UGenesisi 45:1-28
45 UJosefa wehluleka ukuzibamba phambi kwazo zonke izisebenzi zakhe,+ wasememeza wathi: “Wonke umuntu kaphume phandle.” Ngakho akulamuntu owayekhona ngesikhathi uJosefa eziveza kubafowabo.+
2 UJosefa wakhala kakhulu amaGibhithe aze amuzwa futhi labendlu kaFaro bakuzwa lokho.
3 Wasesithi kubafowabo: “NginguJosefa. Ubaba usaphila yini?” Kodwa abafowabo behluleka ukumphendula ngoba basebephelelwe.
4 Ngakho uJosefa wathi kubo: “Ngicela lisondele kimi,” basebesondela kuye.
Wasesithi: “Yimi uJosefa umfowenu elamthengisela eGibhithe.+
5 Kodwa lingasolani futhi lingadani ngenxa yokuthi langithengisa; ngoba uNkulunkulu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukuze kulondolozwe impilo.+
6 Lo ngumnyaka wesibili wendlala+ njalo okweminyaka emihlanu ezayo akulamuntu ozalima kumbe avune.
7 UNkulunkulu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukuze alondoloze izizukulwane zenu*+ emhlabeni njalo alikhulule ngendlela emangalisayo ukuze liqhubeke liphila.
8 Ngakho kayisini elangithumela lapha kodwa nguNkulunkulu weqiniso. Lokhu wakwenzela ukuthi angenze ngibe ngumeluleki omkhulu kaFaro* lokuthi ngibe yinkosi kuyo yonke indlu yakhe, lombusi kulo lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.+
9 “Buyelani kubaba masinyane lifike lithi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo yindodana yakho uJosefa: “UNkulunkulu usengibeke ukuthi ngibe yinkosi kulo lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.+ Buya kimi masinyane.+
10 Uzahlala eGosheni+ ukuze ube seduze kwami, wena lamadodana akho labazukulu bakho kanye lezifuyo zakho lakho konke olakho.
11 Ngizakunika ukudla ukuleyondawo ngoba kusasele iminyaka emihlanu yendlala.+ Ungayekela ukwenza njalo wena lemuli yakho lizakuba ngabayanga njalo konke olakho kuzatshabalala.”’
12 Lina kanye lomnawami uBhenjamini liyazibonela ngawenu ukuthi yimi sibili engikhuluma lani.+
13 Kumele litshele ubaba ngodumo esengilalo eGibhithe kanye lakho konke elikubonileyo. Hambani liyebuya lobaba masinyane.”
14 UJosefa wasegona* umnawakhe uBhenjamini wakhala, uBhenjamini laye wamgona wakhala.+
15 Waseqabuza bonke abafowabo, wabagona wakhala. Ngemva kwalokho abafowabo baxoxa laye.
16 Kwafika umbiko endlini kaFaro othi: “Abafowabo bakaJosefa babuyile.” UFaro lezinceku zakhe bathokoza bekuzwa lokhu.
17 Ngakho uFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Tshela abafowenu uthi: ‘Thwalisani izifuyo zenu imithwalo yenu libuyele elizweni laseKhenani,
18 liyethatha uyihlo kanye lezimuli zenu lize lazo lapha kimi. Ngizalinika izinto ezinhle eziselizweni laseGibhithe njalo lizakudla okuhle okuvela endaweni evundileyo yelizwe.*+
19 Kanti njalo kumele uthi kubo:+ “Thathani izinqola+ elizweni laseGibhithe ukuze liyethwala ngazo abantwabenu lamakhosikazi enu, kuthi enye lithwale ngayo uyihlo, beselibuya lapha.+
20 Lingakhathazeki ngempahla zenu+ ngoba konke okuhle okuselizweni laseGibhithe ngokwenu.”’”
21 Lakanye amadodana ka-Israyeli enza ayekutsheliwe. UJosefa wawanika izinqola njengokutsho kukaFaro njalo wawanika lomphako wokudla endleleni.
22 Wasenika ngamunye wabo isigqoko sokutshintsha kodwa uBhenjamini wamnika inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-300 lezigqoko zokutshintsha ezinhlanu.+
23 Wasethumela uyise obabhemi abalitshumi bethwele izinto ezinhle zaseGibhithe kanye labobabhemi abasikazi abalitshumi bethwele amabele, lesinkwa kanye lomphako kayise ayezawudla endleleni.
24 UJosefa wabavalelisa abafowabo njalo bathi besuka wathi kubo: “Lingaxabani endleleni.”+
25 Ngakho basuka eGibhithe babuyela kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani.
26 Bafika bathi kuye: “UJosefa uyaphila njalo nguye obusayo kulo lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.”+ Kodwa uyise waba lesithuli ngoba wayengakukholwa abakutshoyo.+
27 Bathi sebemtshele wonke amazwi uJosefa ayewakhulumile njalo esebone lezinqola ayezithumele ukuthi zizomthwala, uJakhobe wazizwa esengcono.
28 U-Israyeli wasesithi: “Sengikholwa sibili ukuthi indodana yami uJosefa iyaphila. Kungcono ngihambe ngiyembona ngingakafi.”+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “abaseleyo benu.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ngubaba kuFaro.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “wasewela entanyeni yomnawakhe.”
^ Kumbe, “lizakudla amanono elizwe.”
