayengumbusi phezu kwelizwee; wathengisela abantu bonke belizwe; bafika-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa, bamkhothamela ngobuso emhlabathinif. 7 UJosefa esebabonile abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owemzini kubo, wakhuluma labo izinto ezilukhuni wathi kubo: Livela ngaphi? Bathi: Elizweni leKhanani, ukuthenga ukudla. 8 UJosefa wasebazi abafowabo, kodwa bona kabamazanga. 9 UJosefa wasekhumbula amaphupho awaphupha ngabog, wathi kibo: Lizinhlolih, ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile. 10 Basebesithi kuye: Hatshi, nkosi yami; kodwa inceku zakho zize ukuthenga ukudla. 11 Thina sonke singamadodana andodanye; singabaqotho, inceku zakho kazisizo inhloli. 12 Wasesithi kubo: Hatshi, kodwa ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile. 13 Basebesithi: Thina, izinceku zakho, siyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana andodanye elizweni leKhanani; khangela-ke, icinathunjana likubaba lamuhla, enye kayisekhoi. 14 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yikho lokho engikutsho kini, ukuthi: Lizinhloli. 15 Kulokhu lizahlolwa; ngempilo kaFaroj! kalisoze liphume lapha, ngaphandle kokuthi kufike umfowenu olicinathunjana lapha. 16 Thumani omunye wenu, amlande umfowenu; kodwa lina lizabotshwa, ukuze kuhlolwe amazwi enu, ukuthi iqiniso likini yini; kodwa uba hatshi, impilo kaFaro! lizinhloli. 17 Wasebafaka1 esitokisini insuku ezintathu. 18 UJosefa wasesithi kubo ngosuku lwesithathu: Yenzani lokhu ukuze liphile. Ngiyamesaba uNkulunkuluk. 19 Uba lingabaqotho, kabotshwe omunye wabafowenu endlini yokulondolozwa kwenu, kodwa lina hambani, libuyele lamabele endlala ezindlu zenu, 20 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimil; khona amazwi enu ezaqiniswa, ukuze lingafi. Basebesenza njalo.

21 Basebekhulumisana besithi: Isibili silecala ngomfowethu, ngoba sabona usizi lomphefumulo wakhe, nxa wasincenga, kodwa kasilalelanga; ngenxa yalokho sehlelwe yikuhlupheka lokhum. 22 URubeni wasebaphendula wathi: Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Lingoni kumfanan? Kodwa kalilalelanga. Ngakho legazi lakhe, khangelani, liyabizwao. 23 Njalo bona babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyezwa, ngoba kwakulomtolikip phakathi kwabo. 24 Njalo wabafulathela, wakhala inyembezi; wasetshibilikela kubo, wakhuluma kubo; wasethatha uSimeyoni kubo, wambopha phambi kwamehlo abo.

25 UJosefa waselaya ukuthi bagcwalise amasaka abo ngamabele, lokuthi babuyisele imali yabo, ngulowo lalowo esakeni lakhe, lokuthi babanike umphako wendlela; basebesenza njalo kubo. 26 Basebesethwesa obabhemi babo amabele abo, basuka lapho. 27 Kwathi omunye evula isaka lakheq ukuze anike ubabhemi wakhe ukudla endlini yezihambir, wabona imali yakhe, ngoba khangela, yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe. 28 Wasesithi kubafowabo: Imali yami ibuyiselwe; futhi khangelani, isesakeni lami. Inhliziyo yabo yasisehluleka2, bathuthumela, omunye komunye besithi: Kuyini lokhu uNkulunkulu akwenze kithi?

29 Basebesiza kuJakobe uyise elizweni leKhanani, bamazisa konke abahlangene lakho, besithi: 30 Indoda, umbusi walelolizwe, wasihalada, wasithatha njengenhloli zelizwe. 31 Kodwa sathi kuye: Singabaqotho; kasisizo izinhloli; 32 sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana kababa; enye kayisekhos, lecinathunjana lamuhla likubaba elizweni leKhanani. 33 Lendoda, umbusi welizwe, wathi kithi: Ngalokhu ngizakwazi ukuthi lingabaqotho; tshiyani omunye wabafowenu kimit, lithathele indlala yezindlu zenuu, lihambe, 34 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona ngizabona ukuthi kalisizo izinhloli kodwa lingabaqotho, ngilinike umfowenu, lithengiselane elizweniv.

35 Kwasekusithi sebethulula amasaka abo, khangela-ke, isikhwama semali salowo lalowo sisesakeni lakhe. Lapho bebona izikhwama zemali yabo, bona loyise, besaba. 36 UJakobe uyise wasesithi kubo: Liyangemuka abantwanaw; uJosefa kasekho loSimeyoni kakho, loBhenjamini lizamthatha; zonke lezizinto zimelane lami. 37 URubeni wasekhuluma kuyise esithi: Bulala ababili kumadodana amix, uba ngingambuyisi kuwe; mnikele esandleni sami, futhi mina ngizambuyisela kuwe. 38 Kodwa wathi: Indodana yami kayiyikwehla lani, ngoba umfowabo ufiley, futhi yena usele yedwa; uba esehlelwa yingozi endleleni elihamba kuyoz, lizakwehlisela engcwabeni izimvu zami ngosizia.