14 – AbantakwaboJosefu baya eJiputa kwakhona

₁Yathath' unyawo yona indlala eKanana. ₂Kuthe kwakuba kuphele ingqolowa kwaYakobi eyayize noonyana bakhe eJiputa, wathi kubo uyise: “Buyani niye kusithengela into etyiwayo.”

₃UJuda wathi: “Laa mfo wasinqonqozisa, esithi akafuni nokusibona oku ukuba asizanga naye uBhenjamin. ₄Asikuya kuthenga kutya thina singahambi naye uBhenjamin. ₅Ukuba ke uyala, nathi asiyi kuya, kuba laa mfo walitsolisa, wathi singaze sivele phambi kwakhe singahambi noBhenjamin.”

₆USirayeli wathi: “Nindenzele ntoni into embi kangaka ngokuxelela laa mfo ukuba ninomnye umninawa?”

₇Bathi: “Laa mfo wayesibuza, esigocagoca ngekhaya lethu, efuna ukwazi ukuba ubawo usaphila na, nokuba ngaba sinaye na omnye umntakwethu. Saza ke thina sayiphendula le mibuzo. Besiya kwazi njani ukuba wayeza kuthi makuziwe noBhenjamin?”

₈UJuda wathi kuyise uSirayeli: “Yithi mayihambe nam le nkwenkwe, sinduluke kwangoku, siye kuthenga ukutya, ukuze thina neentsapho zethu singafi yindlala. ₉Ukuba kukho nto yenzeka kuyo woyibuza apha kum. Ukuba andibuyanga nayo isaphila, ndiya kuthwala ityala bonke ubomi bam. ₁₀Ukuba besingalibazisanga kangaka ngesiye sabuya, nditsho sada saphinda okwesibini.”

₁₁Uyise wathi kubo: “Xa kunjalo ke kulungile, phathani ezona ziphambili izinto ezivela kulo mhlaba, nise kumphathiswa lowo. Thathani intwana yentlaka yokuqhola, ubusi, intlaka emhlope, amakha, neembotyi zepistako, kunye neeamangile. ₁₂Ze niphathe nemali ngokuphindiweyo, kuba kufuneka niyibuyisele leya beniyifumene ezingxoweni zenu. Mhlawumbi yayifakwe ngempazamo. ₁₃Hambani naye ke umntakwenu, niye kuloo ndoda. ₁₄Wanga uThixo uSomandla angayenza mhlophe indlela yenu, ize loo ndoda inenzele inceba, imbuyisele kuni uBhenjamin nalaa mntakwenu useleyo. Ukuba mna kufuneka ndilahlekelwe ngabantwana bam, kulungile.”

₁₅Bazithatha ke izipho oonyana bakhe kunye nemali eyaneleyo, bahamba baya eJiputa kunye noBhenjamin. Bafika bazazisa kuJosefu. ₁₆UJosefu akubabona behamba noBhenjamin, wathi kwisicaka esiyintloko: “La madoda wase endlwini yam. Uze uxhele nokuxhela, khon' ukuze batye nam isidlo sasemini.” ₁₇Senjenjalo ke isicaka ngokomyalelo kaJosefu.

₁₈Ngeli xesha basiwa endlwini babesoyika, besithi: “Sibanjwa ngenxa yemali eyayifakwe ezingxoweni zethu. Uza kusihlasela, asibambe, sibe ngamakhoboka, athimbe needonki zethu.” ₁₉Bathe ke, xa besesemnyango, babhekisa kwisicaka esiphetheyo, bathi: ₂₀“Mhlekazi, bekhe seza kuthenga ukutya apha. ₂₁Sithe sakumisa ngokuhlwa endleleni egodukayo, safumana loo mali besithenge ngayo isesezingxoweni zethu ngaphezulu. Size nayo ke loo mali. ₂₂Siphethe nenye imali yokuthenga ukutya. Asazi ukuba yafakwa ngubani le mali ezingxoweni zethu.”

