UJakopo ubusisa amadodana kaJosefa
1Isikhatjhana ngemva kwalokho uJosefa wabikelwa bonyana uyise uyagula. Wakhamba namadodanakhe uManase no-Efrayimu bayokubona uyise. 2Lokha uJakopo nakatjelwa bonyana indodanakhe uJosefa ize ukuzombona, waziqinisa, wavuka wahlala embhedeni.
3UJakopo wathi kuJosefa: “UZimu oSabekako waziveza kimi eLuzi enarheni yeKanana, wangibusisa 4wathi kimi, ‘Ngizokwenza ubelethe ngikwandise kuvele iinkoro ngeenkoro kuwe. Ngizokupha iinzukulwana zakho emva kwakho inarha le kube lilifa lazo lanini nanini.’ 5Nje-ke amadodanakho owabelethele eGibhidapha ngaphambi kobana ngize kuwe azakuthathwa bonyana ngewami. U-Efrayimu noManase bazakuba madodanami njengombana uRubeni noSimiyoni bangebami. 6Abanye-ke abantwana ababelethwe ngemva kwabo ngibo abazakuba ngebakho kodwana bazakudla ilifa kanye nabantwana baka-Efrayimu noManase. 7Bengithanda bonyana kube njalo ngombana unyoko uRarheli ngambulunga eKanana. Ngehlelwa lisizi lokha nakangitjhiya ngisendleleni kudanyana ne-Efrata. Ngambeka khonapho eqadi kwendlela eya e-Efrata.” (I-Efrata namhlanje kuthiwa yiBhethe-Lehema.)
8Yeke u-Israyeli wabuza uJosefa wathi: “Bobani-ke okhamba nababa?”
Watjho lokho ngombana waphosa amehlwakhe emadodaneni kaJosefa.
9UJosefa wathi kuyise: “Madodanami uZimu angiphe wona enarheni le.”
U-Israyeli wathi: “Balethapha ngibabusise.”
10U-Israyeli bekangasaboni ngombana amehlwakhe gade sele afiphele ngebanga lokuluphala. UJosefa wabandameza amadodanakhe kuyise, yena wawancwanga emhlathini wawagona.
11U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Besele ngahloboka bonyana ngingabuye ngikubone godu. Nokho uZimu ungivumele bonyana ngibone nabantwabakho.”
12UJosefa wasusa amadodanakhe egade ajame emadolweni kayise, wahloma ihloko phasi phambi kwakhe. 13Wawathatha womabili, u-Efrayimu waba ngesidleni sakhe bonyana abe ngesinceleni saka-Israyeli, kwathi uManase waba ngesinceleni sakhe bonyana abe ngesidleni saka-Israyeli. Wawatjhideza ku-Israyeli ngaleyondlela. 14Kodwana u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokudla wasibeka ehloko ka-Efrayimu phezu kobana gade angomncani, waphambanisa izandla zakhe wabeka sekhohlo ehloko kaManase phezu kobana uManase bekalizibulo.
15-16Wabusisa uJosefa wathi:
“Abobaba u-Abrahamu no-Isaka gade batjhidelene noZimu.
UZimu waba ngumelusami ipilwami yoke bekube gadesi
nengilozakhe yangisindisa kizo zoke iingozi.
Inga uZimethu angabusisa abasanaba
ukuze ngabo kungakhohlwakali ibizo lami
namabizo wabobaba u-Abrahamu no-Isaka,
godu bande khulu ephasinapha.”
17Lokha uJosefa nakabona uyise abeka isandla sakhe sokudla ehloko ka-Efrayimu wadana. Wabamba isandla sakayise ukuze asisuse ehloko ka-Efrayimu asise kweyakaManase. 18Wathi kuyise: “Awa baba, olizibulo ngilo; ubaba akabeke isandla sakhe sokudla ehlokwakhe.”
19Kodwana uyise wala wathi: “Ngiyazi ndodanami, ngikwazi kuhle lokho. Naye uzakuba sisizwe. Nokho umfowabo omncani uzakuba ngaphezu kwakhe, neenzukulwana zakhe zizakuba zizizwe ezinengi.” 20Wababusisa mhlokho wathi: “Ngani u-Israyeli uzakutjho amezwi lawa nakabusisako athi, ‘Inga uZimu angakwenza ube njengo-Efrayimu noManase.’ ” Ngaleyondlela wabeka u-Efrayimu ngaphambi kwakaManase.
21U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Sengiyahlongakala, kodwana uZimu uzakuba nani anibuyisele enarheni yaboyihlomkhulu. 22Wena-ke Josefa, mina ngikunikela okukhethekileko nokungehla kokwabafowenu okulihlangothi elilodwa lentaba engayithatha kuma-Amori ngesabula nangomsebe wami.”
