Amaphupho kaJosefa
1UJakobe wakha ezweni lokugogobala kukayise, ezweni laseKhanani.
2Lokhu kuyindaba kaJakobe. UJosefa eseneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa wawalusa umhlambi kayise enabafowabo; engumfana nje wayekuwo amadodana kaBiliha nakuwo amadodana kaZilipa omkayise; uJosefa waletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngabo.
3Kepha uIsrayeli wathanda uJosefa kakhulu kunabantwana bakhe bonke, ngokuba wayeyindodana yobuxhegu bakhe; wamenzela ingubo enemikhono emide.
4Abafowabo babona ukuthi uyise umthanda kunabafowabo bonke; khona bamzonda, bengenakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.
5UJosefa waphupha iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo; babelokhu bemzonda kakhulu.
6Wathi kubo: Ake nizwe leliphupho engiliphuphileyo.
7Bhekani, besibopha izithungu ensimini; naso-ke isithungu sami sivuka sima; nazo-ke izithungu zenu zisiphahla, zisikhothamela isithungu sami.
8Base bethi kuye abafowabo: Impela uyakuba-yinkosi yethu, usibuse, na? Bamzonda kakhulu kunakuqala ngenxa yamaphupho akhe namazwi akhe.
9Waphupha nelinye iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo, wathi: Bhekani, ngiphuphé nelinye iphupho; bhekani-ke, ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi eziyishumi nanye kwangikhothamela.
10Wabalandisa uyise nabafowabo; uyise wamsola, wathi kuye: Yiphupho lini leli oliphuphileyo na? Impela mina nonyoko nabafowenu siyakuza, sikukhothamele emhlabathini, na?
11Abafowabo baba-nomhawu ngaye, kepha uyise wawalonda lawamazwi.
Ukuthengiswa kukaJosefa
12Abafowabo baya ukwalusa umhlambi kayise eShekemi.
13UIsrayeli wathi kuJosefa: Abafowenu abawalusi umhlambi eShekemi na? Woza, ngiyakukuthuma kubo. Wathi kuye: Ngilapha.
14Wayesethi kuye: Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi basahlezi kahle yini abafowenu nomhlambi, uze ungibuyisele izwi. Wamthuma esuka esigodini saseHebroni, waze wafika eShekemi.
15Umuntu othile wamfumana ezulazula endle; lomuntu wambuza wathi: Ufunani na?
16Wathi: Ngifuna abafowethu; ake ungitshele ukuthi baluselaphi.
17Wathi lowomuntu: Basukile lapha, ngokuba ngabezwa bethi: Asiye eDotayini. UJosefa walandela abafowabo, wabafumana eDotayini.
18Bambona esekude; engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokumbulala.
19Bakhulumisana omunye nomunye, bathi: Bhekani, inyanga yamaphupho iyeza.
20Ngalokho wozani, siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi, besesithi: Isilwane esibi siyidlile, sibone ukuthi azakuba-yini amaphupho ayo.
21URubeni wakuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo ngokuthi: Asingambulali.
22URubeni wathi kubo: Ningachithigazi; mphonseni kulomgodi osehlane, ningabeki isandla kuye, ukuba amophule esandleni sabo, ambuyisele kuyise.
23Kwathi uJosefa esefiké kubafowabo, bamkhumula ingubo yakhe, leyongubo enemikhono emide ayeyigqokile.
24Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini; umgodi wawungenalutho, kungekho-manzi kuwo.
25Bahlala phansi ukuba badle isinkwa; baphakamisa amehlo abo, babona; bheka, kwafika ihele labakwaIshmayeli livela kwaGileyadi, linamakamela alo ethwele inhlaka nebhalisamu* nemure*, likwewusela eGibithe.
26Wayesethi uJuda kubafowabo: Kuyakusizani, uma simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe, na?
27Wozani sithengise ngaye kwabakwaIshmayeli, isandla senu singabi-phezu kwakhe, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu. Abafowabo bamlalela.
28Kwase kudlula abathengi bakwaMidiyani; bamdonsa uJosefa, bamkhuphula emgodini, bathengisa ngoJosefa kwabakwaIshmayeli ngezinhlamvu ezingamashumi amabili zesiliva. Labo-ke bamusa uJosefa eGibithe.
29URubeni wabuyela emgodini; bheka, uJosefa wayengasekho emgodini; waklebhula izingubo zakhe.
30Wayesebuyela kubafowabo, ethi: Akasekho umntwana; mina-ke ngizakushonaphi na?
31Base bethatha ingubo kaJosefa, bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo egazini.
32Bathumela leyongubo enemikhono emide, bayiyisa kuyise, bathi: Siyitholile lena; ake ubone, uma lengubo ingeyendodana yakho yini, noma akusiyo na?
33Wayibona, wathi: Yiyo ingubo yendodana yami; isilwane esibi simdlile; yebo, uJosefa udatshuliwe nokudatshulwa.
34UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wafaka indwangu yamasaka okhalweni lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi.
35Onke amadodana akhe nawo onke amadodakazi akhe asuka ukuyomduduza, kepha wala ukududuzwa, wathi: Ngiyakwehla, ngiye endodaneni yami endaweni yabafileyo ngilila. Uyise wamlilela-ke.
36AbakwaMidiyani bathengisa ngaye eGibithe kuPotifari inceku kaFaro, induna yabalindi bakhe.
