Genesise

42 Lapho uJakobe ezwa ukuthi kwakukhona ukudla okusanhlamvu eGibhithe, + wathi emadodaneni akhe: “Kungani nilokhu nibukana?” 2 Wanezela wathi: “Ngizwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibhithe. Yanini khona nisithengele ukudla, ukuze siqhubeke siphila, singafi.” + 3 Ngakho abafowabo bakaJosefa + abayishumi behla bayothenga ukudla eGibhithe. 4 Kodwa uJakobe akamthumelanga uBhenjamini, + umfowabo kaJosefa, kanye nabanye abafowabo, ngoba wathi: “Mhlawumbe angehlelwa ingozi afe.” +

5 Amadodana ka-Israyeli afika kanye nabanye ababefika bezothenga, ngoba le ndlala yayisikhona nasezweni laseKhanani. + 6 UJosefa wayenegunya ezweni, + nguye owayethengisela bonke abantu emhlabeni ukudla okusanhlamvu. + Ngakho abafowabo bakaJosefa beza bakhothama kuye ubuso babo bubheke phansi. + 7 Lapho uJosefa ebona abafowabo, wabakhumbula ngaso leso sikhathi, kodwa wazifihla kubo. + Wakhuluma nabo ngokhahlo wathi: “Nivelaphi?” bona bathi: “Sivela ezweni laseKhanani sizothenga ukudla.” +

8 UJosefa wababona abafowabo, kodwa bona abambonanga. 9 UJosefa wawakhumbula ngokushesha amaphupho ayewaphuphile ngabo, + wayesethi kubo: “Niyizinhloli! Nizele ukuzobona izindawo zezwe eningazihlasela!”* 10 Bona bathi kuye: “Cha, nkosi yami, izinceku zakho zizothenga ukudla. 11 Sonke singamadodana omuntu oyedwa. Singabantu abaqotho. Izinceku zakho azizona izinhloli.” 12 Kodwa wathi kubo: “Akunjalo! Nizele ukuzobona izindawo zezwe eningazihlasela!” 13 Bona bathi: “Izinceku zakho ziyizelamani ezingu-12. + Singamadodana omuntu oyedwa + ezweni laseKhanani, omncane kunathi sonke usele nobaba, + kanti omunye akasekho.” +

14 UJosefa wathi kubo: “Kunjengoba nje ngishilo kini—‘Niyizinhloli!’ 15 Ukuze ngibone ukuthi nikhuluma iqiniso: Ngeke nihambe lapha ngaphandle kokuba umfowenu omncane eze lapha, ngimfunge uFaro. + 16 Thumani oyedwa kini ukuba alande umfowenu ngesikhathi nina niboshiwe. Iyona ndlela engizobona ngayo ukuthi nikhuluma iqiniso. Uma kungenjalo, ngimfunge uFaro, kusho ukuthi niyizinhloli.” 17 Wabe esebavalela ndawonye izinsuku ezintathu.

18 UJosefa wathi kubo ngosuku lwesithathu: “Ngenxa yokuthi ngesaba uNkulunkulu, yenzani lokhu engikushoyo ukuze niphile. 19 Uma ningabantu abaqotho, oyedwa kubafowenu makasale eboshiwe endlini ebenivalelwe kuyo, kodwa nonke nina abanye ningahamba nithathe ukudla ukuze nithibe indlala emindenini yenu. + 20 Niyobe seniletha umfowenu omncane kimi ukuze kubonakale ukuthi enikushoyo kuyiqiniso futhi ngeke nife.” Base benza kanjalo.

21 Base bethi omunye komunye: “Nakanjani siyajeziswa ngenxa yomfowethu, + ngoba salubona usizi lwakhe* lapho esincenga ukuba simbonise ububele, kodwa asilalelanga. Yingakho lolu sizi lusehlele.” 22 URubeni wabaphendula, wathi: “Angishongo yini kini ukuthi, ‘Ningamlimazi umntwana,’ kodwa nangalalela? + Manje kumele silandise ngoba sichithe igazi lakhe.” + 23 Kodwa babengazi ukuthi uJosefa wayebezwa ngoba kwakukhona otolikayo. 24 Ngakho waqhela kubo wakhala. + Lapho ebuyela kubo waphinde wakhuluma nabo, wathatha uSimeyoni + kubo wambopha phambi kwabo. + 25 Ngemva kwalokho uJosefa wakhipha umyalo wokuba kugcwaliswe amasaka* abo ngokudla okusanhlamvu, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo nalowo esakeni lakhe banikwe nomphako wendlela. Benzelwa lokho.

26 Ngakho balayisha ukudla kwabo okusanhlamvu ezimbongolweni bahamba. 27 Lapho omunye wabo evula isaka lakhe ukuze anike imbongolo ifolishi endaweni ababezolala kuyo, wabona imali yakhe isesakeni. 28 Wabe esethi kubafowabo: “Imali yami ibuyisiwe, nansi esakeni lami!” Izinhliziyo zabo zashona phansi futhi bethuka bathi omunye komunye: “Yini le uNkulunkulu asenze yona?”

29 Lapho befika kuJakobe uyise ezweni laseKhanani, bamtshela zonke izinto ezazibehlele, bathi: 30 “Umuntu oyinkosi kuleliya zwe ukhulume nathi ngokhahlo, + wasisola ngokuthi singabantu abazohlola izwe. 31 Kodwa sithe kuye, ‘Singabantu abaqotho. Asizona izinhloli. + 32 Siyizelamani ezingu-12, + sizalwa ubaba oyedwa. Oyedwa akasekho, + kodwa omncane kunathi sonke usele nobaba ezweni laseKhanani.’ + 33 Kodwa inkosi yathi, ‘Yile ndlela engizokwazi ngayo ukuthi niqotho: Shiyani oyedwa wabafowenu. + Nina nithathe okuthile kokuthiba indlala emindenini yenu, nihambe. + 34 Ngemva kwalokho nilethe umfowenu omncane kimi, ukuze ngazi ukuthi niqotho, anizona izinhloli. Ngizobe senginibuyisela umfowenu futhi ningakwazi ukuthenga ezweni lethu.’”

35 Lapho bethulula amasaka abo, babona isikhwama semali salowo nalowo esakeni lakhe. Lapho bona kanye noyise bebona izikhwama zabo zemali, besaba. 36 UJakobe uyise wababaza wathi kubo: “Yimina enimenze walahlekelwa abantwana! + UJosefa akasekho, + uSimeyoni naye akasekho, + manje senizothatha noBhenjamini! Zonke lezi zinto zingehlele!” 37 Kodwa uRubeni wathi kuyise: “Ungawabulala womabili amadodana ami uma ngingambuyisi kuwe. + Nginike yena, ngizombuyisa kuwe.” + 38 UJakobe wathi: “Indodana yami ngeke yehle nani, ngoba umfowabo ufile futhi isisele yodwa. + Uma ingehlelwa ingozi ife endleleni enizoyihamba, nakanjani niyokwehlisela izinwele zami ezimpunga eThuneni* + ngosizi.” +