UBlessing * wafika e-Europe engothenjiswe umsebenzi wokulungisa inwele. Kodwa akusabanga njalo ngoba okwamalanga alitshumi efikile wayetshona etshaywa njalo esethuselwa ngokuthi abangakibo babezadliswa imbuya ngoluthi nxa esala ukwenza umsebenzi ayesewuphiwe wokuthengisa umzimba.

Kwakukhangelelwe ukuthi ngobusuku obubodwa uBlessing abuye lemali engaba ngama-euro angu-200 kusiya ku-300 ukuze abuyisele imali kamama owayembhadalele uhambo lwakhe lokuya e-Europe olwaba ngama-euro adlula 40 000. * UBlessing uthi, “Ngangihlala ngicabanga ukubaleka, kodwa ngangisesaba ukuthi abangakithi babezakwenziwani. Ngasengiphakathi kwelitshe lembokodo.” UBlessing ayisuye yedwa, kulabanye abangaba ngamamiliyoni angu-4 labo abathunjwayo baphinde babanjwe ngamandla ukuthi bathengise imizimba yabo.

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-4 000 eyadlulayo, ijaha okuthiwa nguJosefa lathengiswa ngabanewabo. Lacina seliyisigqili sesinye isikhulu saseGibhithe. Kodwa uJosefa yena kazange aqale ahlukuluzwe yisikhulu ayesisebenzela njengoBlessing. Izinto zantshintsha ngemva kokwetheswa icala ayengalenzanga, kwathiwa wayefuna ukubamba inkosikazi yesikhulu ayesisebenzela iganyavu. Wabotshwa wasephoselwa ejele.—UGenesisi 39:1-20; IHubo 105:17, 18.

UJosefa wayeyisigqili sakudala; uBlessing yena ngesakulezinsuku. Bobabili okwabehlelayo kwakuyibhizimusi elaqalisa kudala elenza abantu bakhanye angani bazimpahla nje zokuzuza imali.

Izimpi zenza kwaba lula ukuthi amazwe abe lezigqili. INkosi uThutmose III eyayibusa eGibhithe kuthiwa yathumba izigqili ezingu-90 000 ngemva  kwempi eyayiseKhenani. Izigqili lezi zazisebenza emigodini, zisakha amathempeli njalo zigebha lemigelo.

AmaRoma lawo ayethola izigqili ezinengi ngemva kokulwa izimpi njalo kwesinye isikhathi ayesilwa izimpi ukuze athole izigqili. Kucatshangelwa ukuthi ngabo-30 B.C.E. *, izigqili zazizinengi kakhulu eRoma. AmaGibhithe kanye lamaRoma ayezihlukuluza izigqili zawo. Ngokwesibonelo izigqili ezazisebenza emigodini yaseRoma zaziphila iminyaka engaba ngu-30 kuphela.

Indlela izigqili ezaziphathwa ngayo ayizange intshintshe. Kusukela ngeminyaka yabo-1600 kusiya kubo-1900 ukuthengiswa kwezigqili zisuka e-Africa zisiya e-America kwakuyibhizimusi elemali enengi. Inhlanganiso yomanyano wamazwe womhlaba ebona ngenhlelo zemfundo lendaba zabantwana okuthiwa yi-UNESCO ithi, ‘abantu abangamamiliyoni angu-20 kusiya ku-30 okugoqela obaba, omama labantwana bathunjwa futhi bathengiswa.’ Kubikwa ukuthi izinkulungwane zafa ngesikhathi zichapha ulwandle lwe-Atlantic. Omunye owasindayo u-Olaudah Equiano uthi: “Imikhosi eyayihlatshwa ngabesifazane lokububula kwalabo abasebesifa kwenza isenzakalo lesi sesabisa. Kwakunzima kakhulu, ngiyehluleka lokukuchasisa okwakusenzakala.”

Kuyadanisa ukuthi lalamuhla abantu balokhu besenziwa izigqili. Inhlanganiso ebona ngokuvikeleka kwalabo abasebenza kwamanye amazwe ibika ukuthi abantu abangamamiliyoni angaba ngu-21 okugoqela obaba, omama labantwana balokhu besenziwa izigqili, beholiswa imali encane njalo abanye vele abaphiwa lutho. Lamuhla izigqili zisebenza ezindlini, emafekithali athunga izigqoko, ezindlini zokuthengisa imizimba, emigodini lasekutshayeni izitina. Lanxa lokhu kungavunyelwa ngumthetho, yikho okudla ubhedu kulezinsuku.

