Impatheko-mbi yamaSirayeli eJiputa
1Nanga amagama oonyana bakaSirayeli abâfuduka kunye naye baya eJiputa nezindlu zabo: 2uRubhen, uSimon, uLevi, noJuda; 3uIsakare, uZebhulon, noBhenjamin; 4uDan, uNafetali, uGadi, noAshere. 5Bebonke abayinzala kaYakobi babengamashumi asixhenxe. Kaloku yena uJosefu wayeseleseJiputa kakade. 6Ekuhambeni kwexesha wafa uJosefu nabantakwabo, naso sonke eso sizukulwana. 7Kambe ke yona inzala yabo, amaSirayeli, yaqhama yanda kakhulu. Ewe, yanda yaphinda-phindana, yakhula nangamanani, futhi iluqilima, yada yalizalisa elaseJiputa.
8Ke kaloku kwavela kumkani wumbi owayengazi nto ngoJosefu, wangumlawuli kwelaseJiputa. 9Wabhekisa kubantu bakhe, wathi: “Niyawabona na ukwanda kwawo la maSirayeli, niqonda na ukuba aluqilima? 10Ngoko ke masihlale sivundlile, hleze athi akwanda ngaphezu koku adibane neentshaba zethu ngexesha lemfazwe, asihlasele, afumane ithuba lokubaleka emke kweli lizwe.” 11Ngoko ke, ukuwaphul' iimpondo amaSirayeli, amaJiputa awamisela iinduna, khon' ukuze asetyenziswe nzima. Zakhiwa ngolu hlobo ke izixeko zokumkani, iPitom neRamesi, ezazingoovimba. 12Kambe ke, okukhona bawatshutshisayo amaSirayeli, yaba kokukhona andayo, alizalisa lonke ilizwe. Le meko ke yawenza ahlala exhaleni elingathethekiyo amaJiputa ngenxa yamaSirayeli. 13-14Ngoku ke aphatheka kabuhlungu amaSirayeli, akhohlakalelwa, enziwa amakhoboka ngamaJiputa. Latsho laxubayela ke ngakumaSirayeli, kuba asetyenziswa ekwenzeni izitena, nasemasimini, nakuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima. Aye ke ebhexeshwa kungekho lusini tu!
15Ukumkani waseJiputa wathetha noShifra noPuwa ababelekisi bamaHebhere, wathi: 16“Xa ninceda amaHebherekazi, aze afumane abantwana abangamakhwenkwe, babulaleni; kanti ke ningabayeka abangamantombazana baphile.” 17Kodwa ke ababelekisi abo yayingabafazi abamoyikayo uThixo. Basuka bawaphula umyalelo kakumkani, àbawabulala amakhwenkwe lawo. 18Ukumkani ke wababiza ababelekisi abo, wababuza wathi: “Ngani ukuba nibayeke abantwana bamaHebhere abangamakhwenkwe ningababulali?”
19Ababelekisi baphendula bathi: “AmaHebherekazi akafani namaJiputakazi; wona akufikelwa yinimba abeleka lula, singekafiki nokufika thina.” 20-21Ngenxa yokuba ababelekisi bemoyika uThixo, uThixo wabavuza ngeentsapho. Ke wona amaSirayeli aya esanda ngokwanda, aba luqilima. 22Ekugqibeleni ke ukumkani wayalela bonke abantu bakhe wathi zonke iintsana ezingamakhwenkwe zamaHebhere maziphoswe emlanjeni iNayile, ke zona ezingamantombazana ziyekwe.
