Abafowabo BakaJosefa Baphindela EGibhithe
1Indlala yayisalokhu idlangile ezweni. 2Kuthe sekuphelile okusanhlamvu ababekade bekulande eGibhithe, uyise wathi kubo: “Phindelani niyosithengela okunye ukudla.”
3UJuda wathi kuye: “Lowaya muntu waseGibhithe wafunga wagomela, wathi: ‘Ngeke nibubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuba nibuye nomfowenu.’ 4Uma umthumela nathi, siyakwehla sithenge ukudla. 5Kepha uma ungamdedeli ahambe, nathi asiyi ndawo, ngoba lowaya muntu wasidonsa ngendlebe, wathi: ‘Ngeke nibubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuba nibuye nomfowenu.’ ”
6U-Israyeli wababuza wathi: “Nibenzeleni lobu bubi kimi bokutshela lowo muntu ukuthi ninomunye umfowenu na?”
7Bathi: “Lowaya muntu wasibuza wasiphenya nangezihlobo zethu, ethi: ‘Uyihlo usaphila yini na? Ninaye yini omunye umfowenu na?’ Thina samphendula, samtshela konke ayefuna ukukwazi. Sasingazi ukuthi angathi: ‘Lethani umfowenu.’ ”
8UJuda wathi kuyise u-Israyeli: “Mdedele umfana ahambe nami, ukuze sivuke sihambe, yikhona thina sonke sizophila; singafi, thina nabantwana bethu. 9Mina luqobo ngiyakuba yisibambiso sakhe; uyakumfuna kimi, uma ngingambuyisi ngimbeke phambi kwakho, lokho kuyakuba yicala lami imihla yonke yokuphila kwami, 10ngokuba uma besingabambezelekanga ngabe sesibuyele kabili.”
11Uyise u-Israyeli wathi kubo: “Uma kunjalo, yenzani lokhu: thathani okwekhethelo okuvela emhlabathini lapha, nikufake emasakeni enu, nifike nikuphe lowo muntu: ingcosana yebhalisamu, uju, amakha, inhlaka, amantongomane, nama-alimondi, 12niphathe imali ephindwe kabili, nibuyisele leyo mali eyayifakwe emilonyeni yamasaka enu, kungenzeka ukuthi yayingene ngephutha. 13Thathani umfowenu, nivuke, niphindele kulowo muntu. 14Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla anganenzela umusa phambi kwalowo muntu, akhulule umfowenu noBhenjamini; uma ngingafelwa ngabantwana bami, ngobe ngifile kwamina.”
15Amadoda ayesethatha isipho, nemali ephindwe kabili, noBhenjamini, asuka ehlela eGibhithe, aziveza kuJosefa. 16Kwathi ukuba uJosefa ambone uBhenjamini enabo, wathi enduneni eyayengamele indlu yakhe: “Ngenisa lawa madoda endlini, uhlabe, ulungise, ngokuba azodla nami emini.”
17Indoda yenza njengoba uJosefa eshilo, yabangenisa endlini yakhe. 18Bafikelwa yingebhe lapho bebona ukuthi bangeniswe endlini kaJosefa, bathi: “Kungenxa yemali eyabuyiselwa emasakeni ethu ekuqaleni, ngakho-ke silethwe kule ndawo ukuze asizume, asithathe asenze izigqila, aqhwage nezimbongolo zethu.”
19Base beya enduneni eyayiphethe endlini kaJosefa eyayingasemnyango, bakhuluma nayo, 20bathi: “Mnumzane, sicela uxolo. Safika lapha ekuqaleni sizothenga ukudla. 21Kuthe lapho sesifike endlini yezihambi, sathi sivula amasaka ethu, kwaba yilowo nalowo wakhangwa yimali isemlonyeni wesaka lakhe, iphelele njengoba sasiyikhokhile, kodwa nansi ezandleni zethu siyibuyisile. 22Sibuye saphatha nenye ukuze sithenge ngayo ukudla, ngokuba asazi ukuthi ngubani owafaka imali yethu emasakeni ethu.”
23Yathi kubo: “Khululekani, ningesabi. UNkulunkulu wenu, uNkulunkulu kayihlo waninika umcebo emasakeni enu. Imali enathenga ngayo ngayithola.”
Yayisimkhipha ejele uSimeyoni, yamletha kubo.
24Induna yayisiwangenisa lawo madoda endlini kaJosefa, yawanika amanzi ukuze ageze izinyawo, yanika nezimbongolo zawo ifolishi. 25Ayeselungisa isipho, alungela ukufika kukaJosefa emini, ngoba ayezwile ukuthi azodla lapho. 26Kwathi lapho uJosefa efika ekhaya, amadoda ethula isipho ayefike naso, aguqa ayesethi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini. 27Wawabuza impilo wathi: “Iphila kanjani indoda endala enguyihlo enangitshela ngayo na? Isawadla yini anhlamvana na?”
28Bathi: “Inceku yakho ubaba ukhona, usaphila.”
Baphinda bamkhothamela, bamkhulekela.
29Waphakamisa amehlo, wabona umfowabo uBhenjamini, abashiyelana naye ibele, wathi: “Nguye lo umfowenu omncane enangitshela ngaye na?”
Wathi kuBhenjamini: “Sengathi uNkulunkulu angaba nomusa kuwe ndodana yami.”
30UJosefa wathinteka kakhulu enhliziyweni yakhe lapho ebona umnawakhe, waphuma masinyane, wafuna indawo lapho angase akhale khona. Waya endlini yakhe, wakhala lapho. 31Wageza ubuso, waphuma, waziqinisa wathi: “Phakani ukudla.”
32Bamphakela yedwa, base bebaphakela nabo kanjalo, nabaseGibhithe ababedla naye babaphakela ngokwabo, lokhu abaseGibhithe babengeke badle namaHebheru, ngokuba kwakuyisinengiso kubo. 33Bahlaliswa phambi kwakhe ngokwelamana kwabo, izibulo ngobuzibulo balo, nomncane ngobuncane bakhe; abafowabo babhekana ngokumangala. 34Baphakelwa izabelo zabo etafuleni likaJosefa, kodwa esikaBhenjamini sasiphindwe kahlanu kunezabanye. Baphuza, bathokoza naye.
