IGenesisi 41

41 ¹Kwathi sekudlule iminyaka emibili egcwele, uFaro waphupha: wayemi ngaseNayile. ²Izinkomo eziyisikhombisa, ezinhle nezikhulupheleyo, zakhuphuka eNayile, zaklaba phakathi kwemihlanga. ³Izinkomo ezinye eziyisikhombisa, ezimbi nezacile, zakhuphuka emva kwazo eNayile, zema eceleni kwazo ogwini lweNayile. ⁴Izinkomo ezimbi nezacile zadla izinkomo eziyisikhombisa ezinhle nezikhulupheleyo, uFaro wasevuka. ⁵Waphinda walala, waphupha okwesibili: izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa, ezikhulupheleyo nezinhle, zakhula esiqwini sinye. ⁶Kwathi emva kwazo, izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa zahluma—zacile zishiswe ngumoya wasempumalanga. ⁷Izikhwebu ezacile zagwinya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezikhulupheleyo nezigcwele. UFaro wasevuka—kwakuyiphupho. ⁸Ekuseni umoya wakhe wakhathazeka; wathumela wabiza bonke abalumbi baseGibhithe nabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo bayo. UFaro wabatshela amaphupho akhe, kodwa akubangakho noyedwa owakwaziyo ukuwachaza kuye.

⁹Induna yabaphatheli bezitsha yathi kuFaro: “Namuhla ngiyakhunjuzwa ngamacala ami. ¹⁰UFaro wayethukuthelele izinceku zakhe, wangifaka ekugcineni endlini yenduna yabaqaphi, kanye nenduna yababhaki. ¹¹Mina naye saphupha ngabo bunye ubusuku, kwaba yilowo nalowo nephupho lakhe linencazelo yalo. ¹²Kwakukhona nathi insizwa yomHebheru, inceku yenduna yabaqaphi. Sayitshela amaphupho ethu, yawachaza, kwaba yilelo nalelo ngokwencazelo yalo. ¹³Njengoba nje wasichazela, kwenzeka kanjalo: ngabuyiselwa esikhundleni sami, omunye walengiswa.”

¹⁴UFaro wathumela ukubiza uJosefa, bamkhipha ngokushesha emgodini. Waphuca, washintsha izingubo zakhe, weza phambi kukaFaro. ¹⁵UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Ngiphuphe iphupho okungekho noyedwa ongalichaza. Ngizwile ngawe ukuthi uma uzwa iphupho, uyakwazi ukulichaza.”

¹⁶UJosefa waphendula wathi: “Angikwazi lokho ngokwami. UBaba wethu uyakunika uFaro impendulo enhle.”

¹⁷UFaro wasethi kuJosefa: “Ephushweni lami bengimi ogwini lweNayile. ¹⁸Kwakhuphuka izinkomo eziyisikhombisa ezikhulupheleyo nezinhle eNayile, zaklaba phakathi kwemihlanga. ¹⁹Kwase kukhuphuka izinkomo ezinye eziyisikhombisa emva kwazo—ezondileyo, ezimbi kakhulu, ezacile—engangingakaze ngizibone ezinjalo kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe. ²⁰Izinkomo ezacile nezimbi zadla izinkomo zokuqala eziyisikhombisa ezikhulupheleyo. ²¹Nanxa zase zizidlile, kwakungabonakali, ngokuba zazisabukeka zimbi njengakuqala. Ngase ngivuka. ²²Ephushweni lami ngabona izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa zikhula esiqwini sinye, zigcwele zinhle. ²³Emva kwazo kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa—ezibunileyo, ezacile, zishiswe ngumoya wasempumalanga. ²⁴Izikhwebu ezacile zagwinya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle. Ngabatshela abalumbi, kodwa akubangakho noyedwa owakwaziyo ukungichazela.”

²⁵UJosefa wathi kuFaro: “Amaphupho kaFaro manye: uBaba wethu wambulele uFaro lokho azimisele ukukwenza. ²⁶Izinkomo eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa, nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa—liphupho linye. ²⁷Izinkomo eziyisikhombisa ezacile nezimbi ezikhuphuke emva kwazo ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa, nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezingenalutho ezishiswe ngumoya wasempumalanga ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala. ²⁸Yilokhu engikutshele uFaro: uBaba wethu umbonisile uFaro lokho azimisele ukukwenza. ²⁹Kuza iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala enkulu kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe. ³⁰Kuyakulandela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala. Yonke inala yaseGibhithe iyakukhohlakala, indlala iyakuqeda izwe. ³¹Inala iyakukhohlakala ezweni, ngokuba indlala eyakulandela iyakuba nkulu kangaka. ³²Ukuphindwa kabili kwephupho likaFaro kusho ukuthi uBaba wethu uyimisile ngokuqinileyo le ndaba, futhi uBaba wethu uyakuyifeza masinyane.

