Amadodana kaJakobe eGibhithe
Ukuhlala kuka-Israyeli isikhathi eside eGibhithe kuphenduka ubugqila. UBaba wethu uvusa uMose, uphula uFaro ngezinhlupho eziyishumi, uvula ulwandle, futhi uhola abantu abayise eNtabeni iSinayi—lapho ezibophezela khona kubo ngesivumelwano futhi efika ukuzohlala phakathi kwabo.
1 1Yilawa amagama amadodana ka-Israyeli afika eGibhithe noJakobe, yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe: 2uRubeni, uSimeyoni, uLevi, noJuda, 3u-Isakare, uZebuloni, noBhenjamini, 4uDani noNafetali, uGadi no-Asheri. 5Bonke abavela kuJakobe babengabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayevele eseseGibhithe. 6uJosefa wafa, kanye nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane. 7Kodwa abantu bakwa-Israyeli bazala, banda kakhulu, bachuma, baba namandla ngokwedlulele, laze lagcwala yibo izwe.
8Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. 9Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi futhi banamandla kunathi. 10Wozani, masibaphathe ngobuqili, funa bande, kuthi uma kufika impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, baphume ezweni.” 11Ngakho babeka phezu kwabo abaphathi bemisebenzi ukuba babacindezele ngomsebenzi wokubophayo, bakhela uFaro imizi yeziphala: iPhithomi neRamesesi. 12Kodwa ngokubacindezela kwamaGibhithe, yikho abakwa-Israyeli banda ngakhona basabalala, aze amaGibhithe esaba abantu bakwa-Israyeli. 13Ngakho amaGibhithe abasebenzisa kanzima abantu bakwa-Israyeli njengezigqila. 14Enza ukuphila kwabo kwaba muncu ngomsebenzi onzima wodaka nezitini nangayo yonke imisebenzi yasemasimini. Kuyo yonke imisebenzi yabo enzima amaGibhithe abasebenzisa ngochuku.
15Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubabelethisi bamaHeberu, omunye okuthiwa uShifira nomunye uPhuwa: 16“Lapho nisiza abesifazane bamaHeberu bebeletha, nibheke esihlalweni sokubeletha: uma kuyindodana, yibulaleni; kodwa uma kuyindodakazi, iyekeni iphile.” 17Kodwa ababelethisi bamesaba uBaba wethu osezulwini, abenzanga njengokuba inkosi yaseGibhithe ibayalile; bayekela abafana baphila. 18Ngakho inkosi yaseGibhithe yababiza ababelethisi yathi kubo: “Nikwenzeleni lokhu, niyekela abafana bephila?”
19Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: “Abesifazane bamaHeberu abafani nabesifazane baseGibhithe—banamandla, babeletha ingakafiki umbelethisi.”
20Ngakho uBaba wethu wabaphatha kahle ababelethisi, abantu banda baba namandla kakhulu. 21Futhi ngokuba ababelethisi bemesaba uBaba wethu, wabanika imizi yabo siqu. 22uFaro wayala bonke abantu bakhe, wathi: “Yonke indodana ezalwa ngamaHeberu niyiphonse emfuleni iNayile, kodwa yonke indodakazi niyiyeke iphile.”
