IGenesisi 41

₁Emva kweminyaka emibili, uFaro waphupha emi ngasemfuleni. ₂Kwase kwenyuka emfuleni izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa ezibukeka kahle, zikhuluphele, zadla emhlangeni. ₃Kwaphinde kwenyuka emfuleni ezinye izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa, ezazibukeka kabi, zondile, zema eduze kwalezo ezazisosebeni lomfula. ₄Kwathi lezo ezibukeka kabi ezondileyo zadla lezo ezibukeka kahle ezondlekileyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro.

₅Walala, wabuye waphupha okwesibili. Bheka, kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ohlangeni olulodwa, zizinhle, futhi sezivuthiwe. ₆Wabona kuhluma ezinye izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa eziyiminconco, zizacile, futhi zishiswe ngumoya weshisandlu wasempumalanga. ₇Izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezizacileyo zagwinya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle nezivuthiweyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro; bheka, kwakuyiphupho.

₈Ekuseni uFaro wakhathazeka emoyeni wakhe, wathumela ukuba kubizwe zonke izanusi, nazo zonke izihlakaniphi zaseGibhithe, wabatshela ngamaphupho akhe, kodwa akekho namunye owakwazi ukumchazela wona.

₉Induna yabaphathindebe kaFaro yathi kuye: “Namhlanje ngiyawakhumbula amacala ami. ₁₀UFaro wayezithukuthelele izinceku zakhe, mina nenduna yababhakizinkwa wasigquma ejele, endlini yomphathi wabaqaphi. ₁₁Ngabusuku bunye saphupha, yilowo nalowo iphupho elinencazelo eyehlukile kwelomunye. ₁₂Kwakukhona lapho kanye nathi ibhungu lomHebheru, isigqila senduna yabalindi benkosi. Salilandisa ngamaphupho ethu, lawachaza, yilelo ngokwencazelo yalo, ₁₃kwaba njengoba lalishilo, mina ngabuyiselwa esikhundleni sami, kwathi induna yababhakizinkwa yaphanyekwa.”

₁₄UFaro wathumela ukuba kubizwe uJosefa, bashesha bamkhipha emgodini, wagunda, wagqoka izingubo ezihlanzekileyo, wayeseya kuFaro.

₁₅UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Ngiphuphile, kodwa akekho umuntu okwazi ukungichazela. Ngizwile ngawe ukuthi kuyothi uma ulizwa leli phupho bese ungichazela.”

₁₆UJosefa wamphendula uFaro, wathi: “Angikwazi ukukwenza lokho; nguNkulunkulu ozochazela uFaro ngendlela egculisayo.”

₁₇UFaro wayesethi kuJosefa: “Ngiphuphe ngimi osebeni lomfula iNayili; ₁₈kwakhuphuka emfuleni izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa ezibukeka kahle ezikhulupheleyo, zaklaba emhlangeni. ₁₉Emva kwazo kwase kukhuphuka ezinye izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa ezondileyo zibukeka kabi. Angikaze ngizibone izinkomazi ezimbi ngale ndlela kulo lonke iGibhithe. ₂₀Izinkomazi ezondileyo, ezibukeka kabi, zadla lezi zokuqala ezikhulupheleyo. ₂₁Kuthe sezizidlile, akwabonakala mehluko wokuthi kukhona ezikudlileyo, zazibukeka zizimbi njengakuqala. Ngase ngiphaphama.”

₂₂“Ngabuye ngabona ephusheni izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa zibelethwe wuhlanga olulodwa, ziphelele, zizinhle. ₂₃Ngabuye ngabona kuhluma ezinye izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa emva kwazo, zizacile, zishiswe ngumoya weshisandlu wasempumalanga. ₂₄Izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezizacileyo zagwinya lezo ezinhle. Ngizazisile izanusi ngalawa maphupho, kodwa asikho esingichazele wona.”

₂₅UJosefa wayesethi kuFaro: “Iphupho likaFaro lilodwa. UNkulunkulu umambulele uFaro ngezinto azozenza. ₂₆Izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa, nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa. Yiphupho elilodwa lelo. ₂₇Izinkomazi eziyisikhombisa ezondileyo nezibukeka kabi ezakhuphuka emva kwezinye, ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa, kanjalo nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezizacileyo, zashiswa ngumoya weshisandlu wasempumalanga, ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala. ₂₈Lokhu engikushilo kuFaro, yilokho uNkulunkulu azokwenza, futhi umembulele khona uFaro. ₂₉Uyabona-ke, kuzoba khona iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala kulo lonke iGibhithe. ₃₀Kuyolandela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala, eyokwenza iminyaka yenala ikhohlweke eGibhithe, iyolikhahlameza kakhulu lonke izwe. ₃₁Akusayukukhumbuleka ukuthi kwake kwaba khona inala ngenxa yendlala elandelayo, eyoba nzima kakhulu ezweni. ₃₂Isizathu sokuba liphindwe kabili iphupho kuFaro ngukuthi uNkulunkulu usekunqumile lokhu, futhi uzosheshe akwenze. ₃₃Ngakho-ke uFaro makafune umuntu okhaliphileyo, nokwazi ukuhluza izinto, ambeke phezu kwalo lonke iGibhithe. ₃₄UFaro makenze kanjalo, aqoke izibonda zengamele lonke iGibhithe, ukuze ziqokelele ingxenye eyodwa kweziyisihlanu yesivuno esizotholakala kule minyaka eyisikhombisa yenala. ₃₅Mabaqokelele konke ukudla kule minyaka emihle yenala, bakugcine ezinqolobaneni phansi kwesandla sikaFaro, bakulondoloze emizini. ₃₆Lokhu kudla kufanele kulondolozelwe izwe lonke ukuze likwazi ukubhekana neminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala, ezokhungatha iGibhithe, ngaleyo ndlela izwe lingashatshalaliswa yindlala.”

