To The Word – Day 13

₁Kwathi emva kwalezo zinto kwathiwa kuJosefa: “Bheka, uyihlo uyagula.” Wayesethatha amadodana akhe omabili, oManase no-Efrayimi. ₂Kwase kushiwo kuJakobe ukuthi: “Bheka, indodana yakho uJosefa iyeza kuwe.” Wayeseziqinisa u-Israyeli, wahlala embhedeni.

₃UJakobe wathi kuJosefa: “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuze ezweni laseKhanani, wangibusisa, ₄wathi kimi: ‘Bheka, ngizakukuchumisa, ngikwandise, ngikwenze izizwe eziningi, ngiyiphe inzalo yakho leli zwe emva kwakho libe yifa elingunaphakade.’

₅“Manje amadodana akho amabili owazalelwa wona ezweni laseGibithe, ngingakafiki kuwe eGibithe, angawami; o-Efrayimi noManase njengoRubeni noSimeyoni bazakuba ngabami. ₆Kepha inzalo yakho oyizala emva kwabo izakuba ngeyakho; iyakubizwa ngegama labafowabo efeni lalabo. ₇Kepha mina ekusukeni kwami ePhadani Aramu ngafelwa nguRaheli endleleni ezweni laseKhanani, kuse yibangana ukuya e-Efrati; ngammbela khona endleleni eya e-Efrati” (eliyiBetlehema).

₈U-Israyeli wabona amadodana kaJosefa, wathi: “Ngobani laba na?”

₉UJosefa wathi kuye: “Ngamadodana ami angiphe wona lapha uNkulunkulu.”

Wayesethi: “Ake uwalethe kimi, ngiwabusise.”

₁₀Kepha amehlo ka-Israyeli ayefiphele ngobudala, engasenakubona; wawasondeza kuye; wawanga, wawagona.

₁₁Wayesethi u-Israyeli kuJosefa: “Ngangingacabanganga ukuthi ngizakubona ubuso bakho; bheka, uNkulunkulu ungibonise nenzalo yakho.”

₁₂UJosefa wawakhipha emathangeni akhe; wakhothama, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi. ₁₃UJosefa wayesebathatha bobabili, u-Efrayimi ngesokunene, engakwesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, noManase ngesokhohlo, engakwesokunene sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye. ₁₄U-Israyeli wayeselula isandla sakhe sokunene, wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, kanti ungomncane, nesokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, ephambanisa izandla zakhe, ngokuba uManase wayeyizibulo.

₁₅Wambusisa uJosefa, wathi:

₁₇Wabona uJosefa ukuthi uyise wabeka isandla sakhe sokunene ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, kwaba kubi emehlweni akhe; wasibamba isandla sikayise ukuba asisuse ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, asibeke ekhanda likaManase. ₁₈Wayesethi uJosefa kuyise: “Kungabi njalo, ngokuba lo uyizibulo; beka esokunene sakho ekhanda lakhe.”

₁₉Kepha uyise wala, wathi: “Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi; naye uyakuba yisizwe, abe mkhulu naye; kodwa umfowabo uyakuba mkhulu kunaye, inzalo yakhe ibe yizizwe eziningi.” ₂₀Wayesebabusisa ngalolo suku ngokuthi:

Wayesembeka-ke u-Efrayimi ngaphambi kukaManase.

₂₁Wayesethi u-Israyeli kuJosefa: “Bheka, mina ngiyafa, kepha uNkulunkulu uyakuba nani, anibuyisele ezweni lawoyihlo. ₂₂Wena ngikunike olunye ukhalo ngaphezu kwabafowenu engaluthatha esandleni sama-Amori ngenkemba yami nangomnsalo wami.”

₁UJakobe wabiza amadodana akhe, wathi: “Buthanani, nginitshele okuzakunehlela ezinsukwini ezizayo.

₂₈Bonke labo bayizizwe eziyishumi nambili zakwa-Israyeli; yilokhu uyise akukhuluma kubo, wababusisa; wababusisa, kwaba yilowo ngokwesibusiso sakhe.

₂₉Wabayala, wathi kubo: “Mina sengiyakubuthelwa kubantu bami; ngimbeleni kobaba emhumeni osensimini ka-Efroni umHeti, ₃₀umhume osensimini yaseMakaphela eliphambi kweMamre ezweni laseKhanani, awuthenga u-Abrahama kanye nensimu ku-Efroni umHeti, ube yindawo yakhe yokumbela; ₃₁lapho bembela o-Abrahama noSara umkakhe; lapho bembela o-Isaka noRebeka umkakhe; lapho ngembela uLeya; ₃₂insimu nomhume okuyo okwathengwa kubantwana bakwaHeti.”

₃₃UJakobe eseqedile ukuyala amadodana akhe waqoqela izinyawo zakhe embhedeni, wagqibuka, wabuthelwa kubantu bakhe.

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.