UGenesisi 44:1-34
44 Ngemva kwesikhathi uJosefa watshela indoda eyayikhangela indlu yakhe wathi: “Gcwalisa ugqibe amasaka amadoda la ngokudla okunengi angakuthwala njalo ufake imali yalowo lalowo esakeni lakhe.+
2 Kodwa kumele ufake inkomitsho yami yesiliva esakeni lomfowabo omncane kanye lemali yakhe yamabele.” Ngakho indoda leyo yenza khona kanye uJosefa ayekutshilo.
3 Ekuseni sekukhanya, bawavalelisa amadoda la asesuka ahamba labobabhemi bawo.
4 Athi engakayi khatshana ledolobho, uJosefa watshela indoda eyayikhangela indlu yakhe wathi: “Wahlale izithende amadoda abelapha. Nxa ungawafica uthi kuwo, ‘Kungani libuyisele okuhle ngokubi?
5 Liyithatheleni inkomitsho yenkosi yami enatha ngayo njalo eyisebenzisa ukuhlahlula? Into eliyenzileyo imbi kakhulu.’”
6 Ngakho yabalandela yabafica yasibatshela amazwi lawo.
7 Kodwa bona bathi kuyo: “Kungani inkosi yami isitsho njalo? Izinceku zakho ngeke zenze into enjalo.
8 Imali esayithola emasakeni ethu sayiphendukisa kini sivela elizweni leKhenani.+ Kambe besesingaze sitshontshe isiliva legolide endlini yenkosi yakho?
9 Loba ngubani ozatholakala elayo phakathi kwezigqili zakho kabulawe, besekusithi thina abanye sibe yizigqili zakho nkosi yami.”
10 Yona yabaphendula yathi: “Khonokho elikutshoyo yikho esizakwenza. Ozatholakala elayo uzakuba yisigqili sami kodwa lina abanye lizabe lingelacala.”
11 Yikho ngamunye wabo wahle wehlisa isaka lakhe walivula.
12 Indoda leyo yasidingisisa iqalisa komdala yaze yafika komncane. Ekucineni inkomitsho yatholakala esakeni likaBhenjamini.+
13 Bathe bekubona lokhu badabula izigqoko zabo futhi ngamunye wabo waqukula isaka lakhe walibuyisela phezu kukababhemi wakhe babuyela edolobheni.
14 UJuda+ labafowabo bathi bengena endlini kaJosefa bamthola elokhu ekhona, bafika bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe.+
15 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo? Belingakwazi yini ukuthi indoda enjengami iyenelisa ukuhlahlula?”+
16 UJuda wasephendula wathi: “Kambe singathini kuwe nkosi yami? Kuyini esingakutsho? Singenzani ukuze kukhanye ukuthi asilacala? UNkulunkulu weqiniso ulibonile icala lezigqili zakho.+ Thina kanye lalowo otholakale elenkomitsho sesiyizigqili zakho nkosi yami.”
17 Kodwa yena wathi: “Angingeke ngenze into enjalo! Lowo otholakale elenkomitsho yami nguye ozakuba yisigqili sami.+ Abanye lingazihambela kuyihlo ngokuthula.”
18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi: “Awu nkosi yami, ngiyakuncenga, ngicela uvumele isigqili sakho sikhulume lawe njalo ungasizondeli isigqili sakho ngoba wena ufana loFaro uqobo.+
19 Nkosi yami, wena wabuza izigqili zakho wathi, ‘Lilaye yini ubaba kumbe omunye umfowenu?’
20 Yikho sathi enkosini yami, ‘Ye silaye ubaba oseluphele njalo silomnawethu ubaba amzala eseluphele. Nguye olicinathunjana+ kodwa umnewabo sewafa.+ Yena nguye yedwa osesele kunina+ futhi ubaba uyamthanda.’
21 Wena wasusithi ezigqilini zakho, ‘Buyani laye kimi ukuze ngimbone.’+
22 Kodwa thina satshela inkosi yami sathi, ‘Umfana ngeke ahlukane loyise. Nxa engamtshiya, ubaba angafa sibili.’+
23 Wena wasusithi ezigqilini zakho, ‘Nxa lingabuyanga laye umnawenu angifuni kulibona lapha futhi.’+
24 “Ngakho sahamba esigqilini sakho ubaba sambikela amazwi akho nkosi yami.
25 Ngemva kwesikhathi ubaba wathi, ‘Buyelani liyesithengela okunye ukudla.’+
26 Kodwa thina sathi kuye, ‘Ngeke sihambe. Sizahamba kuphela nxa umfowethu ezahamba lathi ngoba ngeke senelise ukubona ubuso bendoda leyana nxa singelaye.’+
27 Ngakho isigqili sakho ubaba sathi kithi, ‘Likwazi mhlophe ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili kuphela.+
28 Kodwa omunye wabo sewangitshiya njalo ngazitshela ngathi: “Kumele ukuthi wadlithizwa yinyamazana yeganga”+ njalo angikaze ngimbone kuze kube lamuhla.
29 Manje nxa lingangithathela layenalo oseleyo, abesesehlelwa yingozi afe, lizakwenza ukuthi ngiye engcwabeni+ ngisosizini.’*+
30 “Nxa ngingabuyela esigqilini sakho ubaba umfana singelaye phakathi kwethu, yena emthanda kangaka,*
31 abesebona ukuthi umfana kakho, uzahle afe. Izigqili zakho ziyabe zehlisele isigqili sakho ubaba engcwabeni ephakathi kosizi.*
32 Isigqili sakho sathembisa ubaba ukuthi sizamvikela umfana sathi, ‘Ngingayekela ukumphendukisa umfana, ngizakuba lecala kuwe okwempilo yami yonke.’+
33 Ngakho ngicela kube yimi engisalayo, ngibe yisigqili sakho esikhundleni somfana ukuze umfana abuyele labafowabo.
34 Kambe ngingabuyela njani kubaba ngingelaye umfana? Ngeke ngikumele ukubona ubaba esehlelwa luhlupho lolu.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “lizakwehlisela inwele zami ezimhlophe engcwabeni ngosizi.”
^ Kumbe, “umphefumulo wakhe ubotshelwe emphefumulweni womfana.”
^ Kumbe, “izigqili zakho zizakwehlisela inwele ezimhlophe zesigqili sakho ubaba engcwabeni ngosizi.”
