Genesisi 42:1-38
42 UJakopo nakezwa bona kunekoroyi eGibhide,+ wathi emadodanenakhe: “Kubayini nihlalele ukuqalana ngemehlweni nje?”
2 Wangezelela wathi: “Ngizwile bona kunekoroyi eGibhide. Nje-ke yehlelani khona niyosithengela yona ukwenzela bona singafi.”+
3 Yeke abafowabo+ bakaJosefa abalitjhumi behlela eGibhide bona bayokuthenga ikoroyi.
4 Kodwana uJakopo akhenge avume bona bakhambe noBhenjamini+ umfowabo kaJosefa ngombana wathi: “Mhlamunye naye angehlelwa yingozi afe.”+
5 Amadodana ka-Israyeli eza nabanye ebebazokuthenga ngombana indlala besele ifike nenarheni yeKanana.+
6 NguJosefa obekaphethe enarheni+ yeGibhide begodu nguye obekathengisela abantu abaseenarheni eziseduze ikoroyi.+ Nje-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa bafika bebakhothama phambi kwakhe bahloma iinhloko phasi.+
7 UJosefa nakabona abafowabo, wabazi kodwana wenza bona bangamboni.+ Wabakgharameja wathi: “Nivelaphi?” Bathi kuye: “Sivela enarheni yeKanana, sizokuthenga ukudla.”+
8 UJosefa wakghona ukubona abafowabo kodwana bona akhenge bamazi.
9 Msinyana uJosefa wakhumbula amabhudango aba nawo ngabo,+ wathi kibo: “Niziinhloli! Nize lapha ukuzokuhlola ukuthi ningayisahlela njani inarhethu!”
10 Bathi kuye: “Awa kosethu, iinceku zakho zize lapha ukuzokuthenga ukudla.
11 Soke simadodana womuntu munye begodu sithembekile. Iinsebenzi zakho azisiziinhloli.”
12 UJosefa wathi kibo: “Ayisiliqiniso into eniyikhulumako le! Nize lapha bona nizokuhlola ukuthi ningayisahlela njani inarhethu.”
13 Bathi kuye: “Simadodana wendoda yinye.+ Ubaba uhlala enarheni yeKanana begodu unamadodana ali-12,+ umfowethu omncani usele nobaba,+ kanti omunye yena akasekho.”+
14 UJosefa wathi kibo: “Kunjengombana ngitjhwile, ‘Niziinhloli!’
15 Ngizonilinga ngalokhu: Ngifunga ngoFaro, angekhe nikhambe lapha bekube kulapho ningilethele umfowenu omncani.+
16 Thumani omunye wenu bona ayomthatha njengombana nina nisabotjhiwe. Ngalokho-ke ngizokukghona ukubona ukuthi nikhuluma iqiniso namkha awa. Yeke nangabe akusinjalo, ngifunga ngoFaro ngithi niziinhloli nina.”
17 Wabavalela amalanga amathathu.
18 Ngelanga lesithathu uJosefa wathi kibo: “Yenzani lokhu begodu niphile ngombana ngisaba uZimu.
19 Nangabe nithembekile, akusale omunye wabafowenu lapha nivalelwe khona kodwana nina abanye ningakhamba nithathe ikoroyi niyokuqeda indlala emindeninenu.+
20 Ngemva kwalokho, ningilethele umfowenu, ukuze amezwenu abe ngathembekileko begodu ningafi.” Benza njengombana atjhwile.
21 Bathi komunye nomunye: “Kwamambala sijeziswa ngebanga lomfowethu+ ngombana sambona ukuthi bekatshwenyeke kangangani nakasibawa bona simrhawukele kodwana akhenge simlalele. Kungebangeli-ke sehlelwa yihlekelele le.”
22 URubeni wabaphendula wathi: “Akhenge ngitjho na bona, ‘Ningamlimazi umntwana,’ kodwana akhenge nilalele.+ Nje-ke sesimlandu.”+
23 Bebangazi ukuthi uJosefa uyabezwa ngombana bekunomuntu omtologelako hlangana nabo.
24 UJosefa wasuka kibo, walila.+ Nakabuyako wakhuluma nabo godu, wathatha uSimiyoni+ wambopha phambi kwabo.+
25 UJosefa wakhupha umyalo wokobana kuzaliswe imigodlabo ngekoroyi begodu umuntu ngamunye abuyiselwe imalakhe ngemgodlenakhe, banikelwe nokudla abazokudla endleleni. Benzelwa njalo-ke.
26 Nje-ke balayitjha ikoroyabo kibodumbana, ngemva kwalokho bangena indlela.
27 Kuthe lokha omunye wabo nakavula umgodlakhe bona aphe udumbanakhe ukudla endaweni ebebazokulala kiyo, wabona imalakhe ngesikhwanyeni.
28 Khonokho wathi kubafowabo: “Ngibuyiselwe imalami, nasi ngesikhwanyeni sami!” Bathukwa bebahlengezela, bathi komunye nomunye: “Yini le uZimu asenze yona?”
29 Nabafika eKanana kuyise uJakopo bamtjela zoke izinto ezibaveleleko, bathi:
30 “Indoda ephethe inarha leya isikgharamejile+ yasimangalela nangokuthi sizokuhlola inarha.
31 Sathi kiyo, ‘Sibabantu abathembekileko, asisiziinhloli.+
32 Simadodana wendoda yinye. Ubaba uhlala enarheni yeKanana+ begodu unamadodana ali-12.+ Enye ayisekho+ begodu umfowethu omncani usele nobaba.’
33 Indoda ephethe inarha leya yathi kithi, ‘Ngokwenza lokhu ngizokwazi bonyana nithembekile: Tjhiyani umfowenu nami.+ Ngemva kwalokho, nithathele imindenenu ukudla nikhambe.+
34 Ningilethele umfowenu, ukwenzela bona ngazi ukuthi anisiziinhloli kodwana nimadoda athembekileko. Ngemva kwalokho ngizonibuyisela umfowenu, nirage nokuthenga nanyana yini enarheni le.’”
35 Kuthe nabathulula imigodlabo, ngamunye wabo wafumana imali emgodlenakhe. Uyise kunye nabo, barhidlwa livalo lokha nababona iinkhwama zemalabo.
36 UJakopo warhuwelela wathi: “Ningithathele abantwana!+ UJosefa akasekho+ noSimiyoni akasekho,+ nje-ke nifuna ukuthatha noBhenjamini! Izintwezi zoke nje zenzeka njani kimi?”
37 URubeni wathi kuyise: “Ungabulala amadodanami womabili nange ngingambuyiseli kuwe.+ Nginikela yena ngizamtlhogomela, ngizombuyisa kuwe.”+
38 UJakopo wathi: “Indodanami ayizukukhamba nani ngombana umfowabo uhlongakele, isele yodwa.+ Kuzokuthiwani nange ingehlakalelwa yingozi nanisendleleni. Kwamambala nizongibangela bona ngihlongakale*+ ngilisizi sengiluphele.”+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “ngehlele eTjhiyoli.” Qala Ihlathululo.