₂₃“Khululekani, ningoyiki,” sitshilo isicaka. “Kunokuba loo mali yinyhweba evela kuThixo wenu, uThixo kayihlo. Mna ndayifumana intlawulo yenu.” Saza sakhupha uSimon, samzisa kubo.

₂₄Sabangenisa endlwini kaJosefu isicaka. Sabanika amanzi, bahlamba iinyawo. Sapha needonki zabo into etyiwayo. ₂₅Balungiselela ukunika uJosefu izipho ukufika kwakhe ngexesha lesidlo sasemini, kuba babesebexelelwe ukuba uza kutya kunye nabo. ₂₆Akufika basa kuye izipho, bakhahlela, bawa ngobuso emhlabeni. ₂₇Wababuza impilo, waza wathi: “Linjani na ixhego uyihlo enanindixelele ngaye? Usaphila na?”

₂₈Bathi bona: “Mhlekazi, ubawo isicaka sakho, usaphila.” Batsho baguqa bezithoba phambi kwakhe.

₂₉UJosefu uthe akubona uBhenjamin umninawa wakhe: “Ngulo mninawa wenu ke lo benithetha ngaye? Lwanga ufefe lukaThixo lunganawe, mfo wam.”

₃₀UJosefu, esikwa yimfesane kukubona umninawa wakhe, ukhawuleze waphuma, waya kungena egumbini lakhe, kuba wayeseleza kulila. Wafika apho wakhe wagixa.

₃₁Akuba ebuhlambile ubuso, ubuyile, wazibamba, wathi makuphakwe. ₃₂Wayetyela etafileni yakhe yedwa, bona abantakwabo bekweyabo bodwa. NamaJiputa awayelapho ayesitya odwa, kuba kwakungekho sikweni ukutya kunye namaHebhere. ₃₃Oonyana bakaYakobi babehleli kwitafile ejongene nekaJosefu, bebekwe ngokuzana kwabo. Bathe bakuyibona indlela ababekwe ngayo etafileni, bajongana bethe manga. ₃₄Babesitya ukutya okuvela etafileni kaJosefu. UBhenjamin yena waphiwa kakhulu kunabanye, ephindwe kahlanu. Batya ke, basela kunye noJosefu, bada bamnandi.

₁UJosefu wathi kwisicaka esiyintloko emzini wakhe: “Zalisa ezi ngxowa zala madoda zithi ntli, uze ufake nemali yomntu ngamnye engxoweni yakhe, ₂ufake nendebe yam yesiliva ngaphezulu engxoweni yomninawa wabo, kwakunye nemali yengqolowa.” Senjenjalo isicaka.

₃Kwangentseni wabakhulula abantakwabo, bangena endleleni egodukayo, beqhuba iidonki zabo. ₄Kwathi besekude kufuphi nedolophu, wathi uJosefu kwisicaka sakhe: “Khawuleza usukele laa madoda, uthi: ‘Kutheni nibuyisa ubuhle ngobubi? ₅Niyibele ntoni indebe yesiliva yenkosi yam? Yile kanye isela ngayo, ikwayile ivumisa ngayo. Ilihlazo le nto niyenzileyo.’ ”

₆Siwathethile ke la mazwi isicaka sakufika kubo. ₇Bathe bona: “Ungathini, mhlekazi, ukuthetha ngolu hlobo? Asikhange siyenze into enjalo konke-konke. ₈Uyazi nawe ukuba nemali esayifumana ezingxoweni zethu ekhaya siyibuyisele kwakuwe. Singathini ke ngoku ukûba isiliva okanye igolide yenkosi yakho? ₉Ukuba kukho onayo apha kuthi makabulawe, baze abanye babanjwe babe ngamakhoboka.”

