UJosefu wazisa amawabo kukumkani
1UJosefu ke waya kumbikela ukumkani, wathi: “Ubawo ufikile; uze nabo bonke abantakwethu, evela eKanana. Uze nako konke okwakhe, yaye nanko elinde eGoshen.”
2UJosefu uthathe abahlanu kubakhuluwa bakhe, wabasa kukumkani. 3Ukumkani wababuza wathi: “Msebenzi mni na eniwenzayo?”
Bathe bona: “Thina zicaka zakho singamathanda-mfuyo, mhlekazi, kanye njengookhokho bethu.” 4Baza bathi: “Imbangi yokufudukela kwethu eJiputa yimbalela eyatsho angumqwebedu amadlelo eKanana. Ngako oko izicaka zakho ziyacela ukuba uzivumele zime apha eGoshen.”
5Ukumkani ubhekise kuJosefu wathi: “Uyihlo nabantakwenu 6beseJiputa nje, bakowabo; bangahlala apho eGoshen, eyona ndawo inomhlaba otyebileyo. Ukuba kukho amadoda angamachule phakati kwenu, uzuwenze abelusi bemihlambi yam.”
7UJosefu ke weza noyise, wamazisa kukumkani, waza uYakobi wamthamsanqelisa ukumkani. 8Ukumkani wabuza wathi: “Umdala kangakanani na?”
9Uthe uYakobi: “Ubomi bam ndihamba-hamba kulo mhlaba bube yiminyaka elikhulu limashumi mathathu. Loo minyaka imbàlwa ibiyiminyaka enzima, engafaniyo neminyaka emininzi ababengabahambi ngayo kulo mhlaba ookhokho.” 10UYakobi ubuye wamthamsanqelisa ukumkani, waza ke wemka.
11UJosefu ke wabakhethela indawo etyebileyo ooyise nabantakwabo phaya ngakulaa dolophu iRamesi njengokutsho kukakumkani. 12Wabazisela ukutya uJosefu xa bebonke ngokwenani labantwana babo: uyise, abantakwabo, nayo yonke intsapho.
Indlala
13Yaligqugqisa indlala, kwaphela ukutya, bafa yindlala abantu baseJiputa naseKanana. 14-15UJosefu wayeyiqokelela yonke imali ekwakuthengwa ngayo ingqolowa, ayise ebhotwe. Yaphela yonke imali eJiputa naseKanana. AmaJiputa ayesiya kuJosefu athi: “Siphe ukutya. Ungathini ukusiyeka sife yindlala, sibe singenayo nemali?”
16UJosefu wayesithi: “Yizani nemfuyo yenu, nananise ngayo xa imali yenu iphelile.” 17Babeyisa ke imfuyo yabo kuJosefu, aze yena abanike ingqolowa endaweni yamahashe, neegusha, neebokhwe, neenkomo, kunye needonki. Kuloo nyaka wabanceda ngokutya, bona besananisa ngayo yonke imfuyo yabo.
18Kunyaka olandelayo baya kuye bathi: “Sitsho phandle, mhlekazi, ukuthi imali yethu iphelile, nemfuyo yethu iphelele kuwe, yaye asinanto ngaphandle kweziqu zethu namasimi ethu. 19Singathini ukutshabalala ujongile, mhlekazi, thina namasimi ethu? Sananisa ngeziqu zethu namasimi ethu ukuze sifumane ukutya. Njalo ke thina namasimi ethu soba ngabakakumkani. Sinike ingqolowa ukuze sitye siphile, sibe nembewu yokuhlwayela.”
20UJosefu wawathenga ke onke amasimi aseJiputa aba ngakakumkani. UmJiputa wonke wathengisa ngentsimi yakhe ngenxa yendlala, aba ke ngakakumkani onke loo masimi abo. 21Bonke abemi baseJiputa wabenza izicaka uJosefu kulo lonke elo. 22Ngumhlaba wababingeleli kuphela angazange awuthenge. Bona kwakungekho mfuneko yokuba bawuthengise owabo umhlaba, kuba babefumana inkxaso eyaneleyo ngokommiselo kakumkani.
23UJosefu wathi ebantwini: “Ngoku ningabakakumkani, kuba ndinithengile kunye namasimi enu. Nantsi ke imbewu; yiyani kulima. 24Ngexesha lokuvuna ze ninikele isihlanu sesivuno senu kukumkani. Okuseleyo ze nikusebenzisele imbewu nokutya kokondla iintsapho zenu.”
25Bathe ke bona: “Mhlekazi, usincedile, wasisindisa ekufeni; siya kumsebenzela ukumkani.” 26Wawisa umthetho uJosefu wokuba isihlanu sesivuno eJiputa sibe sesikakumkani. Loo mthetho usekho unanamhla oku. Ngamasimi ababingeleli angazange abe ngakakumkani.
UYakobi uyolela ngamathambo akhe
27AmaSirayeli ayemi eGoshen eJiputa. Apho aba nendyebo, anda kakhulu. 28Wahlala apho eJiputa uYakobi, wada wanekhulu linamashumi mane anesixhenxe eminyaka, selegqibe ishumi linesixhenxe leminyaka eJiputa. 29Kuthe xa seleza kubhubha, uSirayeli wabiza uJosefu unyana wakhe, wathi kuye: “Ukuba uyandithanda beka isandla sakho phantsi kwethanga lam ufunge ukuba akusayi kundingcwabela eJiputa. 30Uze undithwale uye kundingcwabela apho bangcwatywe khona ookhokho bam.”
Wathi uJosefu: “Ndiya kwenjenjalo.”
31Wathi uSirayeli: “Funga.” Wafunga uJosefu, waza uSirayeli wanqula uThixo ebambelele kumsimelelo wakhe.
