Genesis 44:1-34
44 Ethubeni uYosefu wathi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: “Gcwalisa iingxowa zala madoda ngokutya kangangoko zinokukuthwala, ubeke nemali yakhe ngamnye emlonyeni wengxowa yakhe.+
2 Kodwa uze ufake indebe yam, le yesilivere, emlonyeni wengxowa yoyena mncinci kunye nemali yokutya kwakhe okuziinkozo.” Lo mphathi wenza yonke into awayeyixelelwe nguYosefu.
3 Kusasa, xa kukhanyayo, akhululwa ahamba la madoda needonki zawo.
4 Athi engekemki kuyaphi esixekweni, uYosefu wathi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: “Phakama! Leqa la madoda. Wakuwafumana uze uthi kuwo, ‘Kutheni nibuyekeza okulungileyo ngokubi?
5 Ngaba le ayonto inkosi yam esela ize ivumise ngayo ngobuchule? Imbi into eniyenzileyo.’ ”
6 Ngoko wawafumana waza wayithetha yonke loo nto kwakuthiwe makayithethe.
7 Kodwa athi kuye: “Kutheni inkosi yam ithethe ngolo hlobo? Izicaka zakho aziyicingi nokuyicinga ukuyenza into enjengaleyo.
8 Kwanemali esayifumana emilonyeni yeengxowa zethu, siyibuyisele kuwe sisuka kwilizwe lakwaKanan.+ Ngoku singayiba njani isilivere okanye igolide endlini yenkosi yakho?
9 Ukuba ifunyenwe kwelinye lamakhoboka akho, malife, nathi siza kuba ngamakhoboka enkosi yam.”
10 Yena wathi: “Mayenzeke loo nto niyithethayo: Lowo ifunyenwe kuye uza kuba likhoboka lam, kodwa abanye baza kuba msulwa.”
11 Ngoko bazothula ngokukhawuleza iingxowa zabo, bazivula.
12 Wakhangelisisa, eqala ngoyena umdala, wagqibela ngoyena umncinci. Ekugqibeleni yafunyanwa indebe engxoweni kaBhenjamin.+
13 Bazikrazula iimpahla zabo baza bonke bakhwelisa imithwalo yabo kwiidonki zabo, babuyela esixekweni.
14 Xa uYuda+ nabantakwabo bangena endlini kaYosefu, wayeselapho, ngoko baqubuda phambi kwakhe.+
15 Wathi uYosefu kubo: “Yintoni le niyenzileyo? Beningazi na ukuba indoda enjengam iyincutshe ekuvumiseni?”+
16 UYuda waphendula wathi: “Singathini enkosini yam? Yintoni esinokuyithetha? Kwaye singabonisa njani ukuba singamalungisa? UThixo wokwenene usifumene isono samakhoboka akho.+ Ngoku singamakhoboka enkosi yam, thina kunye nalo ifunyenwe kuye indebe!”
17 Yena wathi: “Soze ndiyenze loo nto kuni! Indoda efunyenwe kuyo indebe, yiyo eza kuba likhoboka lam.+ Nina ningenyuka ngoxolo niye kutata wenu.”
18 UYuda wasondela kuye wathi: “Ndiyangxengxeza kuwe nkosi yam, ndicela ulivumele lithethe ilizwi ikhoboka lakho ezindlebeni zenkosi yam, kwaye mawungavuthi ngumsindo kwikhoboka lakho, kuba unjengoFaro wena.+
19 Inkosi yam yawabuza amakhoboka ayo, yathi, ‘Ninaye na utata okanye omnye umntakwenu?’
20 Sathi kwinkosi yam, ‘Sinaye utata owalupheleyo yaye ukhona nomntwana amfumene sele emdala, oyena mncinci.+ Kodwa umntakwabo wafa,+ ngoko nguye yedwa oseleyo kumama wakhe,+ yaye utata uyamthanda.’
21 Wena wathi kumakhoboka akho, ‘Yihlani naye nimzise apha kum, ndimbone.’+
22 Sathi kwinkosi yam, ‘Le nkwenkwe ayikwazi ukumshiya utata. Ukuba ingamshiya, uza kufa nakanjani.’+
23 Wathi wena kumakhoboka akho, ‘Ukuba anizi nomninawa wenu, ningaphinde nize apha.’+
24 “Ngoko senyuka saya kwikhoboka lakho utata saza samxelela ukuba itheni inkosi yam.
25 Ekuhambeni kwexesha utata wathi, ‘Phindani niye, niyokusithengela intwana yokutya.’+
26 Sathi, ‘Asizukuhla. Ukuba umninawa wethu uhamba nathi, siza kuhla, kuba asinakububona ubuso bala ndoda engekho umninawa wethu.’+
27 Lona ikhoboka lakho utata lathi kuthi, ‘Niyazi kakuhle into yokuba umfazi wam wandizalela oonyana ababini qha.+
28 Kodwa omnye wandishiya ndaza ndathi: “Nakanjani umele ukuba uqwengiwe!”+ yaye andikamboni de kube ngoku.
29 Ukuba ningamthatha nalo, ndingamboni, ahlelwe yingozi aze afe, ngokuqinisekileyo noba nizihlisele engcwabeni*+ izimvi zam ndisentlungwini.’+
30 “Ngoko ukuba ndingafika kwikhoboka lakho utata, le nkwenkwe ingahambi nathi, njengoko ubomi bakhe bubophene nobomi bayo,
31 uza kuvele afe akubona ukuba ayikho le nkwenkwe, kuba amakhoboka akho aza kuba azehlisele engcwabeni* izimvi zekhoboka lakho utata lisentlungwini.
32 Kuba ikhoboka lakho lamqinisekisa utata ngale nkwenkwe, lisithi, ‘Ukuba ndiye andabuya naye, ndiza kube ndimone ngonaphakade utata.’+
33 Ngoko ke, ndicela ulivumele ikhoboka lakho ibe lilo elihlala endaweni yale nkwenkwe njengekhoboka lenkosi yam, ukuze yona ihambe nabantakwayo.
34 Ndingabuyela njani kutata ngaphandle kwale nkwenkwe? Soze ndikwazi ukunyamezela xa ndimbona esehlelwa yintlekele?”
