UGENESISI 41

₁Kuthe bona kudlule iminyaka emibili poro, uFaro wabhudanga ajame emlanjeni iNayili. ₂Kwathi vumbu iinkomo ezilikhomba ngemlanjenapho. Zazinone ziphazima, zakarula utjani eqadi komlambo. ₃Khonapho kwanyuka ezinye ezilikhomba egade zondile zimigorhu. Zafese zajama malungana negade zisedongeni lomlambo. ₄Iinkomo ezonde zimigorhwezo zaginya ezilikhomba ezinone ziphazima. Khonapho uFaro waphaphama.

₅Wabanjwa buthongo wabhudanga godu: Nanzi iinqwambi ezilikhomba zekoroyi, ezimabhombo nezinothileko zitlhurha emudzwini munye. ₆Ngemva kwazo kwavela ezinye iinqwambi ezilikhomba, zona bezimatsikani begodu zitjhwabiswe mumoya wepumalanga. ₇Iinqwambi ezimatsikani zarhiribidela ezimabhombo nezinothileko. Yeke uFaro waphaphama. Agu, bekulibhudango!

₈Ekuseni wavuka atshwenyekile. Wabiza boke abosomlingo nabosiyazi beGibhide. Wabatjela amabhudangwakhe, kodwana akakho owakghona ukumhlathululela wona.

₉Yeke ihloko yabaphathikapho yathi kuFaro: “Maye mina! Namhlanje ngikhumbula imitjhaphami. ₁₀UFaro wakhe wathukuthelela iinkhulu zakhe, ngalokho wangithatha ngikanye nehloko yababhagi wasifaka ngesikhungweni emzini womphathi wobuzimba. ₁₁Omunye nomunye wethu waba nebhudango ngobusuku bunye. Ibhudango ngalinye belinehlathululwalo. ₁₂Phakathi kwethu bekunesokana lomHebheru ebegade liyinceku yomphathi wobuzimba. Salitjela amabhudangwethu, lasihlathululela wona ngamunye ngamunye ngokwebhudango lakhe. ₁₃Ngambala kwenzeka poro njengombana lalihlathululile: Mina ngabuyiselwa esikhundleni sami kodwana indodenye leya yona yahlonywa esigodweni.”

₁₄Yeke uFaro wathumela bona kubizwe uJosefa. Msinyana wakhutjhwa ngesikhungweni, warhuna iindevu bewembatha ezinye izambatho, weza kuFaro. ₁₅UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Ngibe nebhudango, kodwana akunamuntu ongalihlathululako. Yeke besele ngilunywe indlebe ngawe bonyana ngokuzwa nje ibhudango kwaphela, uyakwazi ukulihlathulula.”

₁₆UJosefa waphendula uFaro wathi: “Awa, akusikho kwami ukuhlathulula amabhudango, kodwana nguZimu ozakunikela ipendulo elungele kuFaro.”

₁₇UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Ebhudangweni lami gade ngijame edongeni lomlambo iNayili. ₁₈Sekwathi vumbu iinkomo ezilikhomba ngemlanjenapho, zinone ziphazima. Zakarula utjani hlanu komlambo. ₁₉Khonapho kwavela ezinye iinkomo ezilikhomba ezonde zimigorhu. Azange khengibone imigorhwana yeenkomo ezonde kangaka kiyo yoke inarha yeGibhide le. ₂₀Iinkomo ezonde zimigorhwezo zaginya zokuthoma ezilikhomba ezinonileko. ₂₁Kodwana ngitjho nangemva kokobana seziziginyile azange kubonakale bona zingenile eziswini zazo ngombana zase zaqaleka zizimbi zimigorhu njalo. Yeke ngaphaphama.

₂₂“Kwelinye ibhudango ngabona iinqwambi zekoroyi ezilikhomba ezinothileko nezimabhombo, zitlhurha emudzwini munye. ₂₃Kwavela nezinye iinqwambi zekoroyi ezilikhomba zinganalitho, zimatsikani begodu zitjhwabiswe mumoya wepumalanga. ₂₄Nje-ke iinqwambi ezimatsikanezo zarhiribidela ezimabhombo.

“Manje, amabhudango la ngiwazise abosomlingo, kodwana akukho noyedwa wabo owakhe wakghona ukungihlathululela wona.”

₂₅UJosefa wathi kuFaro: “Womabili amabhudango la atjho into eyodwa. UZimu ubonise uFaro into azoyenza. ₂₆Iinkomo ezilikhomba ezinonileko minyaka elikhomba begodu neenqwambi ezimabhombo ezilikhomba zekoroyi minyaka elikhomba, koke njalo kutjho ibhudango linye. ₂₇Iinkomo ezilikhomba ezonde zimigorhu ezivele muva kwezinye minyaka elikhomba, kanjalo neenqwambi ezilikhomba ezimatsikani, ezitjhwabiswe mumoya wepumalanga: Kuzokuba neminyaka elikhomba yendlala.

