Ukufa Nokungcwatshwa KukaJakobe
1UJosefa waziphonsa phezu kukayise, wakhala, wamanga. 2Wayeseyala izinceku zakhe eziyizinyanga ukuba zigqumise isidumbu sikayise ngemithi. Izinyanga zamgqumisa-ke u-Israyeli ngemithi. 3Kwaphela izinsuku ezingama-40, okuyizinsuku zokugqumisa. AbaseGibhithe bamlilela izinsuku ezingama-70.
4Sezedlule izinsuku zokumlilela uJakobe, uJosefa wakhuluma kwabendlu kaFaro, wathi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni enu, nginxuseleni kuFaro, nithi: 5‘Ubaba wangifungisa wathi: “Sengizokufa. Uyabona-ke, ubongingcwaba ethuneni lami engazimbela lona eKhanani.” Bengicela ukuba ngidedelwe ngihambe ngiyongcwaba ubaba, bese ngibuya.’ ”
6UFaro wathi: “Khuphuka uyongcwaba uyihlo njengalokhu akufungisa.”
7UJosefa wakhuphuka wayofihla uyise, waphelezelwa yizinceku zikaFaro, nezikhulu zonke zendlu yakhe, nazo zonke izikhulu zaseGibhithe. 8Kwaphuma nabendlu kaJosefa, abafowabo, nabendlu kayise, kwasala kuphela abantwana babo, nezimvu, nezinkomo zabo eGosheni. 9Kwakhuphuka ngisho namabutho agibele izinqola zempi, nagibele amahhashi, kwaba yisixuku esikhulu kakhulu.
10Kwathi lapho befika eGoreni Hathadi elingaphesheya komfula iJordani, kwasuka esinamathambo, bakhihla isililo, kwaba muncu. UJosefa wamlilela uyise izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. 11Abakhileyo eKhanani bezwa leso sililo eGoreni Hathadi, bathi: “Saze sasikhulu isililo sabantu baseGibhithe bo!”
Ngakho-ke bayiqamba leyo ndawo engaphesheya komfula iJordani ngokuthi kuse-Abeli Mizirayimi, okusho ukuthi yiSililo sabaseGibhithe.
12Amadodana ka-Israyeli enza konke ayeyalwe ngakho nguyise. 13Amadodana akhe amthatha uyise amyisa eKhanani, amngcwaba emgedeni osensimini eMakhaphela, u-Abhrahama ayewuthenge nensimu ku-Efroni umHithi, ukuze ube yindawo yokungcwaba, eduze naseMamre. 14UJosefa wangcwaba uyise, qede wabuyela eGibhithe, nabafowabo, nabo bonke ababekhuphuke naye ukuyongcwaba uyise.
UJosefa Uxolela Abafowabo
15Kuthe ukuba abafowabo bakaJosefa babone ukuthi uyise usefile, bathi: “Mhlawumbe uJosefa usasibambele igqubu, funa azame ukuziphindiselela kithi ngabo bonke ububi esabenza kuye.”
16Base bethumela kuJosefa, bathi: “Uyihlo washiya umyalelo engakafi, wathi: 17‘Anotshela uJosefa ukuthi: ngiyakuncenga ukuba uxolele abafowenu isiphambeko sabo nesono sabo, ngokuba benza okubi kuwe.’ Manje siyakunxusa ukuba uxolele isiphambeko sezinceku zikaNkulunkulu kayihlo.”
Kwathi ukuba lowo myalezo ufike kuJosefa, wakhala.
18Abafowabo bafika kuye mathupha, bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe, bathi: “Siyizinceku zakho.”
19UJosefa wathi kubo: “Ningesabi. Kanti nginguNkulunkulu yini na? 20Nakuba nangakhela uzungu nifuna ukungenzakalisa, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayehlose okuhle, ukuze namuhla kusindiswe izinkumbi zabantu. 21Ngakho-ke ningesabi, ngizoninakekela nina nabantwana benu.”
Wabaduduza ngokukhuluma nabo kanjalo.
Ukufa KukaJosefa
22UJosefa wahlala eGibhithe nabo bonke abendlu kayise. Waphila waze waba neminyaka eyi-110, 23waze wabona ngisho isizukulwane sesithathu sabantwana baka-Efrayimi; nabantwana bakaMakhiri indodana kaManase, wabagona ethangeni lakhe besanda kuzalwa.
24UJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “Sengizokufa mina, kodwa uNkulunkulu akasoze anilibala nakanye, uyonikhuphula kuleli lizwe, aniphindisele ezweni alethembisa ngesifungo ko-Abhrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe.”
25UJosefa wawafungisa amadodana ka-Israyeli, wathi: “UNkulunkulu uzakunihambela impela, anowakhuphula amathambo ami kule ndawo.”
26UJosefa wafa eseqede iminyaka eyi-110, abantu bamgqumisa ngemithi, wayesefakwa ebhokisini lomngcwabo eGibhithe.
