1UJosefu waziphosa phezu koyise ekhala, wamanga. 2Emva koko wayalela oogqirha ukuba bawuqhole umzimba kayise, ukuze ungonakali. Benjenjalo ke, bamqhola uSirayeli, 3yaza loo nto yathatha amashumi amane eentsuku ukwenziwa. Kambe ke lixesha eliqhelekileyo laloo nto elo. AmaJiputa amzilela amashumi asixhenxe eentsuku uYakobi.
4Lakuba lidlule ilixa lenzila, uJosefu wanikela oomaqhuzu bakomkhulu umyalezo oya kukumkani. 5Wathi maze bathi kukumkani: “Xa wayeza kubhubha ubawo wayalela mna Josefu, endifungisa ukuba maze ndimngcwabe kwingcwaba awazilungiselela lona eKanana.” Wathi makancede ke ukumkani amvumele aye kungcwaba uyise, uya kubuya abuye.
6Ukumkani wathi kuJosefu: “Hamba uye kungcwaba uyihlo njengoko wawumthembisile ngesifungo.”
7Wahamba uJosefu ukuya kungcwaba uyise. Waphelekwa ngoomaqhuzu basebhotwe, amaphakathi, nabo bonke abantu abaphambili kubemi baseJiputa. 8Kwahamba usapho lwakhe, abantakwabo, kwakunye nomzi kayise wonke. Kwasala abantwana kuphela eGoshen kunye nemfuyo yabo. 9Kwakuziinqwelo zamahashe, kunye nabakhwele amahashe, isisihlwele.
10Bathi bakufika kwisanda sika-Atadi kufuphi neJordan, batsho ngesijwili esikrakra ithuba elide. Apho uJosefu wachitha iintsuku ezisixhenxe ezilile. 11Abantu baseKanana, bakubabona bezilile kwisanda sika-Atadi, bayincoma inkqubo ezukileyo yenzila eyayisenziwa ngamaJiputa. Yiyo ke loo nto loo ndawo kwathiwa igama layo yiAbheli-mizerayim.
12Benjenjalo ke oonyana bakaYakobi ukuthobela umyolelo kayise. 13Bawuthwala umzimba wakhe, bawusa eKanana, bafika bawungcwaba kumqolomba owawuseMakapela, ngasempuma yeMamre, kulaa mhlaba uAbraham wawuthenga kuEfron umHeti, ube yindawo yokungcwabela. 14Akuba emngcwabile uyise, uJosefu wabuyela eJiputa, kunye nabantakwabo kwakunye naloo nginginya yayimkhaphile.
UJosefu uthomalalisa ixhala labantakwabo
15Emva kokubhubha kukayise abantakwabo-Josefu baphathwa lixhala lokuba hleze kuthi kanti uJosefu usababambe isixhiba ngento embi abamenza yona. 16-17Bathumela isigidimi ke kuJosefu ukuba sise umlomo othi: “Ubawo wathi ze sithi kuwe, Josefu, uze usixolele ngesenzo esakwenza sona. Sixolele ke ngoko, thina zicaka zikaThixo kabawo.”
Zehla iinyembezi kuJosefu akuwuva loo mlomo. 18Bathi ke, abantakwabo beze buqu, bafika bakhahlela, bathi: “Thina sizizicaka zakho.”
19Suka uJosefu wathi: “Musani ukuxhala, andingoThixo mna. 20Ewe, nanizimisele ukundenzakalisa, kodwa uThixo yena walijika elo yelenqe labubuhle, khon' ukuze kusinde abantu abaninzi abaphilayo ngoku ngenxa yeso senzo senu.” 21Watsho esithi: “Musani ukoyika, ndiza kunigcina nina kunye nabantwana benu.” Wabathuthuzela ngamazwi atsho laphela ixhala.
Ukufa kukaJosefu
22UJosefu wahlala eJiputa kunye nosapho lukayise, wada wabhubha enekhulu lineshumi leminyaka. 23Wahlala wada wabona nabantwana bakaEfrayim kwakunye nabantwana babo. Wahlala wada nabantwana bakaMakire unyana kaManase wabangenisa baba yimilowo.
24Wayolela kubantakwabo uJosefu wathi: “Sendiza kubhubha, kodwa yena uThixo uza kunigcina ade anikhuphe kweli lizwe, anise kwilizwe awalithembisa oobawo uAbraham noIsake noYakobi.” 25Uthe ke uJosefu abantakwabo mabafunge, wathi: “Mhla uThixo wanisa kwelo lizwe, nize niwathathe amathambo am, nimke nawo.” 26UJosefu ke watshabela eJiputa enekhulu lineshumi leminyaka. Bawuqhola umzimba wakhe, bawufaka emkhumbini apho eJiputa.
