UGenesisi 37 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Amaphupho kaJosefa

¹ UJakobe wakha elizweni ayehlala kilo uyise, ilizwe laseKanani.

² Le yindaba yezizukulwana zikaJakobe. Kwathi uJosefa eseleminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa wayengumfana nje esalusa umhlambi kanye labafowabo, amadodana kaBiliha loZilipa omkayise; uJosefa waletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngabo.

³ UIsrayeli wayemthanda uJosefa kakhulu kulabo bonke abantwana bakhe, ngoba wayeyindodana yobudala bakhe; wamenzela isigqoko esilemikhono emide.

⁴ Kwathi abafowabo sebebonile ukuthi uyise uyamthanda kakhulu kulabo bonke abafowabo, bamzonda uJosefa, kabaze besakhuluma kuhle laye.

⁵ UJosefa waphupha iphupho, wabatshela abafowabo ngalo; kwang’khona bemzonda ngamandla.

⁶ Wathi kibo: Ake lizwe leliphupho engiliphuphileyo.

⁷ Khangelani, besibopha izithungo ensimini; isithungo sami sema saqonda, izithungo zenu zaphahla esami, zasikhothamela.

⁸ Abafowabo bathi kuye: Kanti wena uzakuba yinkosi yini, usibuse na? Bamzonda kakhulu ngenxa yamaphupho akhe lamazwi akhe.

⁹ Wabuya waphupha elinye iphupho. Wabatshela ngalo abafowabo wathi: Khangelani, ngiphuphe elinye iphupho; ilanga lenyanga lenkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye zingikhothamela.

¹⁰ Wabalandisela lona oyise labafowabo. Uyise wamsola wathi kuye: Liyini leliphupho oliphuphileyo na? Mina lonyoko labafowenu sizakhothamela emhlabathini phambi kwakho na?

¹¹ Abafowabo baba lomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wawagcina amazwi akhe enhliziyweni yakhe.

Ukuthengiswa kukaJosefa

¹² Abafowabo basebehamba ukuyalagisa umhlambi kayise eShekema.

¹³ UIsrayeli wathi kuJosefa: Abafowenu kabalagisi umhlambi eShekema na? Woza, ngikuthume kibo. Wathi kuye: Ngilapha.

¹⁴ UIsrayeli wathi kuye: Hambake khathesi, ubone ukuthi bayaphila yini abafowenu, lokuba umhlambi ulungile, ubuye ungibikele. Wasemthuma esuka esigodini saseHebroni wayafika eShekema.

¹⁵ Umuntu othile wamfumana ezula egangeni, wambuza wathi: Ufunani?

¹⁶ Wathi: Ngifuna abafowethu; ake ungitshele ukuthi balagisele ngaphi.

¹⁷ Lowomuntu wathi: Basukile lapha, ngoba ngabezwa besithi: Asiyeni eDothani. UJosefa wabalandela abafowabo, wabafumana eDothani.

¹⁸ Bambona esekhatshana. Engakafiki kubo, bamenzela icebo lokuba bambulale.

¹⁹ Bakhulumisana besithi: Nanguya umphuphi uyeza;

²⁰ wozani simbulale, simphosele komunye wemigodi, sithi: Isilo esibi simdlile. Kung’khona sizakubona ukuthi amaphupho akhe azakuba yini.

²¹ URubeni wakuzwa, wamophula ezandleni zabo, wathi: Asingambulali.

²² URubeni wathi kubo: Lingachithi gazi, kodwa mphoseleni kulumgodi osenkangala, lingabeki sandla kuye. Watsho lokhu ukuba amkhulule ezandleni zabo, ambuyisele kuyise.

²³ Kwathi uJosefa esefikile kubafowabo, bamhlubula isigqoko sakhe, isigqoko esilemikhono emide ayesigqokile;

²⁴ bamthatha, bamphosela emgodini; umgodi wawungelalutho ungelamanzi.

²⁵ Basebehlala phansi ukuba badle. Baphakamisa amehlo abo, babona ixuku lamaIshmayeli livela eGileyadi, lisiya eGibithe, lilamakamela alo ethwele inhlaka lamakha lemure.

²⁶ UJuda wasesithi kubafowabo: Kuzasisizani uba simbulala umfowethu sifihle igazi lakhe na?

²⁷ Wozani, simthengise kumaIshmayeli, singabeki zandla zethu kuye, ngoba umgumfowethu, uligazi lethu. Abafowabo bavumelana laye.

²⁸ Kwasekudlula amaMidiyani angabathengi; bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini, bamthengisa kumaIshmayeli ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amabili. Laboke bamusa eGibithe.

²⁹ URubeni wabuyela emgodini, wabona ukuthi uJosefa kasekho emgodini, wadabula ingubo zakhe.

³⁰ Wasebuyela kubafowabo wathi: Umfana kasekho; minake ngizakwenza njani?

³¹ Basebethatha isigqoko sikaJosefa, bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa isigqoko egazini.

³² Basithumela kuyise lesosigqoko esilemikhono emide, bathi: Sisidobhile lesisigqoko; akubone ukuba singesendodana yakho yini loba kayisiso.

³³ Wasibona wathi: Yiso isigqoko sendodana yami; isilo esibi simdlile, impela uJosefa udliwe.

³⁴ UJakobe wadabula ingubo zakhe, wagqoka izambatho zokulila, wayililela indodana yakhe insuku ezinengi.

³⁵ Wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe eza ukumduduza, kodwa wala ukududuzwa, ngoba wathi: Ngizakwehlela endaweni yabafileyo endodaneni yami ngilila. Uyise wamlilela.

³⁶ AmaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibithe kuPotifa, inceku kaFaro lenduna yabalindi bakhe.