UGenesisi 47:1-31
47 Ngakho uJosefa waya kuFaro wafika wathi:+ “Ubaba labafowethu sebefikile bevela elizweni leKhenani njalo babuye lemihlambi yabo kanye lakho konke okungokwabo. Khathesi basesigabeni seGosheni.”+
2 Wathatha abafowabo abahlanu wayabethula kuFaro.+
3 UFaro wathi kubo: “Lenza msebenzi bani?” Bamphendula bathi: “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi bezimvu futhi lo yiwo umsebenzi owawusenziwa ngokhokho bethu.”+
4 Basebesithi kuFaro: “Sibuye ukuzohlala elizweni leli njengabezizweni+ ngoba elizweni leKhenani akuselamadlelo omhlambi wezinceku zakho, indlala ibhahile khonale.+ Ngakho sicela uvumele izinceku zakho zihlale esigabeni seGosheni.”+
5 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa: “Uyihlo labafowenu sebeze lapha kuwe.
6 Ilizwe laseGibhithe lisezandleni zakho. Wothi uyihlo labafowenu bahlale endaweni enhle kulazo zonke elizweni.+ Kabahlale esigabeni seGosheni njalo nxa bekhona abalolwazi phakathi kwabo, ubabeke ukuthi bagcine izifuyo zami.”
7 UJosefa wasehamba loyise kuFaro wafika wamethula kuye njalo uJakhobe wasembusisa uFaro.
8 UFaro wasebuza uJakhobe wathi: “Usuleminyaka emingaki?”
9 UJakhobe wasesithi kuFaro: “Sengileminyaka engu-130 njalo bengilokhu ngizulazula* impilo yami yonke. Iminyaka le ibinzima kodwa milutshwane+ nxa ngiyiqathanisa leminyaka eyaqedwa ngokhokho bami bezulazula.”*+
10 Ngemva kwalokho uJakhobe wambusisa uFaro, wasesuka wahamba.
11 Ngakho uJosefa wanika uyise labafowabo indawo yokuhlala eGibhithe. Wabahlalisa endaweni enhle kakhulu yelizwe, emangweni waseRamesesi+ njengokutsho kukaFaro.
12 UJosefa waqhubeka enika uyise labafowabo kanye layo yonke imuli kayise ukudla* kusiya ngenani labantwababo.
13 Ngalesosikhathi kwakungaselakudla* endaweni yonke ngoba indlala yayisinzima kakhulu njalo abantu baseGibhithe labaseKhenani babeyatha ngendlala.+
14 UJosefa wayelokhu eqoqa yonke imali eyayibuya labantu bezothenga amabele,+ eyabantu baseGibhithe leyabantu baseKhenani njalo wayeyihambisa endlini kaFaro.
15 Ngokuya kwesikhathi abantu baseGibhithe labaseKhenani baphelelwa yimali ababelayo, ngakho bonke abantu baseGibhithe baya kuJosefa bathi: “Sinike ukudla bakithi. Kambe sesingaze sife usikhangele ngenxa yokuthi asiselamali?”
16 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: “Nxa lingaselamali, buyani lezifuyo zenu lizothenga ngazo ukudla.”
17 Ngakho abantu baqalisa ukuletha izifuyo zabo kuJosefa ukuze abathengisele ukudla. Babekuthenga ngamabhiza, lezimvu, lembuzi, lenkomo labobabhemi. UJosefa waqhubeka ebathengisela ukudla ngezifuyo zabo zonke waze waphela lowomnyaka.
18 Wathi usuphelile lowomnyaka baya kuye ngomnyaka olandelayo bathi: “Nkosi ngeke sikufihlele udaba lolu; sesikuphe yonke imali yethu lezifuyo zethu. Sekusele thina lamasimu ethu kuphela.
19 Kungani kumele sife usikhangele, lamasimu ethu alaluke? Sithenge thina kanye lamasimu ethu ukuze sithole ukudla. Sizakuba yizigqili zikaFaro njalo lamasimu ethu azakuba ngawakhe. Siphe inhlanyelo ukuze siphile, singafi futhi lamasimu ethu angatshabalali.”
20 Ngakho uJosefa wathenga wonke umhlabathi wamaGibhithe waba ngokaFaro ngenxa yokuthi bonke abantu baseGibhithe basebethengise amasimu abo njengoba indlala yayitshingile. Umhlabathi wabo waba ngokaFaro.
21 Wathuthisa abantu kuyo yonke imihlubulo yaseGibhithe wabasa emadolobheni.+
22 Kodwa umhlabathi wabaphristi kazange awuthenge+ ngoba babethola ukudla kuFaro njalo babephila ngokudla ababekunikwa nguFaro, yikho bengathengisanga umhlabathi wabo.
23 UJosefa wasesithi ebantwini: “Lamuhla sengilithengile lina kanye lomhlabathi wenu, seliyimpahla kaFaro. Ngakho nansi inhlanyelo, ithatheni liyeyihlanyela emasimini.
24 Kuso sonke isivuno elizasithola, kumele linike uFaro ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu.+ Kodwa ingxenye ezine eziseleyo yizo elizathatha kuzo inhlanyelo kanye lokudla kwezimuli zenu lokwabantwabenu.”
25 Yikho bathi kuye: “Uzisindisile impilo zethu+ nkosi. Nxa sithole umusa kuwe, sivumele sibe yizigqili zikaFaro.”+
26 UJosefa wasekwenza kwaba ngumthetho olokhu usebenza lalamuhla elizweni laseGibhithe ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu ngekaFaro. Umhlabathi wabaphristi yiwo kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.+
27 Abako-Israyeli baqhubeka behlala elizweni laseGibhithe esigabeni seGosheni,+ bahlaliseka njalo bazalana baba banengi kakhulu.+
28 UJakhobe waphila iminyaka engu-17 elizweni laseGibhithe. Ngakho isiyonke iminyaka eyaphilwa nguJakhobe yayingu-147.+
29 U-Israyeli wathi esezakufa+ wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa wathi: “Nxa ngithole umusa kuwe, ngicela ufake isandla sakho ngaphansi komlenze wami ufunge ukuthi uzakuba lothando oluqotho kimi lokuthi uzathembeka kimi. Ngicela ungangingcwabi eGibhithe.+
30 Nxa ngingafa kumele ungisuse elizweni laseGibhithe uyengingcwaba ndawonye labokhokho bami.”+ UJosefa wathi: “Ngizakwenza njengokutsho kwakho.”
31 Uyise wasesithi: “Ngicela ufunge kimi,” uJosefa wasefunga.+ Ngemva kwalokho u-Israyeli waguqa emakhanda ombheda wakhe.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ngihamba ngihlala njengowezizweni.”
^ Kumbe, “behamba behlala njengabezizweni.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “isinkwa.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “kwakungaselasinkwa.”
