UGENESISE 47

₁UJosefa wayesengena, wamtshela uFaro, wathi: Ufikile ubaba nabafowethu, nezimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo, nakho konke abanakho, bephuma ezweni laseKhanani; bheka, sebesezweni laseGosheni.

₂Phakathi kwabafowabo wathatha amadoda ayisihlanu, wawabeka phambi kukaFaro.

₃UFaro wayesethi kubafowabo: Uyini umsebenzi wenu na? Bathi kuFaro: Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, thina nawobaba.

₄Bathi kuFaro: Sizé ukugogobala ezweni, ngokuba akukho-dlelo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho, lokhu indlala inzima ezweni laseKhanani; ngalokho izinceku zakho mazakhe ezweni laseGosheni.

₅Wayesekhuluma uFaro kuJosefa, ethi: Uyihlo nabafowenu bezé kuwe;

₆izwe laseGibithe lisebusweni bakho; mhlalise uyihlo nabafowenu ezweni elihle kunalo lonke, ubahlalise ezweni laseGosheni; uma uwazi phakathi kwabo amadoda anamandla, wabeke abe-yizinduna zezinkomo zami.

₇UJosefa wayesemngenisa uJakobe uyise, wambeka phambi kukaFaro; uJakobe wambusisa uFaro.

₈Wathi uFaro kuJakobe: Zingaki izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwakho na?

₉UJakobe wathi kuFaro: Izinsuku zeminyaka yokugogobala kwami ziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu; ziyingcosana, zimbi izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwami, azifinyelelanga ezinsukwini zeminyaka yokuhamba kwawobaba emihleni yokugogobala kwabo.

₁₀UJakobe wayesembusisa uFaro, wasuka ebusweni bukaFaro.

₁₁UJosefa wabahlalisa uyise nabafowabo, wabapha indawo ezweni laseGibithe, izwe elihle kunalo lonke, izwe likaRamesesi, njengalokho uFaro ebayalile.

₁₂UJosefa wamondla uyise, nabafowabo, nendlu yonke kayise ngokudla ngokwemilomo yezingane zabo.

₁₃Ukudla kwakungekho ezweni lonke, ngokuba indlala yayinzima kakhulu; izwe laseGibithe nezwe laseKhanani afa indlala.

₁₄UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyatholakala ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani ngamabele ababewathengile; uJosefa wayiyisa imali endlini kaFaro.

₁₅Isiphelile imali ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani, bonke abaseGibithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: Siphe ukudla; siyakufelani phambi kwakho na? Ngokuba isiphelile imali.

₁₆Wayesethi uJosefa: Lethani izinkomo zenu; ngizakuninika ngezinkomo zenu, uma imali ingekho.

₁₇Baletha-ke izinkomo zabo kuJosefa; uJosefa wabenanela ukudla ngamahashi, nangezimvu, nangezinkomo, nangezimbongolo; wabapha ukudla ngezinkomo zabo zonke ngalowomnyaka.

₁₈Usuphelile lowomnyaka, beza kuye ngomnyaka wesibili, bathi kuye: Asiyikufihlela inkosi ukuthi imali yethu yonke isiphelile; imihlambi yezinkomo isingeyenkosi; akukho okuseleyo emehlweni enkosi ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu namazwe ethu.

₁₉Siyakufelani phambi kwakho thina namazwe ethu na? Sithenge thina namazwe ethu ngokudla, sibe-yizinceku zikaFaro thina namazwe ethu; siphe imbewu ukuba siphile, singafi, izwe lingachitheki.

₂₀UJosefa wamthengela uFaro izwe lonke laseGibithe, ngokuba bonke abaseGibithe bathengisa ngamasimu abo, lokhu indlala yayinzima phezu kwabo; izwe lase liba-ngelikaFaro.

₂₁Abantu wabayisa emizini, ebasusa komunye umncele wezwe laseGibithe kwaze kwaba-komunye umncele walo.

₂₂Yizwe labapristi kuphela angalithenganga, ngokuba abapristi babetholé isabelo kuFaro, badla isabelo sabo abapha sona uFaro; ngalokho abathengisanga ngezwe labo.

₂₃UJosefa wayesethi kubantu: Bhekani, namuhla nginithengile nibengabakaFaro nina nezwe lenu; nansi imbewu yenu, nize nihlwanyele emhlabathini.

₂₄Kuyakuthi ezithelweni nimnike uFaro okwesihlanu, izinxenye ezine zibengezenu, kube-yimbewu yamasimu, nokudla kwenu nokwabendlu yenu, nokudla kwezingane zenu.

₂₅Base bethi: Usisindisile; masifumane umusa emehlweni enkosi, sibe-yizinceku zikaFaro.

₂₆UJosefa washaya umthetho ngezwe laseGibithe kuze kube-namuhla wokuthi uFaro uzakuba-nokwesihlanu; kuphela izwe labapristi bodwa alibanga-yilo elikaFaro.

₂₇UIsrayeli wahlala ezweni laseGibithe ezweni laseGosheni; bafuya khona, bazala, banda kakhulu.

₂₈UJakobe wahlala ezweni laseGibithe iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa; izinsuku zikaJakobe, iminyaka yokuhamba kwakhe, zaziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amane nesikhombisa.

₂₉Kwase kusondela isikhathi ayesezakufa ngaso uIsrayeli; wayesebiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuye: Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ake ubeke isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami, ungenzele umusa neqiniso: ake ungangimbeli eGibithe.

₃₀Kepha lapho sengilele kobaba, uze ungikhiphe eGibithe, ungimbele ethuneni labo. Wathi: Ngizakwenza njengezwi lakho.

₃₁Wayesethi kuye: Funga kimi; wayesefunga kuye. UIsrayeli wakhothama esihlokweni sombhede.