1Ngako-ke Josefa wahamba wayawubikela Faro, watsi: “Babe, nabomnaketfu, netimvu tabo, netinkhomo tabo, nako konkhe labanako sebefikile baphuma eKhenani, sebaseGosheni.” 2Emkhatsini wabomnakabo wakhetsa baba sihlanu wayawubetfula kuFaro. 3Inkhosi Faro yababuta yatsi: “Yini umsebenti wenu?”
Bamphendvula batsi: “Sibelusi, njengobe nabobabe babengibo. 4Sitfutsele kulelive, ngobe eKhenani indlala seyibhoke kangangobe sekuze kuphele nemadlelo alemfuyo yetfu. Siyakucela kutsi mane usivumele sikhosele eGosheni.”
5Faro wakhuluma kuJosefa watsi: “Uyihlo nabomnakenu bete kuwe. 6Lonkhe lelive laseGibhithe lisetandleni takho. Babeke bakhe endzaweni lencono kakhulu, abakhe eGosheni. Nakukhona labanelikhono lekwelusa emkhatsini wabo, babeke babe tindvuna tebelusi bemfuyo yami.”
7Josefa wabe sewungenisa Jakobe, uyise, wametfula kuFaro. Jakobe wakhulekela kuFaro amfisela tibusiso. 8Faro wabuta Jakobe watsi: “Sewuneminyaka lemingakhi budzala?”
9Jakobe wamphendvula watsi: “Iminyaka yami yekuzulazula seyili-130. Leminyaka lembalwa inebulukhuni emphilweni yami. Noko ngisengakabi mdzala ngefika eminyakeni yabokhokho ekuzulazuleni kwabo.” 10Jakobe wase ubusisa Faro, wavalelisa, waphuma. 11Josefa wabeka uyise nabomnakabo wabakhela eveni lelincono laseGibhithe, endzaweni levundze kakhulu, eceleni kwelidolobha laka-Ramsesi, njengobe abeyalwe nguFaro. 12Josefa wapha uyise kudla, wapha nabomnakabo, nemndeni weyise; kwaya ngebunyenti babo.
Kuphatsa kwaJosefa ngesikhatsi sendlala
13Kudla kwaphela yonkhe indzawo; ngobe indlala yase ibhoke kakhulu eveni laseGibhithe nelaseKhenani, ngako-ke bantfu balamba. 14Josefa wase ubutsela ndzawonye yonkhe lemali leyayingene ngekutsengiswa kwekudla eveni laseGibhithe nelaseKhenani. Yonkhe lemali wayiletsa endlini yaFaro. 15Yatsi kube iphele yonkhe imali eveni laseGibhithe nelaseKhenani, onkhe emaGibhithe eta kuJosefa afike atsi: “Siphe kudla! Ungasiyekela nje kodvwa sibulawe yindlala embikwakho? Yonkhe imali yetfu seyiphelile.”
16Josefa wabaphendvula watsi: “Letsani tinkhomo tenu, nitsenge ngato, ngitaninika-ke kudla, nangabe imali yenu seyiphelile.” 17Ngako-ke baletsa tinkhomo tabo batinika Josefa, batsenga ngato. Josefa wabanika kudla bonkhe labeta kutawushintjisa ngemahhashi, nangetimvu, nangetimbuti, nangetinkhomo, nangetimbongolo. Wonkhe lowo mnyaka waphela seloku abanika kudla ngekutsi bakuntjintjise ngetifuyo.
18Watsi kube uphele lowo mnyaka, beta kuye ekucaleni kwemnyaka lolandzelako, bafike batsi: “Singeke sikufihle loku, nkhosi, kutsi imali yetfu yonkhe seyiphelile, nekutsi imfuyo yetfu ngeyakho. Kute lesingabe sisakunika kona manje, ngaphandle kwemitimba yetfu nemasimi etfu. 19Utasiyekela nje sibulawe yindlala embikwakho tsine nelive letfu? Sitsengisele kudla ngatsi nangemasimi etfu. Tsine nelive letfu sitawuba tigcili taFaro. Siphe kudla kuze siphunge indlala, singafi; usiphe nenhlanyelo sitewuhlanyela emasimini etfu.”
20Ngako-ke Josefa walitsenga lonkhe live laseGibhithe, ngobe onkhe emaGibhithe atsengisa ngawo onkhe emasimi awo, ngenca yekubhokelwa yindlala. Live lonkhe laba laFaro. 21Bonkhe bantfu baba tigcili taFaro kusukela ngale kwelive kuze kubesekugcineni ngale kwelive laseGibhithe. 22Live langalitsenganga kwaba lebaphristi kuphela; ngobe baphristi babephila ngesabelo sekudla lababesinikwa nguFaro. Ngako-ke abalitsengisanga live labo. 23Josefa wase ukhuluma kubantfu watsi: “Lalelani-ke, kusukela lamuhla nine nelive lenu senginitsengele Faro. Nansi-ke inhlanyelo yenu, hlanyelani emasimini. 24Nanivunako, incenye yesihlanu yesivuno nitawuyetfula kuFaro, bese kutsi tincenye letine esihlanwini tibe tenu netemindeni yenu.”
25Bamphendvula batsi: “Utisindzisile timphilo tetfu. Usiphetse ngesandla lesihle, nkhosi. Sitaba tigcili taFaro.” 26Ngako-ke Josefa wakwenta kwaba ngumtsetfo lomile welive laseGibhithe, kuze kube ngulamuhla, kutsi Faro anikwe incenye yesihlanu yesivuno. Live lebaphristi lodvwa lelasala langete ladliwa nguFaro.
Sicelo saJakobe sekugcina
27Ngako ema-Israyeli ahlala eGibhithe akha eveni laseGosheni; achuma, anotsa, andza kakhulu. 28Jakobe wahlala eveni laseGibhithe iminyaka leli-17. Iminyaka yekuphila kwaJakobe yaba li-147. 29 Watsi nasatakufa, wabita indvodzana yakhe Josefa, watsi kuyo: “Nangemukeleka kuwe, beka sandla sakho ngaphansi kwelitsanga lami, wetsembise ngesifungo kimi kutsi ungeke ungingcwabe lapha eGibhithe. 30Ngifuna kungcwatjwa lapho kwangcwatjwa khona bobabe. Ubongetfwala, ungikhiphe eGibhithe ngiyekungcwatjwa lapho kwangcwatjwa khona bobabe.”
Josefa wamphendvula watsi: “Ngiyawukwenta loko njengobe ushito.”
31Jakobe wase utsi: “Funga kimi kutsi uyawukwenta loko.” Wafunga kuye. Israyeli wabonga akhotsama embhedzeni wakhe.
