Oonyana bakaYakobi eYiputa

Ukuba lundwendwe ixesha elide kukaSirayeli eYiputa kuphela kube bubukhoboka. UBawo wethu uvusa uMoses, aphule uFaro ngezibetho ezilishumi, avule ulwandle, akhokelele abantu entabeni yaseSinayi—apho azibophelela kubo ngomnqophiso, aze eze kuhlala phakathi kwabo.

Isahluko 1.

Ngawo la amagama oonyana bakaSirayeli abeza eYiputa noYakobi, elowo nendlu yakhe: nguRubhen, noSimon, noLevi, noYuda, noIsakare, noZebhulon, noBhenjamin, noDan, noNafetali, noGadi, noAshere. Bonke abaphuma esinqeni sikaYakobi babeyimiphefumlo emashumi asixhenxe; uYosefu wayeselekho eYiputa. Wafa ke uYosefu, nabakhuluwa bakhe bonke, neso sizukulwana sonke. Kodwa oonyana bakaSirayeli baqhama, banyakazela, banda, bomelela kunene, lada lazala lilo ilizwe.

Kwavela ke ukumkani omtsha eYiputa, obengamazi uYosefu. Wathi ebantwini bakhe: “Khangelani, aba bantu bakaSirayeli baninzi, banamandla kunathi. Yizani, masibe nobuqili ngabo, hleze bande, kuthi xa kuthe kwabakho imfazwe, bancedisane neentshaba zethu, balwe nathi, baze baphume kweli lizwe.” Bamisa ke phezu kwabo abaphathi bokubasebenzisa nzima, ukuze babacinezele ngomsebenzi onzima; bamakhela uFaro imizi yokugcina impahla: iPitom neRameses. Kodwa kwathi kokukhona amaYiputa ebacinezela, kokukhona oonyana bakaSirayeli benyakazela banda; ada akruquka amaYiputa ngenxa yoonyana bakaSirayeli. Awasebenzisa ngenkohlakalo amaYiputa oonyana bakaSirayeli, abenza krakra ubomi babo ngomsebenzi onzima wodaka nezitena, nangomsebenzi wonke wasemaphandleni. Kuwo wonke umsebenzi wabo onzima awabasebenzisa ngenkohlakalo.

Wathi ke ukumkani waseYiputa kubazalisikazi bamaHebhere, igama lomnye belinguShifra, igama lowesibini belinguPuwa: “Xa nincedisa abafazi bamaHebhere ekuzaleni, nikhangele esihlalweni sokuzalela: ukuba ngunyana, mbulaleni; kodwa ukuba yintombi, mayidle ubomi.” Kodwa abazalisikazi bamoyika uBawo wethu osezulwini, abenza njengoko wayebawisele umthetho ukumkani waseYiputa; bawayeka amakhwenkwe adla ubomi. Waza ke ukumkani waseYiputa wababiza abazalisikazi, wathi kubo: “Yini na ukuba niyenze le nto, niwayeka amakhwenkwe adla ubomi?”

Bathi abazalisikazi kuFaro: “Abafazi bamaHebhere abafani nabafazi basemaYiputeni—banamandla, bazala kungekafiki umzalisikazi kubo.”

Waba nobubele ke uBawo wethu kubazalisikazi; banda abantu, bomelela kunene. Kwathi, ngenxa yokuba abazalisikazi bamoyika uBawo wethu, wabenzela izindlu zabo. Wabawisela ke uFaro bonke abantu bakhe umthetho, esithi: “Wonke unyana ozalwa ngamaHebhere nomphosa emlanjeni, kodwa yonke intombi niyiyeke idle ubomi.”