UTobiti 10

₁Ngalesi sikhathi uTobiti wayesebala ukuthi zingaki izinsuku ezidingwa nguTobiyase ukuya nokubuya. Sezedlulile izinsuku engayiboni indodana yakhe ibuya, ₂wathi: “Kungenzeka nje ukuthi uboshiwe na? Noma ukuthi uGabayeli sewafa ngakho-ke akusekho muntu wokumnika imali na?” ₃Wayeseqala ukukhathazeka. ₄Umkakhe u-Anna wathi: “Umntanami ufile kasekho kwabaphilayo.” Wayeseqala ukukhala nokulilela indodana yakhe, ethi: ₅“Maye kimi ngomntanami! ukukhanya kwamehlo ami, ukuba ngikuvumele uthathe lolu hambo.” ₆Kodwa uTobiti waqhubeka ethi kuye: “Thula ungakhathazeki, sithandwa sami; akanalutho umfana. Kungenzeka nje ukuthi okungalindelekile kwenzekile ekuhambeni kwabo. Indoda ehambe naye yethembekile futhi ingomunye wethu. Ungakhali ungamlileli umfana, sithandwa sami; ngokuba uzakufika masinyane.” ₇Wamphendula wathi: “Thula nawe, yeka ukuzama ukungikhohlisa! Umntanami kasekho.” Wayevame ukuphuma nsuku zonke agqolozele indlela umtanakhe ahamba ngayo, akalalelanga muntu. Nxa selishonile ilanga wayebuyela endlini akhale alile ubusuku bonke, angabuthi qothu ubuthongo.

Kwathi lapho seziphelile izinsuku eziyi-14 zokugubha umkhosi womgcagco, ayefungile uRaguweli ukuzigcina ngenxa yendodakazi yakhe, uThobiyase waya kuye wathi: “Ngithumele ekhaya, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi ubaba nomame abakholwa ukuthi bobuye bangibone futhi. Ngiyakuncenga baba ukuba ungivumele ngihambe, ukuze ngibuyele kubaba. Sengikuchazele ukuthi ngamshiya kanjani.” ₈Kodwa uRaguweli wathi kuTobiyase: “Hlala mntanami, hlala nami; ngizakuthumela izithunywa kuyihlo uTobiti ukuba zimazise ngawe.” ₉Kodwa wathi: “Qha! Ngiyakuncenga ukuba ungithumele emuva kubaba.” ₁₀Ngakho-ke uRaguweli washesha wanikeza uThobiyase umkakhe uSara, kanye nengxenye yempahla yakhe: Izisebenzi sesilisa nezesifazane, izinkabi kanye nezimvu, izimbongolo kanye namakameli, impahla, imali kanye nempahla yasendlini. ₁₁Wayesebakhulula ukuba bahambe; Wamgona uThobiyase wathi: “Hamba kahle, mntanami, ndlelanhle. INkosi yezulu ikuphumelelise wena kanye nomkakho uSara, sengathi ngingabona abazukulu ngingakafi.” ₁₂Wayeseyanga indodakazi yakhe uSara wathi kuyo: “Ndodakazi yami, umhloniphe unyokozala, ngoba kusukela manje bangabazali bakho abakuzeleyo. Hamba ngokuthula, ndodakazi, sengathi ngingezwa okuhle ngawe zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwami.” Wayesebavalelisa wabakhulula ukuba bahambe. ₁₃U-Edna wathi kuTobiyase: “Mntanami nomfowethu, sengathi iNkosi ingakuphephisa uze ufike ekhaya, sengathi nami ingangipha impilo ngize ngibone abantwana bakho nendodakazi yami uSara ngingakafi. Phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngiyethula kuwe indodakazi yami. Ungenzi lutho oluyomdabukisa izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwakhe. Hamba ngokuthula, mntanami. Kusukela manje sengingunyokozala, uSara ungudadewenu. Sengathi sonke singaba nenqubekela phambili zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwethu.” Wayesebanga bobabili wabakhulula ukuba bahambe. ₁₄UThobiyase wehlukana noRaguweli ngenjabulo nentokozo, futhi eyidumisa iNkosi yezulu nomhlaba, neyakho konke, ngenxa yokuba yenzile indlela yakhe yaba yimpumelelo. Ngakho-ke wathi kuye: “Uyakubusiswa uma uhlonipha laba bantu izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwabo.”