IGenesisi 39

39 ¹UJosefa wehliselwa eGibhithe; uPhothifari, isikhulu saseGibhithe sikaFaro, induna yabaqaphi, wamthenga kuma-Ishmayeli ayemehlisele khona. ²UBaba wethu wayenoJosefa; waphumelela, ekhonza endlini yenkosi yakhe engumGibhithe. ³Inkosi yakhe yabona ukuthi uBaba wethu wayenaye, nokuthi uBaba wethu wayephumelelisa konke akwenzayo esandleni sakhe. ⁴UJosefa wathola umusa kuye, wamkhonza; inkosi yakhe yambeka uJosefa phezu kwendlu yayo, yamphathisa konke eyayinakho. ⁵Kusukela mhla eyabeka uJosefa phezu kwendlu yayo nakho konke eyayinakho, uBaba wethu wayibusisa indlu yomGibhithe ngenxa kaJosefa; isibusiso sikaBaba wethu saba phezu kwakho konke eyayinakho, endlini nasensimini. ⁶UPhothifari wakushiya konke ayenakho ezandleni zikaJosefa, engazi lutho ngaphandle kokudla ayekudla. UJosefa wayenesimo esihle, ebukeka.

⁷Emva kwalezi zinto, umfazi wenkosi yakhe waphonsa amehlo akhe kuJosefa, wathi: “Lala nami.”

⁸Wenqaba, wathi kumfazi wenkosi yakhe: “Bheka, njengoba ngikhona, inkosi yami ayinaki lutho endlini; konke enakho ikubeke ezandleni zami. ⁹Akekho omkhulu kunami kule ndlu; akagodlanga lutho kimi ngaphandle kwakho, ngokuba ungumkakhe. Pho ngingakwenza kanjani lokhu kubi okukhulu, ngone kuBaba wethu?” ^a a v9 UJosefa ubiza isono ngegama laso langempela — akukona ukwephula umthetho kodwa ukulimaza inhliziyo kaBaba obelokhu emthanda kwaze kwaba yilo mzuzu kanye.

¹⁰Usuku nosuku wayekhuluma noJosefa, kodwa wenqaba ukumlalela, ukulala eceleni kwakhe, ukuba naye. ¹¹Ngolunye usuku uJosefa wangena endlini ukuze enze umsebenzi wakhe, kungekho muntu wendlu ngaphakathi. ¹²Wambamba ngengubo yakhe, wathi: “Lala nami!” Wayishiya esandleni sakhe, wabalekela ngaphandle.

¹³Kwathi lapho ebona ukuthi uyishiyile ingubo yakhe esandleni sakhe, wabalekela ngaphandle, ¹⁴wabiza amadoda endlu yakhe, wathi: “Bhekani—usilethele indoda engumHebheru ukuba isihleke usulu. Ingene kimi ukuze ilale nami, ngamemeza ngezwi elikhulu. ¹⁵Kuthe lapho ingizwa ngiphakamisa izwi lami, yayishiya ingubo yayo eceleni kwami, yabalekela ngaphandle. ¹⁶Wayigcina ingubo yakhe eceleni kwakhe, kwaze kwafika inkosi yakhe ekhaya.” ¹⁷Wamtshela ngendaba efanayo: “Isisebenzi esingumHebheru osilethele sona size kimi ukuba singihleke usulu. ¹⁸Kodwa kwathi lapho ngimemeza, sayishiya ingubo yaso eceleni kwami, sabalekela ngaphandle.”

¹⁹Kwathi lapho inkosi yakhe izwa amazwi omkayo kuyo—“Isisebenzi sakho singenze lezi zinto”—intukuthelo yayo yavutha.

²⁰Inkosi kaJosefa yamthatha, yamfaka etilongweni lapho kwakuboshwe khona iziboshwa zenkosi. Wahlala khona etilongweni. ²¹Kodwa uBaba wethu wayenoJosefa, wambonisa uthando lwesivumelwano, wamenzela ukuba athole umusa emehlweni omphathi wetilongo. ²²Umphathi wetilongo wambeka uJosefa phezu kwazo zonke iziboshwa; konke okwakwenziwa khona, wayekwenza yena. ²³Umphathi akazange abheke lutho olwaluphethwe nguJosefa, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenaye—konke akwenzayo, uBaba wethu wakuphumelelisa.