UJosefa Nabafowabo
1UJakobe wakha eKhanani, ezweni okwakukade kuhlala kulo uyise. 2Lena yindaba kaJakobe nezizukulwane zakhe.
Kwathi uJosefa eseneminyaka eyi-17, elusa umhlambi nabafowabo ababezalwa nguBhiliha noZilipha, abafazi bakayise, uJosefa wabika umbiko omubi ngabafowabo kuyise. 3U-Israyeli wayemthanda uJosefa kunawo wonke amadodana akhe, kwazise wayemthole esemdala. Wamthungela ingubo enemikhono emide. 4Abafowabo bakubona ukuthi uyise umthanda kunabo bonke abafowabo, ngakho-ke bamzonda, futhi ababe besakwazi ukukhuluma kahle naye.
Amaphupho KaJosefa
5UJosefa waphupha iphupho, wayeselitshela abafowabo, okuthe bangalizwa bamzonda ngokwedlulele. 6Wathi kubo: “Ake nizwe iphupho engiliphuphileyo. 7Besibopha izinyanda ensimini, kwathi inyanda yami yaphakama yema, ezenu zase ziyizungeza, zayikhothamela.”
8Abafowabo bathi kuye: “Usho ukuthi uzoba yinkosi yethu usibuse na?”
Yabhebhetheka kakhulu inzondo kubafowabo ngenxa yamaphupho namazwi akhe.
9UJosefa wabuye waphupha, wabalandisa futhi abafowabo, wathi: “Ngiphuphe ngibona ilanga, nenyanga, nezinkanyezi eziyi-11 kungikhothamela.”
10Wamlandisa noyise njengoba enze kubafowabo, kodwa uyise wamthethisa, wathi kuye: “Phupho lini leli oliphuphileyo na? Usho ukuthi unyoko nami nabafowenu siyokuza sikukhothamele na?”
11Abafowabo baba nomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wawagcina enhliziyweni yakhe lawo maphupho.
Ukuthengiswa KukaJosefa Ngabafowabo
12Ngelinye ilanga abafowabo bakaJosefa bahamba nomhlambi kayise beyowelusela eShekhemu. 13U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu abelusele yini eShekhemu na? Woza ukuze ngikuthume kubo.”
UJosefa wathi: “Ngilapha baba.”
14Wathi kuye: “Hamba uyobona ukuthi abafowenu nemfuyo basaphatheke kahle yini, bese ungilethela umbiko.”
Wamthuma esuka esigodini eHebhroni, waze wayofika eShekhemu.
15Umuntu mumbe wamfumana ezulazula endle, wambuza wathi: “Ufunani lapha na?”
16Wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu. Ngiyakuncenga, ngitshele ukuthi ngabe belusele kuphi na?”
17Leyo ndoda yathi: “Basukile lapha. Ngibezwe bethi: ‘Asihambe siye eDothani.’ ”
UJosefa wahamba wabalandela, waze wabathola khona eDothani. 18Bambona esekude engakasondeli eduze kwabo, base bemakhela ugobe lokumbulala.
19Bathi omunye komunye: “Nansi inyanga yamaphupho iza. 20Wozani siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi, bese sithi kubaba: ‘Udliwe yisilwane esibi sasendle,’ sibone-ke ukuthi amaphupho akhe ayofika kuphi.”
21URubeni ekuzwa lokho, wazama ukumphephisa kubo, wathi: “Asingambulali. 22Ningalichithi igazi! Mphonseni emgodini khona lapha ehlane, ningambeki isandla!”
Wayefuna ukumphephisa kubo ukuze amphindisele kuyise.
23Uthe lapho uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ingubo yakhe ayeyigqokile embalabala, enemikhono emide. 24Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini owawomile, ungenamanzi.
25Bahlala phansi, badla; kuthe bephakamisa amehlo, babona ihele labakwa-Ishmayeli liqhamuka kwaGileyadi, amakameli abo ethwele inhlaka, nebhalisamu, nemure, bekwehlisela eGibhithe.
26UJuda wathi kubafowabo: “Siyozuzani ngokubulala umfowethu, bese sifihla igazi lakhe na? 27Asimthengisele abakwa-Ishmayeli engenamyocu, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu.”
Abafowabo bamlalela.
28Kwathi lapho kwedlula abahwebi bakwaMidiyani, bamkhipha uJosefa emgodini, bamthengisa kwabakwa-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingama-20, ababe sebemthatha bahamba, baya naye eGibhithe.
29URubeni wabuyela emgodini, washaqeka engasamfici uJosefa lapho, wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe. 30Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi kubo: “Akasekho umfana emgodini, ngizoshonaphi mina na?”
31Bathatha ingubo kaJosefa ende, base behlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo kaJosefa egazini layo. 32Bayithumela ingubo ende enemibala ehlukene kuyise, bathi: “Nakhu esikutholile. Ake uhlolisise ubone ukuthi akusiyona yini ingubo yendodana yakho na?”
33UJakobe eyibona, wathi: “Yingubo yendodana yami le. Isilwane esibi sasendle simdlile. Simdwengulile uJosefa waba yizicucu.”
34UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wembatha isaka okhalo lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. 35Onke amadodana namadodakazi akhe, afika ukuzomduduza, kepha kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Wathi: “Ngiyoze ngiye kwelabafileyo ngisayililela indodana yami.”
Waqhubeka nokuyililela indodana yakhe.
36AbakwaMidiyani bamthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPotifari, inceku kaFaro, induna yabalindi.
