UJakobe Uhlala eKhanani
UJosefa ubika ngabafowabo, ugqoka ingubo uyise ayemenzele yona, futhi abatshele ngephupho lapho bemkhothamela khona. Bahlela ukumbulala, kodwa esikhundleni salokho bayamthengisa, bese bevumela ingubo enegazi ikhulume okunye. UJakobe wenqaba yonke induduzo.
37 1UJakobe wahlala ezweni lapho uyise ayehlale khona njengowezizwe, izwe laseKhanani. 2Lo umlando womndeni kaJakobe. UJosefa, insizwa eneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa, wayelusa umhlambi nabafowabo, amadodana kaBiliha noZilipa, abafazi bakayise—waletha kuyise umbiko omubi ngabo. 3U-Israyeli wayemthanda uJosefa ukwedlula onke amanye amadodana akhe, ngokuba wamzalela ebudaleni bakhe; wamenzela ingubo enemibala eminingi. 4Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise umthanda ukubedlula bonke, bamzonda, abaze bakwazi ukukhuluma naye ngomusa.
5UJosefa waphupha iphupho, walitshela abafowabo; base bemzonda nakakhulu. 6Wathi kubo: “Ake nilalele leli phupho engiliphuphile: 7Bheka, besibopha izithungu ensimini, masinyane isithungu sami savuka sema ngokuqonda, masinyane izithungu zenu zabuthana zasizungeza zasikhothamela.”
8Abafowabo bathi kuye: “Uzosibusa ngempela yini? Uzosibusa kanjalo yini?” Base bemzonda nakakhulu ngenxa yamaphupho akhe namazwi akhe. 9Waphinde waphupha elinye iphupho, walitshela abafowabo, wathi: “Bhekani, ngiphuphe elinye iphupho—ilanga, inyanga, nezinkanyezi eziyishumi nanye kwakungikhothamela.” 10Kwathi eselitshele uyise nabafowabo, uyise wamthethisa, wathi: “Liyini leli phupho oliphuphile? Kanti mina, unyoko, nabafowenu sizofika ngempela sikhothame phansi phambi kwakho na?” 11Abafowabo bamhawukela, kodwa uyise wayigcina enhliziyweni le ndaba.
Uthunyelwa Kubafowabo
12Abafowabo base beyile ukuyokwelusa imihlambi kayise eduze neShekemi. 13U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu abelusi yini imihlambi eShekemi? Woza, ngizokuthuma kubo.” Waphendula wathi: “Ngilapha.”
14Wathi kuye: “Hamba uyobona ukuthi abafowenu nomhlambi baphila kanjani, ubuye ungibikele.” Wamthuma esuka eSigodini saseHebroni, uJosefa wafika eShekemi. 15Enye indoda yamfica ezulazula emasimini, yambuza, yathi: “Ufunani?”
16Waphendula wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu. Ake ungitshele ukuthi belusaphi imihlambi yabo.”
17Indoda yathi: “Basukile lapha. Ngibezwa bethi, ‘Masiye eDothani.’” UJosefa walandela abafowabo, wabafica eDothani.
18Bambona esekude, kwathi engakafiki kubo, benza icebo lokumbulala.
19Bathi omunye komunye: “Nangu lowaya mphuphi eza!” 20“Manje wozani, asimbulale, simphonse komunye wemigodi, bese sithi udliwe yisilwane sasendle. Khona-ke sizobona ukuthi amaphupho akhe aphetha ngani.”
21URubeni wezwa, wazama ukumophula ezandleni zabo, wathi: “Masingamthathi impilo yakhe.” 22URubeni wathi kubo: “Ningachithi gazi—mphonseni kulo mthombo ongenamanzi osehlane, kodwa ningamthinti.” URubeni washo lokhu ukuze amophule ezandleni zabo, ambuyisele kuyise. 23Kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ingubo yakhe—ingubo enemibala eminingi ayeyembethe. 24Bamthatha, bamphonsa emthonjeni. Umthombo wawungenalutho, ungenamanzi.
25Bahlala phansi ukuba badle; baphakamisa amehlo, babona udwendwe lwama-Ishmayeli luvela eGileyadi, amakamela alo ethwele amakha, inhlaka, nemure, kubheke eGibhithe. 26UJuda wathi kubafowabo: “Sizuzani uma simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe? 27Wozani, asimthengise kuma-Ishmayeli, singambeki isandla thina—ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu.” Abafowabo bavuma. 28Kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani sebedlula, abafowabo bamkhuphula uJosefa emgodini, bamthengisa kuma-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamashumi amabili; wona ama-Ishmayeli amyisa eGibhithe.
29Kwathi uRubeni ebuyela emthonjeni, ebona ukuthi uJosefa akekho, waklebhula izingubo zakhe. 30Wabuyela kubafowabo, wathi: “Umfana akasekho! Pho mina ngizophendukelaphi manje?”
31Base bethatha ingubo kaJosefa, bahlaba imbuzi, bayigxumuza ingubo egazini. 32Bathumela ingubo enemibala eminingi, bayiletha kuyise, bathi: “Sithole lokhu. Ake uhlole: ingubo yendodana yakho yini, noma cha?”
33Wayibona wathi: “Ingubo yendodana yami—udliwe yisilwane esibi! Impela uJosefa udatshuliwe.” 34UJakobe waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wembatha indwangu yokuzila, wamlilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. 35Onke amadodana akhe namadodakazi akhe eza ukuzomduduza, kodwa wenqaba ukududuzeka, wathi: “Cha, ngizokwehlela endodaneni yami ethuneni ngikhala.” Kanjalo uyise wamkhalela. a a v35 ISheoli yindawo yabafileyo—indawo enethunzi lapho wonke umuntu aya khona ekufeni, hhayi umqondo wakamuva weTestamente Elisha wesihogo njengendawo yokwahlulela. 36AmaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPotifari, isikhulu sikaFaro nenduna yabaqaphi.
