UGenesise 41

₁Kwathi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka emibili waphupha uFaro; bheka, wayemi ngasemfuleni. ₂Bheka, kwakhuphuka emfuleni izithole eziyisikhombisa ezibukeka kahle, zikhuluphele, zadla emhlangeni. ₃Nazo ezinye izithole eziyisikhombisa zenyuka emfuleni emva kwazo, zibukeka kabi, zondile; zema kwezinye izithole ogwini lomfula. ₄Izithole ezibukeka kabi ezondileyo zadla izithole ezibukeka kahle ezikhulupheleyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro.

₅Walala ubuthongo, waphupha ngokwesibili; bheka, kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezeleni linye, zibhoxile, zizinhle. ₆Bheka, nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga, zahluma emva kwazo. ₇Izikhwebu ezincane zagwinya izikhwebu ezibhoxileyo ezipheleleyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro; bheka, kwakuyiphupho.

₈Kwathi ekuseni umoya wakhe wakhathazeka; wathuma wabiza izanusi zonke zaseGibithe nezihlakaniphi zonke zalo; uFaro wazilandisa iphupho lakhe; kepha akubangakho ongachazela wona uFaro.

₉Yayisikhuluma induna yabaphathizitsha kuFaro, ithi: “Ngiyakhumbula namuhla amacala ami. ₁₀UFaro wathukuthelela izinceku zakhe, wangifaka ukuba ngilindwe endlini yenduna yemilindankosi, mina kanye nenduna yabaphekizinkwa. ₁₁Saphupha iphupho ngabona lobo busuku mina naye. Saphupha, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngokokuchazwa kwephupho lakhe. ₁₂Kwakukhona nathi lapho insizwa, umHeberu, inceku yenduna yemilindankosi; sayilandisa yona, yasichazela amaphupho ethu, yachazela, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngokwephupho lakhe. ₁₃Kwathi njengalokho yasichazela, kwaba njalo; mina inkosi yangibuyisela esikhundleni sami, yena yamphanyeka.”

₁₄UFaro wayesethuma wambiza uJosefa; bashesha bamkhipha emgodini; waphucula, waphendulela ezinye izingubo, wangena kuFaro.

₁₅Wayesethi uFaro kuJosefa: “Ngiphuphe iphupho, kakho ongalichaza; sengizwe kuthiwa ngawe, lapho ulizwa iphupho, ungalichaza.”

₁₆UJosefa wamphendula uFaro, wathi: “Akukimi lokho; uNkulunkulu uzakumphendula kahle uFaro.”

₁₇UFaro wakhuluma kuJosefa, wathi: “Ephusheni lami, bheka, ngangimi ogwini lomfula; ₁₈bheka, kwase kukhuphuka emfuleni izithole eziyisikhombisa ezikhulupheleyo ezibukeka kahle; zadla emhlangeni. ₁₉Nazo ezinye izithole eziyisikhombisa zenyuka emva kwazo, zizacile, zibukeka kabi kakhulu, zondile, engingazange ngibone ezimbi njengalezo ezweni lonke laseGibithe. ₂₀Izithole ezondileyo ezimbi zadla eziyisikhombisa zokuqala ezikhulupheleyo. ₂₁Lapho sezingene eziswini zazo, akwabonakala ukuthi zingene eziswini zazo; zazisabukeka zizimbi njengakuqala. Ngase ngiphaphama.

₂₂“Futhi ngabona ephusheni lami, bheka, kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezeleni linye, ziphelele, zizinhle. ₂₃Bheka, nezikhwebu eziyizintshwamu ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga, zahluma emva kwazo. ₂₄Izikhwebu ezincane zagwinya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle; ngakulandisa izanusi, kepha sasingekho esingangazisa khona.”

₂₅UJosefa wayesethi kuFaro: “Iphupho likaFaro linye; lokho uNkulunkulu azakukwenza umazise uFaro khona. ₂₆Izithole eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa; izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa; iphupho linye. ₂₇Izithole ezondileyo ezimbi ezakhuphuka emva kwazo ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa kanye nezikhwebu ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga; ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala.

₂₈“Yikho lokhu engikushilo kuFaro: lokho uNkulunkulu asezakukwenza ukubonakalisile kuFaro. ₂₉Bheka, kuyeza iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala enkulu ezweni lonke laseGibithe. ₃₀Emva kwayo iyakuvela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala; iyakukhohlakala inala yonke ezweni laseGibithe; indlala iyakuliqeda izwe. ₃₁Inala ayiyukwaziwa ezweni ngenxa yendlala elandelayo, ngokuba iyakuba nzima kakhulu. ₃₂Lokhu ukuthi iphupho liphindwe kabili kuFaro, kungokuba le nto inqunywe nguNkulunkulu, futhi uNkulunkulu uyakushesha ayenze.

