Genesis 47:1-31
47 Ngoko uYosefu waya kumxelela uFaro,+ waza wathi: “Ufikile utata nabantakwethu, nemihlambi yabo yeegusha nemihlambi yabo yeenkomo, nayo yonke into abanayo. Bavela kwilizwe lakwaKanan, ngoku baphaya kumhlaba waseGoshen.”+
2 Emva koko weza nabantakwabo abahlanu kuFaro.+
3 UFaro wathi kubantakwaboYosefu: “Uyintoni umsebenzi wenu?” Bathi: “Izicaka zakho zingabelusi beegusha, thina nookhokho bethu.”+
4 Emva koko bathi: “Size kuhlala njengabantu basemzini kweli lizwe,+ kuba izicaka zakho azinawo amadlelo omhlambi, kuba indlala iqatha kwilizwe lakwaKanan.+ Ngoko sicela uzivumele izicaka zakho zihlale kumhlaba waseGoshen.”+
5 UFaro wathi kuYosefu: “Utata wakho nabantakwenu beze kuwe apha.
6 Nali ilizwe laseYiputa phambi kwakho. Mhlalise utata wakho nabantakwenu kweyona ndawo intle kulo.+ Mabahlale kumhlaba waseGoshen. Ukuba kukho amadoda owaziyo anobuchule phakathi kwabo, wabeke akhokele ekwaluseni umhlambi wam.”
7 Emva koko uYosefu wangenisa uYakobi utata wakhe, wamazisa kuFaro, waza uYakobi wamsikelela uFaro.
8 UFaro wabuza uYakobi wathi: “Mingaphi iminyaka yakho?”
9 UYakobi wathi kuFaro: “Iminyaka endiyichithe ndihamba-hamba iindawo* iyi-130. Imbalwa kodwa igcwele ziinkathazo,+ yaye ayikho mininzi njengaleyo iphilwe ngootata ngexesha babehamba-hamba iindawo.”*+
10 Emva koko uYakobi wamsikelela uFaro waza wemka.
11 Ngoko uYosefu wamhlalisa utata wakhe nabantakwabo kwilizwe laseYiputa, wabanika umhlaba kweyona ndawo intle yelo lizwe, kummandla waseRameses,+ kanye njengokuba uFaro wayetshilo.
12 Yaye uYosefu waqhubeka enika utata wakhe, abantakwabo nayo yonke indlu katata wakhe ukutya,* ngokwenani labantwana babo.
13 Ngoku kwakungekho kutya* kulo lonke ilizwe, kuba indlala yayiqatha kakhulu, yaye abantu belizwe laseYiputa nabelizwe lakwaKanan baphelelwa ngamandla ngenxa yendlala.+
14 UYosefu wayeyiqokelela yonke imali eyayifunyanwa kwilizwe laseYiputa nakwilizwe lakwaKanan, eyayifunyanwa ebantwini ababethenga ukutya okuziinkozo,+ kwaye uYosefu waqhubeka eyisa loo mali endlini kaFaro.
15 Ekuhambeni kwexesha, yaphela imali ebantwini baseYiputa nakubantu bakwaKanan, yaye onke amaYiputa eza kuYosefu, aza athi: “Sinike ukutya! Kutheni kufuneka sife ujongile, kuba iphelile imali yethu?”
16 UYosefu wathi: “Ukuba imali yenu iphelile, khuphani imfuyo yenu, mna ndiza kuninika ukutya xa nindinika imfuyo.”
17 Ngoko aqalisa ukuzisa imfuyo yawo kuYosefu, yena uYosefu waqhubeka ewanika ukutya ngoxa wona ayemnika amahashe, imfuyo ayithatha kwimihlambi yeegusha neyeenkomo needonki, kwaye waqhubeka ewanika ukutya ngoxa wona ayemnika yonke imfuyo yawo ngaloo nyaka.
18 Ukuphela kwaloo nyaka, abantu beza kuYosefu kunyaka olandelayo baza bathi kuye: “Asizukuyifihlela inkosi yethu ukuba imali nezilwanyana zasekhaya iphelele enkosini yethu. Akusekho nto sinayo esingayinika inkosi yethu ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu nomhlaba wethu.
19 Yhini na ukuba sife ujongile, thina nomhlaba wethu? Sithenge thina nomhlaba wethu ngokusinika ukutya, ukuze thina nawo sibe ngamakhoboka kaFaro. Sinike imbewu ukuze siphile, singafi, nomhlaba wethu ungabi nabantu.”
20 Ngoko uYosefu wawuthengela uFaro wonke umhlaba wamaYiputa, kuba onke amaYiputa awathengisa amasimi awo, kuba indlala yayiqatha, ibe umhlaba waba ngokaFaro.
21 Ngoko wabafudusela ezixekweni abantu, ukususela kwesinye isiphelo sommandla waseYiputa ukuyokutsho kwesinye isiphelo sawo.+
22 Ngumhlaba wababingeleli kuphela angazange awuthenge,+ kuba ababingeleli babephila ngokutya ababekufumana kuFaro. Yiloo nto bengazange bawuthengise owabo umhlaba.
23 Emva koko uYosefu wathi ebantwini: “Niyabona, namhlanje ndinithengile nina nomhlaba wenu ukuze nibe ngabakaFaro. Nantsi imbewu, yityaleni emhlabeni.
24 Xa umhlaba uvelise ukutya, nikani uFaro isahlulo esinye kwezihlanu,+ kodwa izahlulo ezine ziza kuba zezenu, zibe yimbewu yentsimi, zibe kukutya kwenu, abo basezindlini zenu kunye nabantwana benu.”
25 Bathi ke bona: “Ubusindisile ubomi bethu.+ Kwanga singathandwa yinkosi yethu, size sibe ngamakhoboka kaFaro.”+
26 Emva koko uYosefu wayenza yaba ngumthetho osasebenza nanamhlanje kulo lonke elaseYiputa, into yokuba isahlulo esinye kwezihlanu sesikaFaro. Yaba ngumhlaba wababingeleli kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.+
27 USirayeli waqhubeka ehlala kwilizwe laseYiputa, kumhlaba waseGoshen,+ wazinza kuwo waza waqhama, wanda kakhulu.+
28 UYakobi waqhubeka ehlala kwilizwe laseYiputa iminyaka eyi-17, ngoko uYakobi waba neminyaka eyi-147.+
29 Yasondela imihla yokufa kukaSirayeli,+ ngoko wabiza uYosefu unyana wakhe waza wathi kuye: “Ukuba uyandithanda, ndicela ubeke isandla sakho phantsi kwethanga lam, uze ubonise ukuba undithanda ngokungagungqiyo yaye uthembekile kum. Ndicela ungandingcwabeli eYiputa.+
30 Ndakufa,* umele undikhuphe eYiputa, uyokundibeka kwingcwaba lookhokho.”+ Yena uYosefu wathi: “Ndiza kuyenza into oyithethileyo.”
31 USirayeli wathi: “Ndifungele.” Ngoko wamfungela.+ Emva koko uSirayeli waqubuda emantla kwebhedi yakhe.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “ndixhwarha; ndingumntu wasemzini.”
^ Okanye “babexhwarha; babengabantu basemzini.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “isonka.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “isonka.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “Ndakulala nookhokho bam.”
