UGenesise 45

₁Khona uJosefa wayengasenakuzibamba phambi kwabo bonke ababemi naye, wakhala wathi: “Phumisani kimi abantu bonke.” Kwakungemi muntu naye, uJosefa esazazisa kubafowabo. ₂Wayesephakamisa izwi ngokukhala, abaseGibithe bakuzwa, nendlu kaFaro yakuzwa.

₃Wathi uJosefa kubafowabo: “NginguJosefa; ubaba usekhona na?” Abafowabo babengenakumphendula, ngokuba bashaqeka ebusweni bakhe.

₄UJosefa wayesethi kubafowabo: “Ake nisondele kimi.” Basondela-ke. Wayesethi: “NginguJosefa umfowenu enathengisa ngaye eGibithe. ₅Manje ningabi buhlungu, ningazithukutheleli ukuthi nathengisa ngami lapha, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukulondoloza impilo. ₆Ngokuba isimibili iminyaka indlala ikhona ezweni; kusasele iminyaka eyisihlanu okungayikulinywa, kuvunwe ngayo. ₇UNkulunkulu wangithuma ngaphambi kwenu ukunilondoloza, nibe yinsali emhlabeni, nisindiswe kube ngukukhululwa okukhulu.

₈“Kalokhu akuyinina enangithuma lapha, kepha uNkulunkulu; ungibeke uyise kaFaro, nenkosi yendlu yakhe yonke, nombusi wezwe lonke laseGibithe. ₉Sheshani nikhuphuke, niye kubaba, nithi kuye: ‘Uthe uJosefa indodana yakho: UNkulunkulu ungibeke inkosi yalo lonke iGibithe; yehla, uze kimi, ungalibali. ₁₀Uyakuhlala ezweni laseGosheni, ube seduze nami, wena nabantabakho, nabantwana babantabakho, nezimvu zakho, nezinkomo zakho, nakho konke onakho, ₁₁ngikondlele khona, ngokuba kuseyiminyaka eyisihlanu yendlala, funa uswele, wena nomuzi wakho, nakho konke onakho.’

₁₂“Bhekani, amehlo enu ayabona kanye namehlo omfowethu uBenjamini ukuthi yiwo umlomo wami okhuluma kinina. ₁₃Niyakumlandisa ubaba yonke inkazimulo yami eGibithe, nakho konke enikubonileyo, nisheshe nehlise ubaba, nimlethe lapha.”

₁₄Wayesewa entanyeni yomfowabo uBenjamini, wakhala; noBenjamini wakhala ngasentanyeni yakhe. ₁₅Wabanga bonke abafowabo, wakhalela kubo; emva kwalokho abafowabo bakhuluma naye.

₁₆Leli zwi lezwakala endlini kaFaro, lithi: “Abafowabo bakaJosefa bafikile.” Kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe. ₁₇UFaro wayesethi kuJosefa: “Yisho kubafowenu ukuthi: ‘Yenzani lokhu: thwesani izimbongolo zenu, nihambe niye ezweni laseKhanani, ₁₈nithathe uyihlo nemizi yenu, nize kimi, nginiphe okuhle kwezwe laseGibithe, nize nidle amanoni ezwe.’

₁₉“Usuyaliwe: ‘Yenzani lokhu: Nithathele izingane zenu nawomkenu izinqola ezweni laseGibithe, nilethe uyihlo, bese niza. ₂₀Futhi ningakhathaleli impahla yenu, ngokuba okuhle kwezwe lonke laseGibithe kungokwenu.’ ”

₂₁Enze njalo amadodana ka-Israyeli. UJosefa wabapha izinqola njengesiyalo sikaFaro, wabanika nomphako wendlela. ₂₂Kubo bonke, kwaba yilowo nalowo, wanika izingubo zokuphendulela; kepha uBenjamini wamupha izinhlamvu ezingamakhulu amathathu zesiliva nezingubo eziyisihlanu zokuphendulela. ₂₃Kuyise wathuma kanje: izimbongolo eziyishumi, zithwesiwe izinto ezinhle zaseGibithe, nezimbongolokazi eziyishumi, zithwesiwe amabele, nesinkwa, nomphako kayise endleleni. ₂₄Wayesebamukisa abafowabo, bahamba; wathi kubo: “Ningaxabani endleleni.”

₂₅Bakhuphuka eGibithe, bafika ezweni laseKhanani kuJakobe uyise. ₂₆Bamtshela bathi: “UJosefa usekhona, ungumbusi ezweni lonke laseGibithe.” Inhliziyo yakhe yayisiphela amandla, ngokuba akakholwanga yibo. ₂₇Bamlandisa onke amazwi kaJosefa abewashilo kubo; lapho esebona izinqola abezithumile uJosefa zokumthwala, umoya kaJakobe uyise wavuselelwa. ₂₈Wathi u-Israyeli: “Kwanele; uJosefa indodana yami usekhona; ngizakuhamba ngimbone ngingakafi.”