Genesise 45:1-28
45 UJosefa wayengasakwazi ukuzibamba phambi kwazo zonke izinceku zakhe. + Ngakho wamemeza: “Wonke umuntu makaphume!” Akekho owasala naye lapho uJosefa ezazisa kubafowabo. +
2 Wabe esekhala kakhulu kangangokuthi amaGibhithe ezwa, nendlu kaFaro yezwa.
3 Ekugcineni uJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “NginguJosefa. Ingabe ubaba usaphila?” Kodwa abafowabo babengakwazi nhlobo ukumphendula ngoba babemangele kakhulu ngenxa yakhe.
4 Ngakho uJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “Ngicela nisondele kimi.” Base besondela.
Wabe esethi: “NginguJosefa umfowenu enamthengisa eGibhithe. +
5 Kodwa manje ningaphatheki kabi, ningasolani ngokuthi nangithengisa lapha; ngoba uNkulunkulu ungithume ngaphambi kwenu ukuze asigcine siphila. +
6 Lona unyaka wesibili wendlala ezweni, + kusasele iminyaka emihlanu okungeke kulinywe noma kuvunwe ngayo.
7 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wangithumela ngaphambi kwenu ukuze alondoloze uhlu lozalo + lomndeni wenu emhlabeni* nokuba anigcine niphila ngokukhululwa okukhulu.
8 Ngakho-ke akunina enangithumela lapha, kodwa uNkulunkulu weqiniso, ukuze angimise njengomeluleki kaFaro* nomphathi wayo yonke indlu yakhe nombusi walo lonke izwe laseGibhithe. +
9 “Buyelani masinyane kubaba, nithi kuye, ‘Nakhu indodana yakho uJosefa ekushilo: “UNkulunkulu ungimise ukuba ngibe umbusi kulo lonke elaseGibhithe. + Yehlela kimi. Ungalibali. +
10 Kumelwe uhlale ezweni laseGosheni, + lapho uzoba seduze kwami khona—wena, amadodana akho, abazukulu bakho, imihlambi yakho nakho konke onakho.
11 Ngizokunika ukudla lapho ngoba kusasele iminyaka emihlanu yendlala. + Uma kungenjalo, wena nendlu yakho nakho konke onakho nizohlupheka.”’
12 Nina nomfowethu uBhenjamini niyazibonela ukuthi yimina ngempela okhuluma nani. +
13 Ngakho kumelwe nitshele ubaba ngayo yonke inkazimulo yami eGibhithe nangakho konke enikubonile. Manje sheshani nehlisele ubaba lapha.”
14 Khona-ke wanga umfowabo* uBhenjamini wakhala, noBhenjamini wakhala emgaxe entanyeni. +
15 Wabe esebaqabula bonke abafowabo wakhala ngesikhathi ebanga, ngemva kwalokho abafowabo bakhuluma naye.
16 Lezi zindaba zafika endlini kaFaro, kuthiwa: “Kufike abafowabo bakaJosefa!” Kwaba kuhle kuFaro nasezincekwini zakhe.
17 Ngakho uFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Wothi kubafowenu, ‘Yenzani lokhu: Thwesani izilwane zenu niye ezweni laseKhanani,
18 nithathe uyihlo namalungu emindeni yenu nize lapha kimi. Ngizoninika izinto ezinhle zezwe laseGibhithe, nizodla okuvela* engxenyeni enothile* yezwe.’ +
19 Wena uyalwa ukuba ubatshele lokhu: + ‘Yenzani lokhu: Thathani izinqola + ezweni laseGibhithe nithathele abantwana benu nomkenu, nigibelise uyihlo kwenye yazo nize lapha. +
20 Ningakhathazeki ngempahla yenu, + ngoba okuhle kakhulu kwalo lonke izwe laseGibhithe kungokwenu.’”
21 Amadodana ka-Israyeli enza kanjalo, uJosefa wawanika izinqola ngokwemiyalo kaFaro, wawanika nemiphako yendlela.
22 Wanika ngayinye ingubo yokushintsha, kodwa uBhenjamini wamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-300 nezingubo zokushintsha ezinhlanu. +
23 Uyise wamthumelela lokhu okulandelayo: izimbongolo eziyishumi ezithwele izinto ezinhle zaseGibhithe nezimbongolo zensikazi eziyishumi ezithwele ukudla okusanhlamvu nesinkwa nokokusekela uyise endleleni.
24 Wabahambisa abafowabo, njengoba besuka, wathi kubo: “Ningathukuthelelani endleleni.” +
25 Bakhuphuka besuka eGibhithe bafika ezweni laseKhanani kuyise uJakobe.
26 Bambikela, bathi: “UJosefa usaphila, ungumbusi walo lonke izwe laseGibhithe!” + Kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yaba ndikindiki ngoba wayengabakholwa. +
27 Lapho beqhubeka bemtshela wonke amazwi uJosefa ayewakhulume kubo, ebona nezinqola uJosefa ayezithumele ukuba zimthwale, umoya kayise uJakobe waqala ukuvuseleleka.
28 U-Israyeli wababaza: “Kwanele! Indodana yami uJosefa isaphila! Kumelwe ngihambe ngiyombona ngaphambi kokuba ngife!” +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “ezweni.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “njengobaba kuFaro.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “wawela entanyeni yomfowabo.”
^ Noma, “nizophila ngokuvela.”
^ Noma, “enonile.”