Ukuhlukuluzwa kwenze izigqili ezinengi zalwela inkululeko. Ngo-73 B.C.E., izigqili ezingaba ngu-100 000 ezazikhokhelwa nguSpartacus zavukela amaRoma kodwa azizange ziphumelele. Kanti njalo ngeminyaka yabo-1700 kusiya kubo-1800 izigqili ezazisesihlengeni seHispaniola eCaribbean zavukela abaphathi bazo. Ukuhlukuluzwa kwezigqili lezi ezazisebenza lapho okulinywa khona imfe kwabangela impi eyathatha iminyaka engu-13 eyaphela ngo-1804 lapho iHaiti ithola uzibuse.

Isizwe sako-Israyeli esasilabantu abangaba ngamamiliyoni angu-3 sakhululwa ebugqilini eGibhithe. Embalini yabantu, akula esinye isizwe  esake sathola inkululeko enje. Kodwa kungani ama-Israyeli kwakumele akhululwe? IBhayibhili lithi, “kuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima amaGibhithe abasebenzisa ngochuku.” (U-Eksodusi 1:11-14) Omunye umbusi waseGibhithe waze wafaka umthetho wokuthi kubulawe izinsana ukuze abantu bako-Israyeli bangabi banengi.—U-Eksodusi 1:8-22.

Ama-Israyeli kawazange alwe ukuze athole inkululeko, kodwa akhululwa nguNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu watshela uMosi wathi, “Ngiyalwazi usizi lwabo; ngehlile ukuba ngibakhulule ezandleni zamaGibhithe.” (U-Eksodusi 3:7, 8, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.) Kuze kube lamuhla amaJuda alokhu ethakazelela umkhosi wePhasika minyaka yonke ukuze akhumbule ukukhululwa kwesizwe sawo.—U-Eksodusi 12:14.

IBhayibhili lithi: “KuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu kakukho ukwehlulela kubi.” Liphinda lisiqinisekise ukuthi kantshintshi. (2 ImiLando 19:7; UMalaki 3:6) UNkulunkulu wathuma uJesu ukuthi ‘amemezele ukukhululwa kwezibotshwa . . . , lokukhululwa kwabacindezelweyo.’ (ULukha 4:18) Kukhulunywa ngabuphi ubugqili lapha? UJesu wathunywa ukuthi azokhulula abantu ekubeni yizigqili zesono lokufa. Wathi: “Iqiniso lizalikhulula.” (UJohane 8:32) Iqiniso uJesu ayelifundisa lilokhu likhulula abantu ngezindlela ezinengi.—Khangela ibhokisi elithi “ Wakhululeka Ebugqilini.”

UNkulunkulu wancedisa uJosefa loBlessing ngezindlela ezitshiyeneyo ukuthi bakhululeke ebugqilini. Indaba kaJosefa ungayibala kuGenesisi isahluko 39 kusiya ku-41. Indlela uBlessing akhululwa ngayo layo iyamangalisa.

Esexotshiwe kwelinye ilizwe elise-Europe, uBlessing wahamba eSpain. Ekhonale wahlangana laboFakazi bakaJehova futhi waqalisa ukufunda labo iBhayibhili. Wazimisela ukuntshintsha impilo yakhe, yikho wathola omunye umsebenzi futhi wakhuluma lomama ayeke wamsebenzela emcela ukuthi ehlise isikwelede semali ayesibhadala nyanga zonke. Ngelinye ilanga wafonelwa ngumama lo emtshela ukuthi angasabhadali isikwelede, ecela lokuthi amxolele. Kwasekutheni? Laye wayeseqalise ukufunda iBhayibhili laboFakazi bakaJehova. UBlessing uthi: “Iqiniso liyakukhulula sibili ngezindlela ezimangalisayo.”

UJehova uNkulunkulu wayesizwa ubuhlungu lapho ebona ama-Israyeli eyizigqili eGibhithe. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi ulokhu esizwa ubuhlungu nxa ebona abantu bephathwa kubi. Yikho uthembisa ukuthi uzabuqeda bonke ubugqili. IBhayibhili lithi: “Mayelana lesithembiso sakhe silindele izulu elitsha lomhlaba omutsha, ikhaya lokulunga.”—2 Phetro 3:13