UBhenjamini ufunyanwa amlandu
1UJosefa wayala umphathimuzakhe wathi: “Zalisa iintjhuba zamadoda lawa ngokudla kube ngendlela angathwala ngayo. Ufake isiliva yenye nenye indoda emlonyeni wesitjhuba sayo. 2Faka ikaphami yesiliva emlonyeni wesitjhuba sobuphetjhani kanye nesiliva athenge ngayo.”
Umphathimuzi wenza njengombana uJosefa atjhwile. 3Kuthe lokha nakusako amadoda lawa atjhatjhululwa kobana abuyele ekhabo nabodumbana bawo. 4Gade angakakhambi ukuyaphi ukusuka edorobheni lokha uJosefa nakathi kumphathimuzakhe: “Rhaba ulandele amadoda lawaya! Nawuwafumanako uwabuze uthi, ‘Kubayini nibuyisela okuhle ngokumbi? Niyebeleni ikaphami yesiliva? 5Akusiyikapho esela ngomphathami naziphengula ngayo na? Bukhohlakali into eniyenzileko le.’ ”
6Ngambala kuthe lokha umphathimuzi nawawafumanako, watjho amezwi lawo. 7Wona amphendula athi: “Kubayini unomzana akhulume njalo? Iinceku zakho angeze bezayenza into efana naleyo! 8Kunalokho angithi uyazi bonyana nesiliva leya esayifumana ngeentjhubeni zethu nasiseKanana siyibuyisile? Alo, besizayebelani-ke isiliva namkha igolide ngekumbeni yomphathakho? 9Nakube ingatholakala kinanyana ngiyiphi yeenceku zakhwezi, ayibulawe bese kuthi thina abanye sibe makhoboka wekosethu.”
10Umphathimuzi wathi: “Kulungile, akube njengamagamenu: Nanyana ngubani ezakutholakala kuye uzakuba likhoboka lami bese kuthi nina abanye nibe msulwa, nitjhaphuluke.”
11Omunye nomunye wawo wehlisa msinyana isitjhuba sakhe kobana asivule. 12Wathoma-ke umphathimuzi wabhenyegula, wathoma ngomkhulu wehlela komncani. Ikapho yafunyanwa ngesitjhubeni sakaBhenjamini. 13Amadoda lawo adabula izambatho zawo. Asuka lapho akhweza imithwalwawo kibodumbana abuyela ngedorobheni.
14UJosefa gade asese ngekumbeni lokha uJuda nabafowabo nabangenako. Bafika baziphosela phasi phambi kwakhe. 15UJosefa wathi kibo: “Yintobani eniyenzileko le? Anazi bonyana umuntu onjengami nje kufuze aziphengule na?”
16UJuda waphendula wathi: “Yini esingayitjho ekosinami na? Sizivikele sithini? Singazihlanza njani? UZimu wembule umlandu weenceku zekosami. Nje-ke sele simakhoboka wekosami, thina ngokwethu kanye naloyo okufunyenwe kuye ikapho.”
17Kodwana uJosefa wathi: “Awa, nokho angeze bengiyenze into efana naleyo! Umuntu okufunyenwe kuye ikaphami nguye kwaphela ozakuba likhoboka lami. Nina abanye buyelani kuyihlo ngokuthula.”
18Yeke uJuda watjhidela kuJosefa wathi: “Ngiyakhombela kosami! Nanyana ikosami ilingana noFaro incekwakho beyibawa ukuba nelizwi nekosayo. Nokho bengithi ikosami ingapheleli incekwayo ihliziyo. 19Ikosami yabuza iinceku zayo yathi, ‘Nisese nobaba namkha umfowenu na?’ 20Sayiphendula sathi, ‘Iye, ubaba sele amdala, godu sathi sinomfowethu obelethwe ubaba sele aluphele. Umnakwabo lomsana loyo wahlongakala, nje-ke sese kusele yena yedwa tere ngakwabo. Ngalokho uyise umthanda khulu.’ 21Yeke ikosami yathi eencekweni zayo, ‘Mletheni kimapha ngizombona ngamehlwami la.’ 22Thina sathi ekosinami, ‘Umsana lo akakwazi ukusukela uyise. Nange angenza njalo, uyise angaqaleka bekabulungwe.’ 23Yeke ikosami yathi, ‘Angifuni ukubona ubuso benu lapha nakube anizi naye.’
24“Sithe lokha nasibuyela ekhaya kubaba oyinceku yekosami, samtjela koke ikosami ekutjhwileko. 25Kwathi lokha ubaba nakathi kithi, ‘Buyelani niyosithengela ukudlana godu,’ 26thina sathi kuye, ‘Angeze sakghona ukwehla nakube umfowethu obuphetjhani akakhambi nathi. Asikazukukghona ukubonana nonomzana loyo nakube asikezi naye.’ 27Ubaba oyinceku yekosami wathi kithi, ‘Niyazi nani bonyana umkami oyintandokazi wangibelethela abesana ababili kwaphela. 28Omunye wanyamalala, ngamhloboka ngathi wadatjulwadatjulwa iinquqwana. Mbala solo kwalokho azange bengisambona. 29Nje-ke naningithathela nalo, naye bese wehlelwa yingozi, nizabe ningibangele bona ngife ngesihluku sengimdala kangaka.’ 30Njengombana ipilo kababa inamathele emsaneni kangaka, nasibuyela kubaba ngaphandle kwakhe 31bese uyabona bonyana umsana lo akakho, uzokuqaleka. Ngaleyondlela iinceku zekosami zizabe zibangele bona ubaba oyinceku yekosami ahlongakale ngamatlhuwiso sele amdala. 32Mina ncekwakho ngiqinisekise ubaba bonyana ngizakugada umsana lo ngepilwami ngathi, ‘Nakube angimbuyisi kubaba, angibe mlandu phambi kwakababa ipilwami yoke!’
33“Nje-ke bengibawa bona ikosami ivumele incekwayo bonyana isale lapha ibe likhoboka lekosami esikhundleni somsana lo. Ikosami ivumele umsana lo aphenduke nabomnakwabo 34ngombana mina ngingaya njani kubaba khibe umsana lo akasinami? Angifuni ukubona amatlhuwiso azakwehlela ubaba!”
