UGenesise 47

₁UJosefa wayesengena, wamtshela uFaro, wathi: “Ufikile ubaba nabafowethu, nezimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo, nakho konke abanakho, bephuma ezweni laseKhanani; bheka, sebesezweni laseGosheni.” ₂Phakathi kwabafowabo wathatha amadoda ayisihlanu, wawabeka phambi kukaFaro.

₃UFaro wayesethi kubafowabo: “Uyini umsebenzi wenu na?”

Bathi kuFaro: “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, thina nawobaba.” ₄Bathi kuFaro: “Size ukugogobala ezweni, ngokuba akukho dlelo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho, lokhu indlala inzima ezweni laseKhanani; ngalokho izinceku zakho mazakhe ezweni laseGosheni.”

₅Wayesekhuluma uFaro kuJosefa, ethi: “Uyihlo nabafowenu beze kuwe; ₆izwe laseGibithe lisebusweni bakho; mhlalise uyihlo nabafowenu ezweni elihle kunalo lonke, ubahlalise ezweni laseGosheni; uma uwazi phakathi kwabo amadoda anamandla, wabeke abe yizinduna zezinkomo zami.”

₇UJosefa wayesemngenisa uJakobe uyise, wambeka phambi kukaFaro; uJakobe wambusisa uFaro. ₈Wathi uFaro kuJakobe: “Zingaki izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwakho na?”

₉UJakobe wathi kuFaro: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yokugogobala kwami ziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu; ziyingcosana, zimbi izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwami, azifinyelelanga ezinsukwini zeminyaka yokuhamba kwawobaba emihleni yokugogobala kwabo.” ₁₀UJakobe wayesembusisa uFaro, wasuka ebusweni bukaFaro.

₁₁UJosefa wabahlalisa uyise nabafowabo, wabapha indawo ezweni laseGibithe, izwe elihle kunalo lonke, izwe likaRamesesi, njengalokho uFaro ebayalile. ₁₂UJosefa wamondla uyise, nabafowabo, nendlu yonke kayise ngokudla ngokwemilomo yezingane zabo.

₁₃Ukudla kwakungekho ezweni lonke, ngokuba indlala yayinzima kakhulu; izwe laseGibithe nezwe laseKhanani afa indlala. ₁₄UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyatholakala ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani ngamabele ababewathengile; uJosefa wayiyisa imali endlini kaFaro. ₁₅Isiphelile imali ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani, bonke abaseGibithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: “Siphe ukudla; siyakufelani phambi kwakho na? Ngokuba isiphelile imali.”

₁₆Wayesethi uJosefa: “Lethani izinkomo zenu; ngizakuninika ngezinkomo zenu, uma imali ingekho.” ₁₇Baletha-ke izinkomo zabo kuJosefa; uJosefa wabenanela ukudla ngamahhashi, nangezimvu, nangezinkomo, nagezimbongolo; wabapha ukudla ngezinkomo zabo zonke ngalowo mnyaka.

₁₈Usuphelile lowo mnyaka, beza kuye ngomnyaka wesibili, bathi kuye: “Asiyikufihlela inkosi ukuthi imali yethu yonke isiphelile; imihlambi yezinkomo isingeyenkosi; akukho okuseleyo emehlweni enkosi ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu namazwe ethu. ₁₉Siyakufelani phambi kwakho thina namazwe ethu na? Sithenge thina namazwe ethu ngokudla, sibe yizinceku zikaFaro thina namazwe ethu; siphe imbewu ukuba siphile, singafi, izwe lingachitheki.”

₂₀UJosefa wamthengela uFaro izwe lonke laseGibithe, ngokuba bonke abaseGibithe bathengisa ngamasimu abo, lokhu indlala yayinzima phezu kwabo; izwe lase liba ngelikaFaro. ₂₁Abantu wabayisa emizini, ebasusa komunye umncele wezwe laseGibithe kwaze kwaba komunye umncele walo. ₂₂Yizwe labapristi kuphela angalithenganga, ngokuba abapristi babethole isabelo kuFaro, badla isabelo sabo abapha sona uFaro; ngalokho abathengisanga ngezwe labo.

₂₃UJosefa wayesethi kubantu: “Bhekani, namuhla nginithengile nibe ngabakaFaro nina nezwe lenu; nansi imbewu yenu, nize nihlwanyele emhlabathini. ₂₄Kuyakuthi ezithelweni nimnike uFaro okwesihlanu, izinxenye ezine zibe ngezenu, kube yimbewu yamasimu, nokudla kwenu nokwabendlu yenu, nokudla kwezingane zenu.”

₂₅Base bethi: “Usisindisile; masifumane umusa emehlweni enkosi, sibe yizinceku zikaFaro.”

₂₆UJosefa washaya umthetho ngezwe laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla wokuthi uFaro uzakuba nokwesihlanu; kuphela izwe labapristi bodwa alibanga yilo elikaFaro.

₂₇U-Israyeli wahlala ezweni laseGibithe ezweni laseGosheni; bafuya khona, bazala, banda kakhulu.

₂₈UJakobe wahlala ezweni laseGibithe iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa; izinsuku zikaJakobe, iminyaka yokuhamba kwakhe, zaziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amane nesikhombisa. ₂₉Kwase kusondela isikhathi ayesezakufa ngaso u-Israyeli; wayesebiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ake ubeke isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami, ungenzele umusa neqiniso: ake ungangimbeli eGibithe. ₃₀Kepha lapho sengilele kobaba, uze ungikhiphe eGibithe, ungimbele ethuneni labo.”

Wathi: “Ngizakwenza njengezwi lakho.”

₃₁Wayesethi kuye: “Funga kimi.” Wayesefunga kuye. U-Israyeli wakhothama esihlokweni sombhede.