Amaphupho kaJosefa
1UJakobe wakha ezweni lokugogobala kukayise, ezweni laseKhanani. 2Lokhu kuyindaba kaJakobe. UJosefa eseneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa wawalusa umhlambi kayise enabafowabo; engumfana nje wayekuwo amadodana kaBiliha nakuwo amadodana kaZilipa omkayise; uJosefa waletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngabo.
3Kepha u-Israyeli wathanda uJosefa kakhulu kunabantwana bakhe bonke, ngokuba wayeyindodana yobuxhegu bakhe; wamenzela ingubo enemikhono emide. 4Abafowabo babona ukuthi uyise umthanda kunabafowabo bonke; khona bamzonda, bengenakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.
5UJosefa waphupha iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo; babelokhu bemzonda kakhulu. 6Wathi kubo: “Ake nizwe leli phupho engiliphuphileyo. 7Bhekani, besibopha izithungu ensimini; naso-ke isithungu sami sivuka sima; nazo-ke izithungu zenu zisiphahla, zisikhothamela isithungu sami.”
8Base bethi kuye abafowabo: “Impela uyakuba yinkosi yethu, usibuse na?” Bamzonda kakhulu kunakuqala ngenxa yamaphupho akhe namazwi akhe.
9Waphupha nelinye iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo, wathi: “Bhekani, ngiphuphe nelinye iphupho; bhekani-ke ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi eziyishumi nanye kwangikhothamela.”
10Wabalandisa uyise nabafowabo; uyise wamsola, wathi kuye: “Yiphupho lini leli oliphuphileyo na? Impela mina nonyoko nabafowenu siyakuza, sikukhothamele emhlabathini na?” 11Abafowabo baba nomhawu ngaye, kepha uyise wawalonda lawa mazwi.
Ukuthengiswa kukaJosefa
12Abafowabo baya ukwalusa umhlambi kayise eShekemi. 13U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu abawalusi umhlambi eShekemi na? Woza, ngiyakukuthuma kubo.”
Wathi kuye: “Ngilapha.”
14Wayesethi kuye: “Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi basahlezi kahle yini abafowenu nomhlambi, uze ungibuyisele izwi.” Wamthuma esuka esigodini saseHebroni, waze wafika eShekemi. 15Umuntu othile wamfumana ezulazula endle; lo muntu wambuza wathi: “Ufunani na?”
16Wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu; ake ungitshele ukuthi baluselaphi.”
17Wathi lowo muntu: “Basukile lapha, ngokuba ngabezwa bethi: ‘Asiye eDotayini.’ ” UJosefa walandela abafowabo, wabafumana eDotayini. 18Bambona esekude; engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokumbulala.
19Bakhulumisana omunye nomunye, bathi: “Bhekani, inyanga yamaphupho iyeza. 20Ngalokho wozani, siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi, bese sithi: ‘Isilwane esibi siyidlile,’ sibone ukuthi azakuba yini amaphupho ayo.”
21URubeni wakuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo ngokuthi: “Asingambulali.” 22URubeni wathi kubo: “Ningachithi gazi; mphonseni kulo mgodi osehlane, ningabeki isandla kuye,” ukuba amophule esandleni sabo, ambuyisele kuyise.
23Kwathi uJosefa esefike kubafowabo, bamkhumula ingubo yakhe, leyo ngubo enemikhono emide ayeyigqokile. 24Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini; umgodi wawungenalutho, kungekho manzi kuwo.
25Bahlala phansi ukuba badle isinkwa; baphakamisa amehlo abo, babona; bheka, kwafika ihele labakwa-Ishmayeli livela kwaGileyadi, linamakamela alo ethwele inhlaka nebhalisamu* nemure,* likwewusela eGibithe.
26Wayesethi uJuda kubafowabo: “Kuyakusizani, uma simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe, na? 27Wozani sithengise ngaye kwabakwa-Ishmayeli, isandla senu singabi phezu kwakhe, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu.” Abafowabo bamlalela.
28Kwase kudlula abathengi bakwaMidiyani; bamdonsa uJosefa, bamkhuphula emgodini, bathengisa ngoJosefa kwabakwa-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu ezingamashumi amabili zesiliva. Labo-ke bamusa uJosefa eGibithe.
29URubeni wabuyela emgodini; bheka, uJosefa wayengasekho emgodini; waklebhula izingubo zakhe. 30Wayesebuyela kubafowabo, ethi: “Akasekho umntwana; mina-ke ngizakushonaphi na?”
31Base bethatha ingubo kaJosefa, bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo egazini. 32Bathumela leyo ngubo enemikhono emide, bayiyisa kuyise, bathi: “Siyitholile lena; ake ubone, uma le ngubo ingeyendodana yakho yini, noma akusiyo na?”
33Wayibona, wathi: “Yiyo ingubo yendodana yami; isilwane esibi simdlile; yebo, uJosefa udatshuliwe nokudatshulwa.”
34UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wafaka indwangu yamasaka okhalweni lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. 35Onke amadodana akhe nawo onke amadodakazi akhe asuka ukuyomduduza, kepha wala ukududuzwa, wathi: “Ngiyakwehla, ngiye endodaneni yami endaweni yabafileyo ngilila.” Uyise wamlilela-ke.
36AbakwaMidiyani bathengisa ngaye eGibithe kuPotifari, inceku kaFaro, induna yabalindi bakhe.
