UGenesisi 42:1-38
42 UJakhobe wezwa ukuthi kulamabele eGibhithe+ wathi emadodaneni akhe: “Kungani lilokhu likhangelene nje?”
2 Wasesithi: “Ngizwe kuthiwa kulamabele eGibhithe. Hambani khonale liyesithengela wona ukuze siqhubeke siphila, singafi.”+
3 Yikho abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi+ basuka baya eGibhithe besiyathenga amabele.
4 Kodwa uJakhobe wathi uBhenjamini+ umnawakhe kaJosefa angahambi labafowabo ngoba wayesithi: “Mhlawumbe angehlelwa yingozi abesesifa.”+
5 Ngakho amadodana ka-Israyeli abambisana indlela labanye ababesiyathenga ukudla ngoba indlala yayisifikile laselizweni leKhenani.+
6 UJosefa nguye owayebusa elizweni laseGibhithe+ njalo bonke abantu emhlabeni babethenga amabele kuye.+ Yikho abafowabo bakaJosefa bafika bamkhothamela bekhangelise amakhanda phansi.+
7 UJosefa wathi ebona abafowabo wahle wabazi, kodwa kazange abatshele ukuthi ungubani.+ Wasebatshingela wathi: “Livela ngaphi?” Bona bathi: “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani, sizothenga ukudla.”+
8 Ngakho uJosefa wabazi abafowabo kodwa bona abazange bakwazi ukuthi nguye.
9 UJosefa wahle wakhumbula konke ayeke wakuphupha mayelana labafowabo,+ wasesithi kubo: “Lizinhloli lina! Lilande ukuzobona izindawo zelizwe ezingavikelekanga.”
10 Bona bathi kuye: “Hatshi nkosi yami, izinceku zakho zilande ukuzothenga ukudla.
11 Singamadodana omuntu munye njalo singamadoda athembekileyo. Kayisikho ukuthi izinceku zakho zinhloli.”
12 Kodwa wathi kubo: “Hatshi! Lilande ukuzobona izindawo zelizwe ezingavikelekanga.”
13 Bona bathi: “Izinceku zakho yizelamani ezingu-12.+ Singamadodana omuntu munye+ ohlala elizweni laseKhenani. Icinathunjana lisele lobaba+ kodwa omunye umfowethu kasekho.”+
14 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: “Engikukhulumileyo yikho, ‘Lizinhloli lina!’
15 Nanku elizahlolwa ngakho: Ngifunga ngokuphila kukaFaro, nxa isicino sangakini singabuyanga lapha kalisoze lisuke endaweni le.+
16 Thumani omunye wenu ayebuya lomfowenu, abanye basale lapha bebotshiwe. Lokhu yikho engizabona ngakho ukuthi elikutshoyo kuliqiniso yini. Nxa kungenjalo, ngifunga ngokuphila kukaFaro ngithi lizinhloli.”
17 Wasebavalela okwamalanga amathathu.
18 Ngelanga lesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo: “Yenzani engikutshoyo liqhubeke liphila ngoba ngiyamesaba uNkulunkulu.
19 Nxa lithembekile, omunye wenu kasale ebotshiwe esitokisini, lina abanye beselizihambela liyethatha amabele liyekupha imuli zenu ukuze zingabulawa yindlala.+
20 Kuzamele libuye lomnawenu kimi, kukhanye ukuthi amazwi enu aliqiniso ukuze lingafi.” Ngakho bavuma ukuthi bazakwenza njalo.
21 Basebekhuluma bebodwa bathi: “Lapha sesijeziselwa esakwenza kumfowethu,+ ngoba salubona usizi ayekulo ngesikhathi esincenga ukuthi simzwele kodwa asizange silalele. Yikho lathi sesiphakathi kosizi lolu.”
22 URubheni wasebaphendula wathi: “Angitshongo yini ukuthi lingamlimazi umntwana,* lina lenza inkani?+ Khathesi igazi lakhe selibuzwa kithi.”+
23 Kodwa babengakwazi ukuthi uJosefa uyabezwa nxa bekhuluma laye ngoba babetolikelwa.
24 UJosefa wasesuka kubo waqalisa ukukhala.+ Uthe ephenduka wakhuluma labo futhi, wasethatha uSimiyoni+ wambopha phambi kwabo.+
25 Ngemva kwalokho uJosefa wathi amasaka abo agcwaliswe amabele, wathi lemali yabo bonke ibuyiselwe emasakeni abo, waphinda wathi nxa sebehamba baphiwe umphako. Basebekwenzelwa lokho ayekutshilo.
26 Ngakho bafaka amabele abo phezu kwabobabhemi babo bangena indlela.
27 Bathi sebesendlini yezihambi omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthi anike ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe isesakeni* lakhe.
28 Wathi kubafowabo: “Imali yami ibuyiselwe, nansi lapha esakeni lami.” Baphelelwa, baqhuqha, basebekhangelana bathi: “Kuyini lokhu uNkulunkulu asenze khona?”
29 Bathi befika kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamlandisela konke okwakwenzakele kubo bathi:
30 “Indoda engumbusi elizweni lelo isitshingele+ yathi silande ukuzohlola ilizwe.
31 Kodwa siyitshele sathi: ‘Singamadoda athembekileyo, ayisikho ukuthi sizinhloli.+
32 Siyizelamani ezingu-12+ njalo singamadodana omuntu munye. Omunye umfowethu kasekho+ kodwa isicino sisele lobaba elizweni laseKhenani.’+
33 Lanxa kunjalo, indoda engumbusi elizweni lelo ithe kithi, ‘Nanku okumele likwenze ukuze ngibone ukuthi lithembekile: Tshiyani omunye wenu lapha kimi+ beselithatha amabele lihambe ukuze liyekupha imuli zenu, zingabulawa yindlala.+
34 Libuye lesicino sangakini kimi ukuze ngikwazi ukuthi lithembekile lokuthi alilandanga ukuzohlola ilizwe. Lingenza njalo ngizabuyisela umfowenu kini, beselikhululeka ukuthenga elikufunayo elizweni.’”
35 Bathe sebethulula amasaka abo munye ngamunye wabona nansi isikhwama* sakhe semali sikhona. Bona loyise bathi bebona izikhwama lezo batshaywa luvalo.
36 Uyise uJakhobe wathi kubo: “Selingithathele abantwabami.+ UJosefa kasekho+ loSimiyoni kasekho,+ khathesi selifuna ukungithathela loBhenjamini. Kambe sengingaze ngehlelwe zinhlupho ezingaka bakithi.”
37 URubheni wasesithi kuyise: “Nxa ngingehluleka ukumphendukisa kuwe ubulale amadodana ami amabili.+ Mtshiye ezandleni zami, ngizambuyisela kuwe.”+
38 Kodwa uJakhobe wathi: “Alisoze lihambe lendodana yami ngoba umfowabo sewafa kwasala yona yodwa.+ Nxa ingehlelwa yingozi endleleni ife, lizakwenza ukuthi ngiye engcwabeni+ ngisosizini.”*+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “lingenzi isono emntwaneni.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “isemlonyeni wesaka.”
^ Kumbe, “umgodla.”
^ Kumbe, “lizakwehlisela inwele zami ezimhlophe engcwabeni ngosizi.”
