UGenesisi 48:1-22
48 Ngemva kwalokho uJosefa watshelwa ukuthi uyise uyagula. Ngakho uJosefa wathatha amadodana akhe uManase lo-Efrayimi wahamba lawo kuyise.+
2 UJakhobe wasetshelwa kwathiwa: “Indodana yakho uJosefa ibuyile izokubona.” Yikho u-Israyeli waziqinisa wavuka wahlala embhedeni wakhe.
3 UJakhobe wathi kuJosefa:
“UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni laseKhenani wangibusisa.+
4 Wathi kimi, ‘Ngizakupha abantwana abanengi ngikwandise futhi ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esilabantu abanengi.+ Ilizwe leli ngizalinika izizukulwane zakho* ezizalandela njalo lizakuba ngelazo kokuphela.’+
5 Amadodana akho amabili owazele elizweni laseGibhithe ngingakabuyi kuwe eGibhithe ngawami.+ U-Efrayimi loManase bazakuba ngabami njengoRubheni loSimiyoni.+
6 Kodwa abanye abantwana ozakuba labo bazakuba ngabakho. Bazabizwa ngebizo labanewabo ukuze badle labo ilifa.+
7 Ngathi ngivela ePhadani ngafelwa ngunyoko uRasheli+ elizweni laseKhenani njalo kwakusasele umango ukuthi sifike e-Efratha.+ Yikho ngamngcwaba khonapho endleleni eya e-Efratha okutsho eBhethilehema.”+
8 U-Israyeli wathi ebona amadodana kaJosefa wathi: “Ngobani laba?”
9 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: “Ngamadodana ami engiwaphiwe nguNkulunkulu endaweni le.”+ UJakhobe wathi: “Ngicela uwasondeze kimi ngiwabusise.”+
10 Ngalesosikhathi amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesefiphele ngenxa yokuguga, engasaboni kuhle. Ngakho uJosefa wasondeza amadodana akhe kuyise, uyise wasewaqabuza wawagona.
11 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Ngangingacabangi ukuthi ngizaphinda ngibubone ubuso bakho,+ kodwa khathesi uNkulunkulu usengenze ngabona labantwabakho.”
12 UJosefa wasebasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli, waguqa wakhothamisa ikhanda.
13 UJosefa wabathatha-ke bobabili, wabamba u-Efrayimi+ ngesandla sakhe sokudla wamusa kwesenxele sika-Israyeli, wasebamba uManase+ ngesandla sakhe senxele wamusa kwesokudla sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye.
14 Kodwa u-Israyeli wafaka isandla sakhe sokudla ekhanda lika-Efrayimi lanxa kwakunguye omncane njalo esenxele wasifaka ekhanda likaManase. Lokhu wakwenza ehlosile ngoba owayelizibulo kwakunguManase.+
15 Ngemva kwalokho wabusisa uJosefa wathi:+
“UNkulunkulu weqiniso, lowo ubaba u-Abrahama lo-Isaka ababehamba phambi kwakhe,+UNkulunkulu weqiniso obengelusa okwempilo yami yonke kuze kube lamuhla,+
16 Ingilosi ebingihlenga kuzo zonke izinhlupho zami+ kayibabusise abafana laba.+
Kababizwe ngebizo lami kanye lebizo labobaba u-Abrahama lo-Isaka,Kabande babe banengi emhlabeni.”+
17 Akuzange kumphathe kuhle uJosefa ukubona uyise elokhu ebeke isandla sakhe sokudla phezu kwekhanda lika-Efrayimi. Yikho wazama ukuthi asuse isandla sikayise ekhanda lika-Efrayimi asise kwelikaManase.
18 UJosefa wasesithi kuyise: “Hayi baba, lo nguye olizibulo.+ Faka isandla sakho sokudla ekhanda lakhe.”
19 Kodwa uyise wayelokhu esala esithi: “Ngiyakwazi ndodana yami, ngiyakwazi sibili. Lakuye kuzaphuma abantu abanengi njalo laye uzakuba mkhulu. Lanxa kunjalo, umnawakhe uzakuba mkhulu kulaye+ njalo izizukulwane zakhe zizakuba zinengi zilingane lezizwe ezinengi.”+
20 Ngakho waqhubeka ebabusisa ngalolosuku+ esithi,
“Abako-Israyeli kabakhulume ngawe* nxa bememezela izibusiso bathi,‘UNkulunkulu kakwenze ube njengo-Efrayimi loManase.’”
Ngakho wayelokhu efaka u-Efrayimi phambi kukaManase ngesikhathi ebabusisa.
21 U-Israyeli wasesithi kuJosefa: “Zwana, mina sengizakufa,+ kodwa uNkulunkulu uzaqhubeka elani njalo uzalibuyisela elizweni labokhokho benu.+
22 Ngakho wena ngikunika esinye isabelo selizwe ukwedlula abafowenu, ilizwe engalithatha esandleni sama-Amori ngenkemba yami langedandili lami.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “inzalo yakho.”
^ Lapha kungabe kutshiwo uJosefa emelwa ngamadodana akhe amabili.