₃₃“Manje uFaro makakhethe umuntu oqaphelayo ohlakaniphileyo, ambeke phezu kwezwe laseGibithe. ₃₄Makenze njalo uFaro, abeke ababonisi phezu kwezwe, bahlukanise okwesihlanu kwezwe laseGibithe ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala. ₃₅Mababuthe konke ukudla kwale minyaka emihle ezayo, banqwabele phansi kwesandla sikaFaro amabele emizini, abe ngukudla, bawalonde. ₃₆Lokhu kudla kuyakubekelelwa izwe ngenxa yeminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala eyakuba khona ezweni laseGibithe ukuba izwe lingabhubhi ngendlala.”

₃₇Leli zwi laba lihle emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe zonke. ₃₈Wayesethi uFaro ezincekwini zakhe: “Singamthola yini umuntu onjalo, onoMoya kaNkulunkulu, na?”

₃₉Wathi uFaro kuJosefa: “Njengokuba uNkulunkulu ekwazise wena konke lokhu, akakho oqaphelayo ohlakaniphileyo njengawe. ₄₀Wena uzakuba phezu kwendlu yami; ngezwi lakho bayakuhlelwa bonke abantu bami; esihlalweni sobukhosi kuphela ngiyakuba mkhulu kunawe.”

₄₁Wathi uFaro kuJosefa: “Bheka, sengikubeke phezu kwezwe lonke laseGibithe.” ₄₂UFaro wayesekhumula indandatho yakhe esandleni sakhe, wayifaka esandleni sikaJosefa, wamembathisa izingubo zelineni elicolekileyo, wafaka umnaka wegolide entanyeni yakhe. ₄₃Wamkhwelisa enqoleni yesibili emva kwakhe; bamemeza phambi kwakhe, bathi: “Guqani!” Wambeka phezu kwezwe lonke laseGibithe.

₄₄UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “NginguFaro; ngaphandle kwakho akuyikuphakamisa muntu isandla sakhe nonyawo lwakhe ezweni lonke laseGibithe.” ₄₅UFaro waqamba igama likaJosefa ngokuthi uSafenati Phaneya; wamnika u-Asenati indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi wase-Oni abe ngumkakhe. UJosefa waphuma, wahamba izwe lonke laseGibithe.

₄₆UJosefa wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu mhla emi phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe. UJosefa waphuma ebusweni bukaFaro, wahamba izwe lonke laseGibithe. ₄₇Ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala umhlaba wathela kakhulu. ₄₈Waqoqa konke ukudla kwale minyaka eyisikhombisa eyayisezweni laseGibithe, wabekelela ukudla emizini; ukudla kwamasimu azungeza yilowo nalowo muzi wakubekelela kuwo. ₄₉UJosefa waqongelela amabele angangesihlabathi solwandle, okuningi kakhulu, waze wayeka ukubala, ngokuba kwakungenakubalwa.

₅₀UJosefa wazalelwa amadodana amabili, kungakafiki mnyaka wendlala, amzalela wona u-Asenati indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi wase-Oni. ₅₁UJosefa waqamba igama lezibulo ngokuthi uManase,* wathi: “Ngokuba uNkulunkulu ungenze ngikhohlwe konke ukuhlupheka kwami nendlu yonke kababa.” ₅₂Igama lowesibili waliqamba ngokuthi u-Efrayimi,* wathi: “Ngokuba uNkulunkulu ungenze ngizale ezweni lokuhlupheka kwami.”

₅₃Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala eyayisezweni laseGibithe yaphela. ₅₄Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala yayisiqala ukufika, njengalokho eshilo uJosefa; kwakuyindlala emazweni onke; kepha ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukudla kwakukhona. ₅₅Kwathi selilambile izwe lonke laseGibithe, abantu bakhala kuFaro ngokudla; uFaro wathi kubo bonke abaseGibithe: “Yanini kuJosefa; lokho anitshela khona, nikwenze.”

₅₆Indlala yayisebusweni bezwe lonke; uJosefa wavula zonke izinqolobane, wathengisela abaseGibithe; indlala yayinzima ezweni laseGibithe. ₅₇Amazwe onke afika kuJosefa eGibithe ukuyothenga amabele, ngokuba indlala yayinzima emhlabeni wonke.