Abantakwabo-Josefu baya kuthenga ingqolowa eJiputa
1UYakobi akuva ukuba iyafumaneka ingqolowa eJiputa, uthe koonyana bakhe: “Kutheni ninyabile nje? 2Ndivile mna ukuba iyafumaneka eJiputa ingqolowa. Yiyani kuyithenga khona, singafi yindlala.” 3Banduluka ke abakhuluwa bakaJosefu abalishumi ukuya kuthenga ingqolowa eJiputa. 4Kodwa uYakobi akazange amthume kunye nabo uBhenjamin umninawa kaJosefu, kuba esoyika hleze ahlelwe yinto.
5Oonyana bakaSirayeli bagaleleka kunye nabanye abathengi, kuba kwakukho indlala kulo lonke eKanana. 6UJosefu, umphathiswa waseJiputa, wayethengisela abantu beendawo ngeendawo ingqolowa. Bafika ke nabantakwabo, bakhahlela bequbuda ngobuso emhlabeni. 7Wathi akubabona abantakwabo uJosefu, wabanakana kwangoko, kodwa wazenza ongabaziyo. Wababuza rhabaxa wathi: “Nivela phi?”
Bona bathi: “Sivela eKanana. Size kuthenga ukutya.”
8Ngalo lonke eli xesha uJosefu wayebazi abantakwabo, kodwa bona babengamazi. 9Wakhumbula nalaa maphupha wayewaphupha ngabo, wathi kubo: “Nina niziimpimpi! Nizele nje ukuza kuhlola iindawo ezibuthathaka kwilizwe lethu.”
10Bathe bona: “Hayi, nkosi, thina sizizicaka zakho nje ezize kuthenga ukutya. 11Singoonyana bomntu omnye sonke. Asizizo konke iimpimpi, mhlekazi. Singamadoda anyanisekileyo.”
12Uthe uJosefu: “Hayi bo, andivumi! Ndithi kuni nina nize kuhlola eli lizwe lethu.”
13Bathe bona: “Mhlekazi, thina kutata singamadoda alishumi linambini. Simi kwilizwe laseKanana. Omnye umntakwethu akasekho; untondo yena usele nexhego ekhaya.”
14“Benditshilo, niziimpimpi nina!” utshilo uJosefu. 15“Niyabona ke, ndiza kunivavanya ngolu hlobo: ndifung' ukumkani, anisayi kube nimke apha kude kuze loo mninawa wenu. 16Omnye wenu uza kuya kumphuthuma. Bonke abanye aba baza kuvalelwa elugcinweni, kude kuvele inyaniso yale nto niyithethayo. Ndifung' ukumkani, mna ndithi niziimpimpi nina.” 17Uthe ke mabavalelwe entolongweni iintsuku ezintathu.
18Ngolwesithathu usuku uJosefu wathi kubo: “Ndingumntu omoyikayo uThixo. Ke ndiza kunisindisa, kodwa phantsi kwalo mqathango: 19Ukuze ndiqonde ukuba ninyanisile omnye wenu uza kuhlala apha kule ntolongo benigcinwe kuyo, abanye bona bagoduke nengqolowa le niyithengileyo, bayise kuloo mawenu alambileyo. 20Kodwa kufuneka nimzise apha kum loo mninawa wenu yena. Loo nto iya kundibonisa ukuba beninyanisile, ndinganibulali ke.”
Bavuma, 21kambe bethetha bodwa besithi: “Kunje-nje-nje kungenxa yento esayenza kumninawa wethu uJosefu. Asizange simhoye esibongoza ukuba simncede kwimbandezelo awayekuyo. Yiyo loo nto nathi sibandezelekile nje.”
22Uthe uRubhen: “Ndandingatshongo kuni ukuba ningayenzakalisi laa ntwana? Ke nina aneva. Nasi ke ngoku isiphumo: igazi lakhe liyathetha.” 23UJosefu wayeyiva into ababeyithetha, nto nje bona babengayazi loo nto, kuba yena wayethetha nabo ngetoliki. 24Wee guququ uJosefu, wakha walila. Uthe akuba nako ukuthetha kwakhona, walatha uSimon, wathi makabotshwe bejongile.
Abakhuluwa bakaJosefu babuyela eKanana
25Wathi uJosefu mazizaliswe ngengqolowa iingxowa zabantakwabo, kufakwe nemali yomntu ngamnye engxoweni yakhe, banikwe nomphako wendlela. Yenziwa yonke loo nto. 26Abakhuluwa bakhe bazilayisha ezimbongolweni iingxowa zabo, banduluka. 27Kwindawo ababekhulule kuyo ukuchitha ubusuku, omnye kubo wayivula ingxowa yakhe, eza kupha idonki yakhe ukutya, wafika imali ibekwe ngaphezulu. 28Ubhekise kubantakwabo wathi: “Imali yam ibuyisiwe; nantsi engxoweni!”
Bothuka kakhulu, bangcangcazela, bathi: “Yintoni le uThixo asenza yona!”
29Bakufika kuyise eKanana, bambalisela konke okwabehlelayo, besithi: 30“Laa mphathiswa waseJiputa wathetha rhabaxa nathi, esithi siziimpimpi ezaziye kuhlola ilizwe labo. 31Samphedula sathi: ‘Asizizo konke iimpimpi, koko singamadoda anyanisekileyo. 32Singoonyana bomntu omnye abalishumi elinambini bebonke. Nto nje omnye akasekho; yena untondo usele noyise eKanana.’ ”
33Baqokela bathi kuyise: “Yathi loo ndoda iphetheyo ukuphendula: ‘Ukuze ndiqonde ukunyaniseka kwenu, makasale abe mnye, bagoduke abanye, baphathele amawenu alambayo ukutya. 34Kodwa ze nize nomninawa wenu kum. Nantso ke into eya kwenza ndiqonde ukuba ngenene anizizo iimpimpi. Ndomkhulula umntakwenu, nani namkeleke kweli lizwe.’ ”
35Bathi bakuzivula iingxowa zabo, bonke ngabanye bafumana kukho imali ezingxoweni. Bothuka, noyise wothuka. 36Wathi kubo uYakobi: “Kutheni ngathi nifuna ndilahlekelwe ngabantwana bam bonke nje? Waya ngaphi uJosefu; ephi yena uSimon? Ngoku nifuna uBhenjamin! Kuyo yonke loo nto ndim obulalekayo.”
37URubhen uthe kuyise: “Ukuba andibuyanga noBhenjamin, uze ubabulale bobabini oonyana bam. Myeke ahambe nam; ndiza kubuya naye.”
38Wala uYakobi, esithi: “Hayi, akanako ukuhamba nani umntwanam. Umntakwabo wasweleka; selinguye yedwa ngoku oseleyo. Usenokuhlelwa yinto endleleni. Noko sendaluphele ngoku; ingandibulala loo nto.”