³³Ngalokho uFaro makathole umuntu oqondisisayo nohlakaniphileyo, ammise phezu kwezwe laseGibhithe. ³⁴UFaro makenze, amise ababonisi phezu kwezwe, athathe ingxenye yesihlanu yesivuno saseGibhithe phakathi neminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala. ³⁵Mababuthe konke ukudla kwale minyaka emihle ezayo, babekelele amabele ngaphansi kwesandla sikaFaro kube ukudla emizini, bakugcine. ³⁶Lokho kudla kuyakuba ngokubekelelwe izwe phakathi neminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala eyakwehlela izwe laseGibhithe, ukuze izwe lingaqedwa yindlala.”

Isu elihlakaniphile leminyaka ezayo

³⁷Leli su labonakala lilihle kuFaro nasezincekwini zakhe zonke. ³⁸UFaro wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Singamthola yini umuntu onje, indoda enoMoya kaNkulunkulu kuyo?” ³⁹UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Njengoba uNkulunkulu ekubonisile konke lokhu, akekho oqondisisayo nohlakaniphileyo njengawe. ⁴⁰Uyakuba phezu kwendlu yami; bonke abantu bami bayakulalela umyalo wakho. Kuphela esihlalweni sobukhosi engiyakuba mkhulu kunawe kuso.” ⁴¹UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Bheka, ngikumisile phezu kwalo lonke izwe laseGibhithe.”

⁴²UFaro wakhumula indandatho yakhe yophawu esandleni sakhe, wayifaka esandleni sikaJosefa, wamgqokisa izingubo zelineni elicolekileyo, wafaka umgexo wegolide entanyeni yakhe. ⁴³UFaro wagibelisa uJosefa enqoleni yakhe yesibili, wenza amadoda amemeza phambi kukaJosefa athi: “Guqani!” wambeka phezu kwalo lonke izwe laseGibhithe. ⁴⁴UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Mina nginguFaro; ngaphandle kwakho akekho oyakunyakazisa isandla noma unyawo kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe.” ⁴⁵UFaro wamqamba uJosefa igama lokuthi uZafenati-Phaneya, wamnika u-Aseneti, indodakazi kaPhothifera, umpristi wase-Oni, ukuba ngumkakhe. UJosefa wase ephuma phezu kwezwe laseGibhithe. ^a a v45 I-Oni lalingumuzi omkhulu waseGibhithe nesikhungo sokukhonza ilanga—owawaziwa ngamaGreki ngokuthi yiHeliyopholisi, eduze neKhayiro yanamuhla.

⁴⁶UJosefa wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu lapho ema phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Waphuma phambi kukaFaro, wahamba kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe. ⁴⁷Phakathi neminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala, izwe lathela ngokuchichimayo. ⁴⁸Waqoqa konke ukudla kweminyaka eyisikhombisa eGibhithe, wakubekelela emizini, kwaba yilowo nalowo muzi nokudla kwamasimu awuzungelezileyo. ⁴⁹UJosefa wabekelela amabele njengesihlabathi solwandle—amaningi kangangokuba wayeka ukuwabala; ayengenakubalwa. ⁵⁰Ngaphambi kweminyaka yendlala, uJosefa wazala amadodana amabili ngo-Aseneti, indodakazi kaPhothifera, umpristi wase-Oni. ⁵¹UJosefa waqamba izibulo igama lokuthi uManase: “Ngokuba uBaba wethu ungenze ngakhohlwa yonke inhlupheko yami nayo yonke indlu kababa.” ^b b v51 Igama elithi Manase lisho ukuthi “ukwenza ukukhohlwa.” ⁵²Waqamba owesibili igama lokuthi u-Efrayimi: “Ngokuba uBaba wethu ungenze ngaba nezithelo ezweni lokuhlupheka kwami.” ^c c v52 Igama elithi Efrayimi lisho ukuthi “onezithelo.”

⁵³Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala ezweni laseGibhithe yaphela. ⁵⁴Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala yaqala, njengoba nje uJosefa wayeshilo. Indlala yehlela kuwo wonke amazwe, kodwa kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe kwakukhona isinkwa. ⁵⁵Kwathi indlala isiwehlele wonke iGibhithe, abantu bakhala kuFaro becela isinkwa. UFaro wathi kuwo wonke amaGibhithe: “Yanini kuJosefa; nenze lokho anitshela khona.” ⁵⁶Kwathi indlala isanda ezweni lonke, uJosefa wavula zonke iziphala, wathengisa amabele kumaGibhithe, ngokuba indlala yayinkulu eGibhithe. ⁵⁷Umhlaba wonke weza eGibhithe ukuthenga amabele kuJosefa, ngokuba indlala yayibambe umhlaba wonke.