15 – UJosefu uyazazisa kubantakwabo

₁UJosefu akabanga saba nako ukuzibamba. Wathi izicaka zakhe maziphume. Kwasala yena nabantakwabo. Wabaxelela ukuba ungubani na. ₂Watsho ngesikhalo esaviwa ngamaJiputa, lwaza olo mingi-mingi lwaya kutsho nakomkhulu.

₃Wenjenje uJosefu ukuthetha nabantakwabo: “NdinguJosefu. Nithi ubawo usaphila?” Bakukuva oko abantakwabo bothuka, ababi nako nokuthetha.

₄Uthe uYosefu: “Sondelani.” Basondela, wathi: “Ndingumntakwenu uJosefu enamthengisa eJiputa. ₅Sanukukhathazeka okanye nizohlwaye ngenxa yokuba nandithengisa apha. NguThixo owathi mandinandulele, ukuze kusinde abantu. ₆Lo isengowesibini unyaka wendlala; kuseza eminye emihlanu, kungàlinywa, kungàvunwa. ₇NguThixo owathi mandize ngaphambi kwenu apha, ukuze nisinde ngale ndlela imangalisayo, kusinde nenzala yenu ngangokuba ingako. ₈Ayinini ke ngoko abandizisa apha, nguThixo. Nguye ondenze umphathiswa kakumkani ophethe lonke eli lizwe nolawula iJiputa iphela.

₉“Ngoku ke khawulezani niye kubawo, nithi ndithi, mna Josefu unyana wakhe, uThixo undenze umlawuli weJiputa iphela. Makakhawuleze eze kum. ₁₀Angema kulaa mmandla waseGoshen, apho aya kuba kufuphi nam. Makeze nabantwana bakhe, abazukulwana, iigusha, iibhokhwe, iinkomo, konke okwakhe. ₁₁Ndombonelela elapho, kuba kusasele eminye iminyaka emihlanu yendlala, yaye andifuni afe yindlala, yena nendlu yakhe, nento yonke anayo.”

₁₂Uqhube wathi uJosefu: “Niyaqonda ke nonke ngoku ukuba ndinguJosefu, nditsho nawe Bhenjamin. ₁₃Ze nimxelele ubawo ngamagunya endinawo apha eJiputa, nimbalisele ngayo yonke into eniyibonileyo. Nikhawuleze ke, nize naye apha.”

₁₄Wawola uBhenjamin umntakwabo, walila, noBhenjamin walila emgonile. ₁₅Esalila njalo wabagona abantakwabo, wabancamisa. Baqala ukuncokola naye ke abantakwabo emva koko.

₁₆Zakuvakala komkhulu iindaba zokuba uJosefu ufikelwe ngabantakwabo, ukumkani namaphakathi bavuya. ₁₇Wathi kuJosefu: “Xelela abantakwenu ukuba balayishe ukutya kwabo, baye eKanana, ₁₈bafike apho baxelele uyihlo kunye neentsapho zenu ukuba bafudukele eJiputa. Ndobanika eyona ndawo ilungileyo kwelaseJiputa ukuba bahlale khona, babe nenxaxheba kwindyebo yalapha.” ₁₉Wathi mabathathe neenqwelo zokufudusa iintsapho zabo, beze naye noyise. ₂₀Watsho esithi: “Ze ningazixhamli ngezinto eziya kusala eKanana; niza kuzuza ezona zixabisekileyo apha eJiputa.”

₂₁Benza njengoko babeyalelwe oonyana bakaSirayeli. Banikwa iinqwelo nguJosefu ngokomyalelo kakumkani, kwakunye nomphako. ₂₂Elowo wamnika iimpahla ezintsha zokunxiba, kodwa yena uBhenjamin wamnika amakhulu amathathu eesiliva neempahla zaphindwa kahlanu kwezabanye. ₂₃Wathumela uyise ishumi leedonki lithwele ezona mpahla zodidi zaseJiputa, neshumi leemazi zeedonki zithwele ingqolowa, izonka, nokunye ukutya komphako. ₂₄Wabandulula abantakwabo, bemka. Wabayala esithi: “Ze ningalwi endleleni.”

₂₅Banduluka eJiputa, baya kufika eKanana kuyise. ₂₆Bafika bathi: “UJosefu uyaphila! Nguye umphathiswa waseJiputa!” Wathi nqa yiloo nto uYakobi, engakholwa.

₂₇Bakumxelela konke okwathethwa nguJosefu, wazibona neenqwelo awayezithumele, watsho wahlaziyeka emphefumlweni. ₂₈USirayeli wathi: “Usaphila uJosefu umntwanam! Nantso nje qha into endiyifunayo: mandiye kumbona ndingekafi.”

₁USirayeli wathatha konke okwakhe wahamba, waya kutsho eBheshebha, apho wafika wenzela uThixo kayise uIsake idini. ₂UThixo wathetha naye ngephupha wathi: “Yakobi!”

Wasabela uYakobi wathi: “Ndim lo!”

Wenjenje uThixo ukuthetha naye: ₃“Mna ndinguThixo kayihlo. Uzungoyiki ukuya eJiputa; kulapho inzala yakho ndiya kuyenza isizwe esikhulu. ₄Ndiya kuya nawe eJiputa, ndibuye ndiyibuyisele kwalapha inzala yakho. UJosefu uya kukucima amehlo ukubhubha kwakho.”

₅Wanduluka eBheshebha uYakobi. Yena, nabantwana boonyana bakhe, kunye nabafazi babo, babekhwele kwiinqwelo ezazithunyelwe ngukumkani waseJiputa. ₆Baqhuba iinkomo zabo nako konke okwabo abakufumana eKanana, bahamba nako, baya eJiputa. UYakobi wahamba nosapho lwakhe lonke: ₇oonyana bakhe, abantwana babo, iintombi zakhe, kunye nabazukulwana bakhe.