1UJosefa wawa ebusweni bukayise, wakhala phezu kwakhe, wamanga.
2UJosefa wayala izinceku zakhe izinyanga ukuba zimgqumise uyise ngemithi; izinyanga zamgqumisa-ke u-Israyeli ngemithi.
3Zaphelela izinsuku zakhe ezingamashumi amane, ngokuba ziphelela kanjalo izinsuku zokugqumisa ngemithi; abaseGibithe bamkhalela izinsuku ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa.
4Sezidlulile izinsuku zokumkhalela, uJosefa wakhuluma kuyo indlu kaFaro, wathi: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni enu, ake nikhulume ezindlebeni zikaFaro ngokuthi
5ubaba wangifungisa wathi: ‘Bheka, ngiyafa; ethuneni engizimbele lona ezweni laseKhanani uzakungingcwaba kulo.’ Ngalokho ake ngikhuphuke, ngimmbele ubaba, bese ngibuya.”
6Wayesethi uFaro: “Khuphuka, ummbele uyihlo njengokukufungisa kwakhe.”
7Khona uJosefa wakhuphuka ukuyommbela uyise; zakhuphuka naye zonke izinceku zikaFaro, nezikhulu zendlu yakhe, nezikhulu zonke zezwe laseGibithe,
8nendlu yonke kaJosefa, nabafowabo, nendlu kayise; bashiya ezweni laseGosheni izingane zabo, nezimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo kuphela.
9Kwakhuphuka nabo nezinqola, nabamahhashi; kwaba yibandla elikhulu impela.
10Baya, bafika eGoreni Hathadi elingaphesheya kweJordani; lapho bakhala nokukhala impela, okunzima kakhulu; wamenzela uyise isililo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
11Abakhileyo ezweni, amaKhanani, sebebone isililo eGoreni Hathadi bathi: “Lokhu kuyisililo esinzima sabaseGibithe.” Ngalokho igama laleyo ndawo laqanjwa ngokuthi i-Abela Misirayimi* elingaphesheya kweJordani.
12Amadodana akhe amenzela njengalokho ewayalile;
13ngokuba amadodana akhe amyisa ezweni laseKhanani, ammbela emhumeni wasensimini yaseMakaphela, u-Abrahama awuthenga kanye nensimu ku-Efroni umHeti, ube yindawo yokumbela, ngaphambi kweMamre.
14UJosefa wayesebuyela eGibithe, yena nabafowabo, nabo bonke ababekhuphuke naye ukummbela uyise, emva kokungcwaba kwakhe uyise.
15Sebebonile abafowabo bakaJosefa ukuthi uyise ufile, bathi: “Mhlawumbe uJosefa uzakusizonda, asiphindisele nokusiphindisela konke okubi esakwenza kuyena.”
16Base bethumela kuJosefa, bethi: “Uyihlo wayala engakafi, wathi:
17‘Niyakusho kuJosefa ukuthi: Ake uthethelele abafowenu isiphambeko sabo nesono sabo, ngokuba bakwenzela okubi.’ Manje siyakucela ukuthi: Ake uthethelele isiphambeko sezinceku zikaNkulunkulu kayihlo.” UJosefa wakhala, besakhuluma kuye.
18Base befika nabafowabo, bawa phansi ebusweni bakhe, bathi: “Bheka, siyizinceku zakho.”
19UJosefa wayesethi kubo: “Ningesabi; kanti ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu na?
20Yebo, nina nangisongozela okubi, kepha uNkulunkulu wakuceba kwaba kuhle ukuba akwenze kube njenganamuhla, asindise abantu abaningi.
21Ngalokho ningesabi; mina ngiyakunondla, nina nezingane zenu.” Wabaduduza, wakhuluma kuzo izinhliziyo zabo.
22UJosefa wahlala eGibithe, yena nendlu kayise; uJosefa wahamba iminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.
23UJosefa wabona abantwana bakwa-Efrayimi besizukulwane sesithathu; nabantwana bakwaMakiri indodana kaManase bazalelwa emathangeni kaJosefa.
24Wayesethi uJosefa kubafowabo: “Mina sengiyafa, kepha uNkulunkulu uzakunihambela nokunihambela, anikhuphule kuleli zwe, aniyise ezweni alifungela o-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe.”
25UJosefa wayesefungisa amadodana ka-Israyeli, ethi: “UNkulunkulu uzakunihambela nokunihambela, nina nikhuphule amathambo ami lapha.”
26Wayesefa uJosefa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi; bamgqumisa ngemithi, wafakwa ebhokisini eGibithe.