₁₀Sithe isicaka: “Ewe, kulungile, kodwa ngulo ifunyenwe kuye qha oya kubanjwa abe likhoboka; bonke abanye bangakhululeka.” ₁₁Bazithule kwangoko iingxowa zabo, bazibeka phantsi, elowo wavula eyakhe. ₁₂Sakhangelisisa isicaka sikaJosefu, siqala komkhlu sada saya kutsho koyena mncinane. Loo ndebe yafunyanwa engxoweni kaBhenjamin. ₁₃Baba lusizi kakhulu abantakwabo, batsho bakrazula nezambatho zabo, bayilayisha kwakhona imithwalo yabo, babuyela edolophini.

₁₄Ukufika kwabo ooJuda nabantakwabo, bafika esesekhaya uJosefu. Bafika bakhahlela, ₁₅wathi kubo uJosefu: “Niyenzeleni le nto? Beningazi kakade ukuba umntu okwesi sikhundla ndikuso uyakwazi ukuvumisa?”

₁₆UJuda uthe: “Singathini kuwe, mhlekazi, ukukubonisa ukuba asazani nale nto? Singathini ukuzihlamba? NguThixo olaziyo ityala lethu. Thina sonke ngoku singamabanjwa, asinguye kuphela lo ifunyenwe kuye indebe yakho.”

₁₇Uthe uJosefu: “Unongekhe; andiyivumi loo nto! Kuza kubanjwa lo ifunyenwe kuye indebe yam qha. Bonke abanye bangagoduka ngoxolo, babuyele kuyise.”

₁₈UJuda wasondela kuJosefu, wafika wathi: “Ngxe, mhlekazi! Ndivumele ndithethe, nakuba ungangokumkani ngokwakhe. ₁₉Wasibuza, mhlekazi, ukuba ngaba ubawo usaphila na, nokuba ngaba sinaye na umntakwethu ongomnye. ₂₀Sathi ubawo usadla amazimba, phofu selaluphele. Satsho nokuthi sinaye nomninawa ovele selemdala ubawo. Umkhuluwa wale ntwana akasekho; yiyo yodwa ke ngoko esaphilayo kubantwana bakanina. Uyise uyithanda kakhulu. ₂₁Wathi ke, mhlekazi, ze size nayo le ntwana khon' ukuze uyibone. ₂₂Sathi thina ayinako ukwahlukana noyise; angafa. ₂₃Wathi ke wena thina zicaka zakho ze singezi apha singahambi nale ntwana.

₂₄“Sathi sakufika kubawo samxelela konke owakuthethayo. ₂₅Ubawo ubuye wasithuma ukuba siphinde size kufuna into etyiwayo. ₂₆Samxelela sathi asinakuza apha, singenakwamkelwa, singezanga nayo le ntwana. Besingeza apha kuphela xa ngaba siza nayo. ₂₇Wathi ubawo: ‘Niyazi ukuba umkam uRakeli wandizalela oonyana ababini kuphela. ₂₈Omnye unyana akasekho; kunokuba waqwengwa zizilwanyana, kuba akazange abonwe oko wemkayo. ₂₉Xa ke nifuna ukuhamba naye nalo, aze angabuyi, ingandixhela loo nto ngoku sendimdala.’

_30-31“Ke ngoko, mhlekazi,” utshilo uJuda, “ukuba ndingabuyela ekhaya ingekho le ntwana, ubawo angafa zisuka nje xa aphawula ukuba ayikho. Akasenako ukwahlukana nale nkwenkwe. Selaluphele kangangokuba angafa. ₃₂Ngaphezu koko ndafunga kubawo ndathi kungafa mna kunokuba kwenzeke into kule ntwana. Ndathi, ukuba andibuyanga nayo, ityala aze alibeke kum. ₃₃Ke, mhlekazi, ndim oza kuhlala apha abe libanjwa endaweni yale ntwana. Yiyeke yona ibuyele ekhaya kunye nabakhuluwa bayo. ₃₄Ndingathini ukubuyela ekhaya ngaphandle kwale ntwana? Andinako ukukubukela ukudandatheka kukabawo.”