UGenesise 50

₁UJosefa wawa ebusweni bukayise, wakhala phezu kwakhe, wamanga. ₂UJosefa wayala izinceku zakhe izinyanga ukuba zimgqumise uyise ngemithi; izinyanga zamgqumisa-ke u-Israyeli ngemithi. ₃Zaphelela izinsuku zakhe ezingamashumi amane, ngokuba ziphelela kanjalo izinsuku zokugqumisa ngemithi; abaseGibithe bamkhalela izinsuku ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa.

₄Sezidlulile izinsuku zokumkhalela, uJosefa wakhuluma kuyo indlu kaFaro, wathi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni enu, ake nikhulume ezindlebeni zikaFaro ngokuthi ₅ubaba wangifungisa wathi: ‘Bheka, ngiyafa; ethuneni engizimbele lona ezweni laseKhanani uzakungingcwaba kulo.’ Ngalokho ake ngikhuphuke, ngimmbele ubaba, bese ngibuya.”

₆Wayesethi uFaro: “Khuphuka, ummbele uyihlo njengokukufungisa kwakhe.”

₇Khona uJosefa wakhuphuka ukuyommbela uyise; zakhuphuka naye zonke izinceku zikaFaro, nezikhulu zendlu yakhe, nezikhulu zonke zezwe laseGibithe, ₈nendlu yonke kaJosefa, nabafowabo, nendlu kayise; bashiya ezweni laseGosheni izingane zabo, nezimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo kuphela. ₉Kwakhuphuka nabo nezinqola, nabamahhashi; kwaba yibandla elikhulu impela.

₁₀Baya, bafika eGoreni Hathadi elingaphesheya kweJordani; lapho bakhala nokukhala impela, okunzima kakhulu; wamenzela uyise isililo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. ₁₁Abakhileyo ezweni, amaKhanani, sebebone isililo eGoreni Hathadi bathi: “Lokhu kuyisililo esinzima sabaseGibithe.” Ngalokho igama laleyo ndawo laqanjwa ngokuthi i-Abela Misirayimi* elingaphesheya kweJordani.

₁₂Amadodana akhe amenzela njengalokho ewayalile; ₁₃ngokuba amadodana akhe amyisa ezweni laseKhanani, ammbela emhumeni wasensimini yaseMakaphela, u-Abrahama awuthenga kanye nensimu ku-Efroni umHeti, ube yindawo yokumbela, ngaphambi kweMamre. ₁₄UJosefa wayesebuyela eGibithe, yena nabafowabo, nabo bonke ababekhuphuke naye ukummbela uyise, emva kokungcwaba kwakhe uyise.

₁₅Sebebonile abafowabo bakaJosefa ukuthi uyise ufile, bathi: “Mhlawumbe uJosefa uzakusizonda, asiphindisele nokusiphindisela konke okubi esakwenza kuyena.” ₁₆Base bethumela kuJosefa, bethi: “Uyihlo wayala engakafi, wathi: ₁₇‘Niyakusho kuJosefa ukuthi: Ake uthethelele abafowenu isiphambeko sabo nesono sabo, ngokuba bakwenzela okubi.’ Manje siyakucela ukuthi: Ake uthethelele isiphambeko sezinceku zikaNkulunkulu kayihlo.” UJosefa wakhala, besakhuluma kuye.

₁₈Base befika nabafowabo, bawa phansi ebusweni bakhe, bathi: “Bheka, siyizinceku zakho.”

₁₉UJosefa wayesethi kubo: “Ningesabi; kanti ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu na? ₂₀Yebo, nina nangisongozela okubi, kepha uNkulunkulu wakuceba kwaba kuhle ukuba akwenze kube njenganamuhla, asindise abantu abaningi. ₂₁Ngalokho ningesabi; mina ngiyakunondla, nina nezingane zenu.” Wabaduduza, wakhuluma kuzo izinhliziyo zabo.

₂₂UJosefa wahlala eGibithe, yena nendlu kayise; uJosefa wahamba iminyaka eyikhulu neshumi. ₂₃UJosefa wabona abantwana bakwa-Efrayimi besizukulwane sesithathu; nabantwana bakwaMakiri indodana kaManase bazalelwa emathangeni kaJosefa.

₂₄Wayesethi uJosefa kubafowabo: “Mina sengiyafa, kepha uNkulunkulu uzakunihambela nokunihambela, anikhuphule kuleli zwe, aniyise ezweni alifungela o-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe.” ₂₅UJosefa wayesefungisa amadodana ka-Israyeli, ethi: “UNkulunkulu uzakunihambela nokunihambela, nina nikhuphule amathambo ami lapha.”

₂₆Wayesefa uJosefa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi; bamgqumisa ngemithi, wafakwa ebhokisini eGibithe.