UJakobe Ubusisa UJosefa Namadodana Akhe
1Emveni kwalezo zinto uJosefa wathola umbiko othi: “Uyihlo uphathekile.”
Wayesethatha amadodana akhe omabili uManase no-Efrayimi ukuyombona. 2Kwabikwa kuJakobe kwathiwa: “Bheka, indodana yakho uJosefa iyeza izokubona.”
U-Israyeli waziqinisa, wavuka, wahlala embhedeni.
3UJakobe wathi kuJosefa: “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi ngiseLuzi eKhanani, wangibusisa, 4wathi kimi: ‘Ngizoyandisa inzalo yakho ibe yizinkumbi, ngikwenze izizwe eziningi, leli lizwe ngizolinika izizukulwane zakho libe yifa lazo laphakade.’
5“Ngakho-ke lawa madodana akho amabili azalelwe lapha eGibhithe ngingakafiki, asengawami manje. U-Efrayimi noManase bangabami, njengoba kunjalo kuRubeni noSimeyoni. 6Uma uthola amanye amadodana emva kwalawa, ayakuba ngawakho, kodwa ayakulotshwa phansi kohla lwabafowabo, ngokuba ifa lawo ayolithola kubo. 7Lapho ngisesendleleni ngivela ePhadani Aramu, uRaheli wafela eKhanani kuselibangana ukufinyelela e-Efratha, ngase ngimngcwaba khona lapho eceleni kwendlela eya e-Efratha,” (eliyiBhethlehema).
8U-Israyeli ebona amadodana kaJosefa, wabuza wathi: “Ngobani laba na?”
9UJosefa wathi kuyise: “Ngamadodana ami uNkulunkulu angiphe wona ngikuleli lizwe.”
Uyise wayesethi: “Alethe lapha ukuze ngiwabusise.”
10Amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesenqundekile ngenxa yobudala, engasaboni kahle. Ngakho-ke uJosefa wawasondeza, wayeseyawanga, wawagona. 11U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Ngangingasalindele ukuthi ngiyophinde ngibubone ubuso bakho. Manje bheka, uNkulunkulu ungivumele ukuba ngibone ngisho nabantwana bakho imbala.”
12UJosefa wawasusa ethangeni likayise, wakhothamela emhlabathini wathi mbo ngobuso. 13UJosefa wawathatha womabili, u-Efrayimi engakwesokunene eqondene nesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, uManase engakwesokhohlo eqondene nesokunene sika-Israyeli, wawasondeza kuye. 14Kepha u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokunene wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, owayengomncane, wabeka isandla sokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, ephambanisa izandla zakhe ukuze asibeke kuManase owayeyizibulo. 15Wambusisa uJosefa, wathi:
“UNkulunkulu abahambe phambi kwakhe
okhokho bami o-Abhrahama no-Isaka,
uNkulunkulu obe ngumelusi wami
yonke impilo yami
kuze kube namuhla.
16Ingelosi engihlenge ezingozini zonke,
makabusise laba bafana,
ukuze ngabo igama lami nelokhokho bami
o-Abhrahama no-Isaka lichume njalo.
Sengathi banganda babe baningi emhlabeni.”
17UJosefa wabona ukuthi uyise ubeke isandla sakhe sokunene phezu kwekhanda lika-Efrayimi, akwaze kwamthokozisa lokho. Wasithatha isandla sikayise ukuba asisuse ekhanda lika-Efrayimi asibeke kwelikaManase. 18UJosefa wathi kuyise: “Hhayi kanjalo baba, ngokuba lona nguye oyizibulo, beka isandla sakho sokunene ekhanda lakhe.”
19UJakobe akavumanga, kodwa wathi: “Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi; naye uzokuba yisizwe, abe mkhulu. Nokho umnawakhe u-Efrayimi uzokuba mkhulu kunaye, izizukulwane zakhe zibe yizizwe eziningi.”
20Ngakho-ke uJakobe wababusisa kanjalo ngalolo lusuku, ethi:
“Ngawe u-Israyeli uyakubusisana athi:
‘UNkulunkulu makakwenze ufane no-Efrayimi noManase.’ ”
UJakobe wambeka u-Efrayimi waba phambi kukaManase.
21U-Israyeli wayesethi kuJosefa: “Sengizokufa, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzokuba nani, aniphindisele ezweni lokhokho benu. 22Wena-ke ngikwabela okuthe xaxa kunabafowenu; ingxenye engayithatha ezandleni zama-Amori ngenkemba nangomnsalo wami.”
