IGenesisi 45

45 ¹UJosefa wayengasakwazi ukuzibamba phambi kwabo bonke ababemi ngakuye, ngakho wamemeza wathi: “Mkhipheni wonke umuntu kimi!” Akusalanga muntu naye lapho uJosefa eziveza kubafowabo. ²Wakhala ngomsindo omkhulu kangangokuba abaseGibhithe bamuzwa, nendlu kaFaro yakuzwa. ³UJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “NginguJosefa! Ubaba usaphila na?” Kodwa abafowabo abakwazanga ukumphendula, ngokuba babethuswe ubukhona bakhe.

⁴UJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “Ake nisondele kimi.” Basondela. Wathi: “NginguJosefa umfowenu, enamthengisa waya eGibhithe.

⁵Manje ningadabuki noma nizithukuthelele ngokungithengisela lapha, ngokuba uBaba wethu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukuze alondoloze impilo. ⁶Indlala isibe khona ezweni iminyaka emibili manje; kusasele iminyaka emihlanu lapho kungeyikuba khona kulima nakuvuna. ⁷UBaba wethu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukuze anigcinele insali emhlabeni, anilondoloze niphile njengeqembu elikhulu labasindile. ⁸Ngakho-ke, akusinina eningithumele lapha, kodwa nguBaba wethu—wangenza ubaba kuFaro, inkosi yendlu yakhe yonke, nombusi wezwe lonke laseGibhithe. ^a a v8 UJosefa ubiza ubugqila bakhe ngokuthi kuwukunakekela kukaBaba wethu — ububi babafowabo necebo likaBaba lokuhlenga kugijima ngesenzakalo esisodwa.

⁹Sheshani, nikhuphukele kubaba, nimtshele nithi: Indodana yakho uJosefa ithi: UBaba wethu ungenze inkosi yeGibhithe lonke. Yehlela kimi; ungalibali. ¹⁰Uyakuhlala ezweni laseGosheni, eduze nami—wena, nabantwana bakho, nabantwana babantwana bakho, nemihlambi yakho yezimvu, nezinkomo zakho, nakho konke onakho. ¹¹Ngiyakukunakekela lapho—kusasele iminyaka emihlanu yendlala—ukuze wena nendlu yakho nakho konke onakho ningaweli ebuphofini. ¹²Amehlo enu ayabona, namehlo omfowethu uBhenjamini ayabona, ukuthi ngumlomo wami uqobo okhuluma nani. ¹³Nitshele ubaba ngayo yonke inhlonipho yami eGibhithe, nangakho konke enikubonileyo. Sheshani nimehlisele lapha ubaba. ¹⁴Wayesewela entanyeni yomfowabo uBhenjamini wakhala, noBhenjamini wakhala entanyeni yakhe.” ¹⁵Wabanga bonke abafowabo wakhala phezu kwabo. Emva kwalokho abafowabo bakhuluma naye.

¹⁶Izindaba zafika endlini kaFaro zokuthi: “Abafowabo bakaJosefa bafikile.” Kwamthokozisa uFaro nezikhulu zakhe. ¹⁷UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Yithi kubafowenu: yenzani lokhu—thwalisani izilwane zenu, nihambe, nibuyele ezweni laseKhanani. ¹⁸Nithathe uyihlo nemizi yenu nize kimi. Ngiyakuninika okuhle kakhulu kwezwe laseGibhithe, nidle amafutha ezwe. ¹⁹Uyalelwe ukuthi: batshele uthi, ‘Yenzani lokhu—thathani izinqola eGibhithe zabantwana benu nabafazi benu, nilethe uyihlo, nize. ²⁰Ningakhathazeki ngempahla yenu—okuhle kakhulu kwezwe lonke laseGibhithe kungokwenu.’”

²¹Benza njalo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli; uJosefa wabanika izinqola njengokomyalo kaFaro, wabanika nomphako wendlela. ²²Wanika yilowo nalowo isembatho sokushintsha, kodwa uBhenjamini wamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamakhulu amathathu nezembatho ezinhlanu zokushintsha. ²³Wathumela uyise obabhemi abayishumi bethwele okuhle kakhulu kweGibhithe, nezimbongolo zensikazi eziyishumi zithwele okusanhlamvu nesinkwa nokudla kohambo lwakhe. ²⁴Wabandulula abafowabo; besahamba, wathi: “Ningaxabani endleleni.”

²⁵Basuka eGibhithe bafika kuyise uJakobe eKhanani. ²⁶Bamtshela bathi: “UJosefa usaphila—ungumbusi weGibhithe lonke!” Kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yaba buthuntu; akabakholwanga. ²⁷Kodwa lapho bemtshela onke amazwi kaJosefa ayewakhulume kubo, wabona nezinqola uJosefa ayezithumele ukumthwala, umoya kayise uJakobe wavuseleleka. ²⁸U-Israyeli wathi: “Kwanele! UJosefa indodana yami usaphila. Ngiyakuhamba ngiyombona ngingakafi.”