Indlala Ibamba Izwe
Yindlala kuphela eyenza uJakobe adedele uBenjamini, emphathisa uBaba wethu uSomandla, uJuda ethembisa ngokuphila kwakhe uqobo ngenxa yakhe. EGibhithe abafowabo balindele ukuboshwa kodwa esikhundleni salokho bathola idili, behlaliswe ngokulandelana kokuzalwa kwabo. UJosefa ubona uBenjamini futhi kumele aphume ekamelweni ayokhala.
43 1Indlala yayinkulu kakhulu ezweni. 2Kwathi sebeqedile ukudla okusanhlamvu ababekulethe eGibhithe, uyise wathi: “Buyelani niyosithengela ukudla okuncane.”
3Kodwa uJuda wathi kuye: “Indoda yasixwayisa kabukhali yathi: ‘Ngeke nibubone ubuso bami ningenaye umfowenu.’ 4Uma uthuma umfowethu kanye nathi, sizakwehla siyokuthengela ukudla. 5Kodwa uma ungamthumi, ngeke sihambe, ngokuba indoda ithe: ‘Ngeke nibubone ubuso bami ningenaye umfowenu.’”
6U-Israyeli wathi: “Kungani ningilimaze ngokutshela indoda ukuthi ninomfowenu omunye?”
7Bathi: “Indoda yasibuzisisa ngathi nangomndeni wethu: ‘Uyihlo usaphila na? Ninomfowenu omunye na?’ Saphendula ngokwalokho. Besingazi kanjani ukuthi izakuthi: ‘Yehlisani umfowenu’?”
8UJuda wathi kuyise u-Israyeli: “Thuma umfana kanye nami; asihambe, ukuze siphile singafi—thina, wena, nabantwana bethu. 9Ngizibophezela ngaye—umfune kimi. Uma ngingambuyisi ngimbeke phambi kwakho, ngizakuba necala phambi kwakho kuze kube phakade. 10Ngokuba uma besingalibalanga, ngempela ngalesi sikhathi ngabe sesibuye kabili.”
11U-Israyeli uyise wathi kubo: “Uma kumele kube njalo, yenzani lokhu: faka izithelo ezihle kunazo zonke zezwe emigodleni yenu, niyise indoda isipho—ibhalsamu encane, uju oluncane, iziyoliso, imure, amapistakiyo, nama-alimondi. 12Thathani imali ephindwe kabili, nibuyise lokho okwabuyiselwa emilonyeni yamasaka enu—mhlawumbe kwaba yiphutha. 13Thathani nomfowenu futhi, nibuyele kuleyo ndoda. 14Kwangathi u-Eli Shadayi—uBaba wethu uMninimandla onke—anganiphe umusa phambi kwaleyo ndoda, ukuze akhulule omunye umfowenu noBhenjamini. Kepha mina, uma ngifelwa abantwana bami, ngifelwe.”
15Amadoda athatha isipho, isiliva esiphindwe kabili, noBhenjamini, ehlela eGibhithe, ema phambi kukaJosefa.
16Ebona uBhenjamini enabo, uJosefa wathi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: “Ngenisa amadoda endlini, uhlabe isilwane usilungise—azakudla nami emini.” 17Indoda yenza njengokusho kukaJosefa, yangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa. 18Amadoda esaba ngokuba angeniswa endlini kaJosefa. Athi: “Kungenxa yemali eyabuyiselwa emasakeni ethu ngokokuqala, ngakho singeniswe—ukuze basihlasele, basiwele, basithathe sibe yizigqila, bathathe nezimbongolo zethu.” 19Ngakho asondela kumphathi wendlu kaJosefa, akhuluma naye emnyango, 20athi: “Siyacela, nkosi, sehla impela ngokokuqala ukuze sithenge ukudla. 21Endaweni yokulala, lapho sivula amasaka ethu, bheka, isiliva salowo nalowo sasisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe, ngesisindo esiphelele. Sisibuyisile ngezandla zethu. 22Silethe nenye imali eyengeziwe ukuze sithenge ukudla, kodwa asazi ukuthi ngubani oyifake emasakeni ethu.”
23Wathi: “Ukuthula makube kini, ningesabi. UBaba wenu noNkulunkulu kayihlo baninike ingcebo emasakeni enu; inkokhelo yenu yafika kimi.” Wayeseletha uSimeyoni kubo. 24Indoda yabangenisa endlini kaJosefa, yabanika amanzi, bageza izinyawo zabo; yazipha nezimbongolo zabo ukudla. 25Ngakho balungisa isipho, belindele ukufika kukaJosefa emini, ngokuba babezwile ukuthi bazakudlela khona. 26Kwathi uJosefa efika ekhaya, bamlethela isipho esasisezandleni zabo, bakhothama kuye, baze bafika phansi. 27Wababuza ukuthi baphila kanjani, wayesethi: “Uyihlo—leya ndoda endala enakhuluma ngayo—usaphila kahle na? Usaphila na?”
28Bathi: “Inceku yakho, ubaba wethu, isaphila kahle, isaphila.” Bakhothama baze baguqa phansi. 29Waphakamisa amehlo, wabona umfowabo uBhenjamini, indodana kanina, wabuza: “Lo nguye yini umfowenu omncane enanilokhu ningitshela ngaye?” Wayesethi: “UBaba wethu akube nomusa kuwe, ndodana yami.” 30UJosefa waphuthuma waphumela ngaphandle, ngokuba izibilini zakhe zamxhwayela umfowabo, efuna indawo yokukhala; wangena ekamelweni lakhe, wakhalela khona. 31Wayesegeza ubuso bakhe, waphuma; wazibamba wathi: “Lethani ukudla.”
32Bamphakela yedwa, nabafowabo bodwa, namaGibhithe ayedla naye wodwa—ngokuba amaGibhithe ayengenakudla isinkwa namaHeberu, ngoba lokho kuyinengiso kuwo. 33Bahlala phambi kwakhe: izibulo ngokobuzibulo balo, nomncane ngokobuncane bakhe—amadoda amangalelana odwa. 34Wabathumela izabelo ezivela etafuleni lakhe, isabelo sikaBhenjamini saphindwa kahlanu kunezabanye. Baphuza bajabula kanye naye.
