< UGenesisi 42 >
1 UJakobe esebonile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe, uJakobe wathi emadodaneni akhe: Kungani likhangelana?
2 Wathi futhi: Khangelani, sengizwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe; yehlani liye khona, lisithengele khona, ukuze siphile, singafi.
3 Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi basebesehla ukuthenga amabele eGibhithe.
4 Kodwa uBhenjamini, umfowabo kaJosefa, uJakobe kamthumanga labafowabo, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ehlelwe yingozi.
5 Amadodana kaIsrayeli asefika ukuthenga phakathi kwababesiza, ngoba indlala yayikhona elizweni leKhanani.
6 Njalo uJosefa wayengumbusi phezu kwelizwe; wathengisela abantu bonke belizwe; bafika-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa, bamkhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini.
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 ngabo, wathi kibo: Lizinhloli, 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 kayisekho.
14 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yikho lokho engikutsho kini, ukuthi: Lizinhloli.
15 Kulokhu lizahlolwa; ngempilo kaFaro! 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 Wasebafaka esitokisini insuku ezintathu.
18 UJosefa wasesithi kubo ngosuku lwesithathu: Yenzani lokhu ukuze liphile. Ngiyamesaba uNkulunkulu.
19 Uba lingabaqotho, kabotshwe omunye wabafowenu endlini yokulondolozwa kwenu, kodwa lina hambani, libuyele lamabele endlala ezindlu zenu,
20 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; 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 lokhu.
22 URubeni wasebaphendula wathi: Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Lingoni kumfana? Kodwa kalilalelanga. Ngakho legazi lakhe, khangelani, liyabizwa.
23 Njalo bona babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyezwa, ngoba kwakulomtoliki 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 lakhe ukuze anike ubabhemi wakhe ukudla endlini yezihambi, wabona imali yakhe, ngoba khangela, yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
28 Wasesithi kubafowabo: Imali yami ibuyiselwe; futhi khangelani, isesakeni lami. Inhliziyo yabo yasisehluleka, 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 kayisekho, lecinathunjana lamuhla likubaba elizweni leKhanani.
33 Lendoda, umbusi welizwe, wathi kithi: Ngalokhu ngizakwazi ukuthi lingabaqotho; tshiyani omunye wabafowenu kimi, lithathele indlala yezindlu zenu, lihambe,
34 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona ngizabona ukuthi kalisizo izinhloli kodwa lingabaqotho, ngilinike umfowenu, lithengiselane elizweni.
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 abantwana; uJosefa kasekho loSimeyoni kakho, loBhenjamini lizamthatha; zonke lezizinto zimelane lami.
37 URubeni wasekhuluma kuyise esithi: Bulala ababili kumadodana ami, uba ngingambuyisi kuwe; mnikele esandleni sami, futhi mina ngizambuyisela kuwe.
38 Kodwa wathi: Indodana yami kayiyikwehla lani, ngoba umfowabo ufile, futhi yena usele yedwa; uba esehlelwa yingozi endleleni elihamba kuyo, lizakwehlisela engcwabeni izimvu zami ngosizi. (Sheol )
