Amabhudango kaJosefa
1UJakopo wahlala enarheni lapha gade kukhonze khona uyise, inarha yeKanana.
2Lo mlando womndeni kaJakopo.
UJosefa, isokana elineminyaka elitjhumi nekhomba, gade elusa imihlambi nabafowabo okumadodana kaBhilirha newakaZilipa abafazi bakayise. Wabaceba kuyise ngakho koke okumbi ebebakwenza. 3U-Israyeli gade athanda uJosefa khulu ukudlula amanye amadodana ngombana wabelethelwa yena sele amdala. Wamenzela ijasana kanokutjho. 4Kuthe bona abafowabo babone bonyana uyise umthanda khulu kunabo boke, bamfela umona begodu nokukhuluma kwakhe kuhle bebangasakuthathi.
5UJosefa waba nebhudango, kwathi lokha nakatjela abafowabo, bamfela umona ukudlula. 6Wathi kibo: “Akhese nilalele nanti ibhudango engibe nalo: 7Uyazi gade sibopha iintjherefu zekoroyi esimini. Qalani khonapho isitjherefu sami savuka sajama rwe, nanziya zenu zizombeleza bezikhothamele sami.”
8Abafowabo bathi kuye: “Eya, hi! Utjho bonyana wena uzoba yikosethu, usibuse na?”
Bamhloya khulu ngebanga lebhudango lakhelo nalokho akutjhwileko.
9UJosefa waba nelinye ibhudango, watjela abafowabo godu wathi: “Lalelani, ngibe nelinye ibhudango. Ngibone ilanga nenyezi neenkwekwezi ezilitjhumi nanye zingikhothamela.”
10Kuthe lokha nakatjela uyise nabafowabo ngebhudangwelo, uyise wamthethisa wathi: “Libhudango bani lakhweli wena msana? Udlumbana bonyana mbala mina nonyoko nabafowenu sizakuza kuwe sihlome iinhloko phasi phambi kwakho na?”
11Abafowabo basilingeka ngaye, kodwana uyise wayidlela ngaphakathi indaba le.
UJosefa uthengiswa bafowabo
12Abanakwabo kaJosefa gade bayokwelusa imihlambi kayise eduze neTjhekemu, 13u-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Angithi uyazi bonyana abanakwenu belusele imihlambi eduze neTjhekemu? Yewize-ke ngikuthume kibo.”
UJosefa waphendula wathi: “Kulungile baba.”
14Uyise wathi kuye: “Khamba uyokuqala bonyana koke kusakhamba kuhle ngabafowenu nemihlambi na bese ungilethela ilizwi.”
Nje-ke uyise wamthuma; wasuka emrhobeni weRhebroni, akhamba ngendlela eya eTjhekemu. 15Umuntu othileko wafunyana uJosefa azulazula emmangweni alahlekile, wambuza wathi: “Uzulazula nje ufunani?”
16UJosefa wamphendula wathi: “Ngifuna abanakwethu. Kghani ungangitlhadlhula bonyana beluselephi umhlambabo?”
17Umuntu loyo wathi: “Sebasuka lapha. Ngabezwa basithi, ‘Asiyeni eDotani.’ ”
Yeke uJosefa wabalandela wabafumana eDotani. 18Bambona aseza kude. Kwathi angakafiki nokufika babesele bamenzele ubukhwebetjhana bokumbulala. 19Bathi omunye komunye: “Qalani, nasiya isibhudangikazesiya sisiza! 20Nje-ke yizani sisibulale, sisiphosele ngakomunye wemigodi yomphathamanzi le bese sithi sekwavela isibandana sommango sasiqeda nya. Khesibone bonyana kuzakwenzakalani ngamabhudangwanaso lawo.”
21URubeni wathi bona ezwe lokho, walinga ukuphephisa uJosefa ezandleni zabo ngombana wadlumbana wathi: “Singambulali.” 22Yeke wathi kubafowabo: “Ningathululi iingazi. Mphoseleni ngemgodini womphathamanzi oserhalawumbeni lo, kodwana ningamusi isandla.”
URubeni watjho lokhu ukuze amphephise ezandleni zabo kobana akghone ukumbuyisela kuyise.
23Kuthe lokha uJosefa nakafika kibomnakwabo, bamhlubulisa ijasanakhe agade ayembethe, okuyijasana kanokutjho. 24Bamthatha bamphosela ngemgodini womphathamanzi onganalitho.
25Kuthe nabahlala phasi bonyana bagome, bathi nabaphakamisa amehlo babona umlandelande wama-Itjhimayeli uvela eGiliyadi. Amakamelawo gade asiya eGibhide, athwele iinthako zokwenza amakha azithethe emihlobohlobeni yemithi.
26UJuda wathi kubafowabo: “Sizakuzuzani nasibulala umfowethu bese sidibizesa iingazi zakhe? 27Kubayini singamthengiseli ama-Itjhimayeli lawa? Ngalokho sizabe singakambeki isandla ngombana vele mfowethu, uziingazi nenyamethu.”
Abanakwabo bavumelana naye. 28Yeke kuthe lokha abarhwebi bamaMidiyani nabadlulako, abanakwabo bakhupha uJosefa ngemgodini bamthengisela ama-Itjhimayeli ngeempaparwana ezimatjhumi amabili zesiliva. Wona akhamba naye eGibhide.
29Kuthe lokha uRubeni nabuyela emgodini womphathamanzi wafumana uJosefa angasekho lapho, warathula izambatho zakhe. 30Wabuyela kubafowabo wafese wathi kibo: “Umsana loya akasesekho lapha! Maye mina, ngizakuba yini?”
31Yeke bahlaba imbuzi, bathatha ijasana kaJosefa bayenya eengazini zayo. 32Bathumela ijasana kanokutjho leyo kuyise bathi: “Sithole lokhu. Kuqale bonyana akusi ngokwendodanakho na?”
33UJakopo wayibona wayazi wathi: “Maye mina, yijasana yomsanami le! Kutjho bonyana esinye seembandana ezinelaka simbulele! Ngambala uJosefa urathulwe waba ziinquqwana!”
34Yeke uJakopo wadabula izambatho zakhe, wembatha umgodla. Kwathi lokha nasoloko alilela indodanakhe isikhathi eside, 35boke abantwabakhe basikima beza kuye bamduduze, kodwana wala ukududuzwa wathi: “Ngizokulila bengehlele phasi ethuneni lapha kunendodanami khona.” Wamlilela njalo-ke uyise.
36AmaMidiyani wona athengisa uJosefa eGibhide kuPothifara oyinduna ekulu yakaFaro nomphathi wobuzimba.