₂₈“Sekunjengombana ngitjele uFaro, uZimu ubonise uFaro lokho azokwenza. ₂₉Kuzokuba khona inala ekulu kiyo yoke inarha yeGibhide iminyaka elikhomba. ₃₀Ngemva kwalokho kuzokuba khona indlala iminyaka elikhomba. Koke ukusutha kuzakulitjalwa eGibhide ngombana indlala izakukhothulula inarha. ₃₁Iye, ukusutha angeze bekusakhunjulwa enarheni ngombana indlala leyo iza ngamandla. ₃₂Isizathu sokobana uFaro anikelwe ibhudango ngeendlela ezimbili kukobana indaba le uZimu uyiqinisekisile begodu uzayenza msinyazana.

₃₃“Nje-ke uFaro akakhethe indoda enelihlo nehlakaniphileko ayibeke bonyana yengamele inarha yeGibhide. ₃₄UFaro akabone bonyana ubeka iinduna enarheni yoke kobana zithathe ingcenye eyodwa kezihlanu yesivuno seGibhide eminyakeni elikhomba yenala. ₃₅Kumele zibuthelele koke ukudlokho eminyakeni yenala ezako le. Azibulunge isivuno ngaphasi kwelawulo lakaFaro emadorobheni beziseluse. ₃₆Ukudla enizokubulungokho kufuze kugcinelwe abantu benarha kobana kusetjenziswe eminyakeni elikhomba yendlala ezakwehlela iGibhide ukuze inarha ingabhujiswa yindlala.”

₃₇Iqhingeli laba lihle kuFaro nakizo zoke iinkhulu zakhe. ₃₈UFaro wakhuluma neenkhulu zakhe wathi: “Singamthathaphi umuntu onjengendoda le, umuntu onommoya kaZimu?”

₃₉Nje-ke wathi kuJosefa: “Njengombana uZimu akwambulele koke lokhu nje, kuyakhanya bonyana akakho omunye onelihlo nohlakaniphe njengawe. ₄₀Nguwe ozakuphatha isigodlo sami. Nje-ke boke abantu bami kumele balalele wena. Mina ngizakuba mkhulu kuwe ngesigodlo kwaphela.”

₄₁Yeke uFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Ngalokho ngikubeka bona wengamele yoke inarha yeGibhide.”

₄₂Wakhupha idzilamnwanakhe yokutlikitla emnweni wayifaka kewakaJosefa. Wamembathisa isambatho esimhlope selineni, wamfaka umncamo wegolide entanyeni. ₄₃Wamkhweza ekaraneni esezingeni lesibili keyakhe, abantu barhuwelela phambi kwakhe bathi: “Khothamani!” Ngaleyondlela wamenza umengameli wenarha yoke yeGibhide.

₄₄UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “NginguFaro, kodwana ngaphandle kwelizwi lakho akunamuntu ozakusikinyeka kilo loke leGibhide.” ₄₅Wathiya uJosefa ibizo lesiGibhide wathi nguTsafenati-Paneyarha, bewamupha u-Asenathi indodakazi kaPothi-Fera umphristi we-Oni bona abe mkakhe. Njalo-ke idumo lakaJosefa lasabalala nenarha yeGibhide. ₄₆UJosefa gade aneminyaka ematjhumi amathathu lokha nakangena esikhundleni somsebenzi kaFaro ikosi yeGibhide. Kwathi lokha nakasuka phambi kwakaFaro wakhambela yoke inarha yeGibhide.

₄₇Eminyakeni elikhomba yenala inarha yathela isivuno esinengi. ₄₈UJosefa wabuthelela koke ukudla okukhiqizwe eminyakeni elikhomba leyo yenala eGibhide wakulondoloza emadorobheni. Kelinye nelinye idorobho walondoloza ukudla okuvunwe emasimini walapho. ₄₉Walondoloza isivuno esinengi kwanga yihlabathi yelwandle. Sasisinengi kangangobana walisa ukubala ngombana sasingasabaleki.

₅₀Ngaphambi kokufika kweminyaka yendlala, u-Asenathi indodakazi kaPothi-Fera umphristi we-Oni wabelethela uJosefa amadodana amabili. ₅₁UJosefa wathiya izibulo bona nguManase wathi: “Kungebanga lokobana uZimu ungenze ngakhohlwa boke ubudisi bami kanye nawo woke umuzi kababa.”

₅₂Indodana yesibili wayithiya bona ngu-Efrayimu wathi: “Kungebanga lokobana uZimu ungiphumelelisile enarheni yokurhubutjhwa kwami.”

₅₃Iminyaka elikhomba yenala yaphela eGibhide. ₅₄Kwathoma iminyaka elikhomba yendlala kwaba njengokutjho kwakaJosefa. Kizo zoke iinarha ezinye kwaba nendlala kodwana yoke inarha yeGibhide yona yaba nokudla. ₅₅Kwathi lokha indlala nayithoma ukusahlela neGibhide, abantu balila ngokudla kuFaro. Yena wathi kiwo woke amaGibhide: “Khambani niye kuJosefa nifese nenze koke athi nikwenze.”

₅₆Indlala yabhoka eGibhide. Kwathi bona indlala leyo yembathe inarha yoke, uJosefa wavula zoke iinlulu lapha bekunesivuno khona wathengisela amaGibhide. ₅₇Nephasi loke leza eGibhide ukuzokuthenga ukudla kuJosefa ngombana indlala besele ibhoke iphasi loke.