₃₇Lezwakala liphusile lelo qhinga kuFaro nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe. ₃₈UFaro wazibuza izinceku wathi: “Singamtholaphi umuntu onjalo, onoMoya kaNkulunkulu na?”

₃₉UFaro wayesethi kuJosefa: “Njengalokhu uNkulunkulu ekwambulele konke lokhu, akekho omunye okwazi ukuhlaziya izinto nohlakaniphe njengawe. ₄₀Uzokwengamela isigodlo sami, nesizwe sami sonke siyokwenza njengoba usiyala; yimi kuphela ngokwesikhundla sami sobukhosi engizoba mkhulu kunawe.”

₄₁UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Uyabona-ke, ngikubeka phezu kwalo lonke iGibhithe.”

₄₂UFaro wakhumula indandatho yakhe yokusicilela esandleni sakhe, wayifaka esandleni sikaJosefa, wamembathisa izembatho zelineni elicolekileyo, wamfaka nomgexo wegolide entanyeni. ₄₃Wamgibelisa enqoleni yempi egitshelwa yilowo ongowesibili emva kwakhe, bamemeza phambi kwakhe, bathi: “Guqani!”

UFaro wambeka ngaleyo ndlela-ke uJosefa, ukuba abe ngumbusi walo lonke iGibhithe.

₄₄UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Mina nginguFaro, kodwa ngaphandle kwemvume yakho akukho muntu oyophakamisa isandla, noma unyawo kulo lonke iGibhithe.”

₄₅UFaro wamqamba uJosefa ngokuthi unguZafenathi Phaneya, wayesemganisela u-Asenathi indodakazi kaPotifera, umphristi wase-Oni. UJosefa walithola kanjalo igunya phezu kwalo lonke iGibhithe.

₄₆UJosefa wayeneminyaka engama-30 ngesikhathi eqala ukusebenzela uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. UJosefa waphuma phambi kukaFaro, wahamba kulo lonke iGibhithe. ₄₇Ngaleyo minyaka eyisikhombisa yenala izwe lathela ukudla okuningi kakhulu. ₄₈UJosefa wakuqoqa konke ukudla okwatholakala ngaleyo minyaka eyisikhombisa yenala, wakulondoloza emizini: kwakungukudla okwakuvunwe emasimini azungeze yilowo nalowo muzi. ₄₉UJosefa waqoqa ukudla okusanhlamvu okwaba kuningi njengesihlabathi ogwini lolwandle, wayeka ukukubala, ngokuba kwakungasenakubalwa.

₅₀U-Asenathi, indodakazi kaPotifera, umphristi wase-Oni, wamzalela uJosefa amadodana amabili, ingakaqali iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala. ₅₁UJosefa waliqamba izibulo lakhe wathi nguManase, ngokuba ethi: “UNkulunkulu ungenze ngakukhohlwa ukuhlupheka kwami nendlu yonke kababa.”

₅₂Eyesibili indodana wayiqamba wathi ngu-Efrayimi, ngokuba ethi: “UNkulunkulu ungandisile ezweni lokuhlupheka kwami.”

₅₃Yaphela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala eyayikhona eGibhithe. ₅₄Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala yaqala njengoba uJosefa ayeshilo. Kwaba nendlala kulo lonke izwe, kodwa eGibhithe kwakukhona ukudla. ₅₅Kwathi lapho indlala isiqala ukuzwela naseGibhithe, abantu bakhala kuFaro becela ukudla. UFaro wabatshela bonke abaseGibhithe wathi: “Hambani niye kuJosefa, nikwenze konke anitshela khona.”

₅₆Indlala yayisezweni lonke, ngakho-ke uJosefa wazivula zonke izinqolobane, wathengisela abaseGibhithe, ngokuba indlala yayisidlangile naseGibhithe. ₅₇Amazwe onke aya eGibhithe ukuyothenga ukudla kuJosefa, ngokuba indlala yayisinzima emhlabeni wonke.