Genesis 42
1 UJakobe wezwa ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibhithe, wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Kungani nilibele ukubukana na?”
2 Wathi: “Bhekani, ngizwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibhithe. Yehlani, nisithengele okusanhlamvu khona, ukuze siphile, singafi.”
3 Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalishumi behla bayothenga okusanhlamvu eGibhithe.
4 Kepha uJakobe akamthumelanga uBhenjamini, ongumnawabo kaJosefa kanye nabo, ngokuba wathi: “Funa ehlelwe yingozi.”
5 Amadodana ka-Israyeli afika ukuzothenga ukudla ehambisana nabaningi ababezothenga, ngokuba indlala yayidlangile kulo lonke iKhanani.
6 UJosefa wayengumbusi ezweni, ethengisela bonke abantu bezwe, nabafowabo bafika, bamkhothamela bathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini.
7 UJosefa wababona abafowabo, kodwa wazishaya ongabaziyo, wakhuluma nabo ngesankahlu, wathi: “Nivelaphi nina?” Bamphendula bathi: “Sivela eKhanani, sizothenga ukudla.”
8 UJosefa wababona abafowabo, kodwa bona abambonanga.
9 UJosefa wawakhumbula amaphupho ayewaphuphile. Wayesethi kubo: “Niyizinhloli, nize ukuzohlola ukuthi leli lizwe lintenga ngakuphi.”
10 Bamphendula bathi: “Qha nkosi, izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla.
11 Sonke singamadodana endoda eyodwa, singabantu abaqotho, asiyizo izinhloli.”
12 Wathi kubo: “Qha, nize ukuzohlola izwe ukuthi lintengantenga kuphi.”
13 Bazilandulela bathi: “Izinceku zakho ziyizelamani ezili-12, zingamadodana endoda eyodwa, eyakhe eKhanani, uthunjana usele nobaba, omunye akasekho.”
14 UJosefa wayesethi kubo: “Kunjengoba ngishilo kini ukuthi niyizinhloli.
15 Ngimfunge uFaro, nizovivinywa ngalokhu, ngeke nihambe uma umfowenu omncane engafiki lapha.
16 Thumelani omunye wenu ukuba amlande umfowenu. Nina nonke nizoboshwa ukuze kubonakale ukuthi enikushilo kuyiqiniso yini; uma kungenjalo, ngimfunge uFaro, niyizinhloli.”
17 Wabagquma bonke ejele izinsuku ezintathu.
18 Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo: “Yenzani lokhu ukuze niphile, ngokuba ngingumuntu omesabayo uNkulunkulu.
19 Uma niqotho, makusale oyedwa wenu endlini yokulinda, nina nibuyele emuva emindenini yenu nokudla.
20 Kufanele nilethe umfowenu omncane ukuze ngibe nesiqiniseko sokuthi amazwi enu ayiqiniso; ningafi.” Nebala benza kanjalo.
21 Base behlanganisa amakhanda, bavumelana bathi: “Impela sinecala ngomfowethu, salubona usizi enhliziyweni yakhe, esincenga ukuba simhawukele, kodwa asimlalelanga, yingakho sivelelwa yinkathazo enje.”
22 URubeni wabaphendula wathi: “Angishongo yini ukuthi: ‘Ningakwenzi okuyisono kumfana,’ nangangilalela na? Manje igazi lakhe selifuneka kithi.”
23 Babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyabezwa ngenxa yokuba kwakukhona ohumushayo phakathi kwabo.
24 Wabafulathela, wakhala; wabuye waphindela kubo, wakhuluma nabo, wayesesusa uSimeyoni kubo, waboshwa bebuka.
25 UJosefa wayala ukuba kugcwaliswe amasaka abo ngokusanhlamvu, futhi babuyiselwe imali emasakeni abo, baphiwe nomphako. Kwenziwa kanjalo kubo.
26 Bazethwesa izimbongolo zabo okusanhlamvu, base beqala uhambo lwabo.
27 Omunye kuthe evula isaka lakhe esikhungweni sokulala ukuba anike imbongolo yakhe ukudla, wafica imali yakhe emlonyeni wesaka.
28 Wathi kubafowabo: “Imali yami ibuyiselwe kimi, nansi esakeni lami.” Baphelelwa ngamandla, baqhaqhazela, babukana, bathi: “Yini lena uNkulunkulu asenza yona na?”
29 Sebefike kuyise uJakobe eKhanani, bamlandisa ngakho konke okwakubehlele, bathi:
30 “Leya ndoda engumbusi wezwe ikhulume nathi ngesihluku, yasibiza ngezinhloli ezizohlola izwe.
31 Sathi kuyo: ‘Siqotho thina, asizona izinhloli.
32 Siyizelamani ezili-12, amadodana endoda eyodwa, enye ayisekho, uthunjana kumanje usele nobaba eKhanani.’
33 Lowo muntu oyinkosi yalelo lizwe, wathi kithi: ‘Shiyani kimi omunye umfowenu, nihambe, nithathele imindeni yenu ukudla.
34 Uma senimlethile umfowenu omncane kimi, ngiyokwazi ukuthi aniyizo izinhloli, nokuthi ningamadoda aqotho; ngakho-ke ngiyobe sengininika umfowenu nihambe naye kuleli lizwe.’ ”
35 Kuthe lapho sebethulula amasaka abo, bamangala bonke lapho bebona ukuthi isikhwama semali salowo nalowo sisesakeni. Lapho bona noyise bebona ukuthi isikhwama salowo nalowo sisesakeni lakhe, bashaywa wuvalo.
36 Uyise uJakobe wayesethi kubo: “Niyangephuca abantwana bami; uJosefa akasekho, noSimeyoni akasekho, manje senifuna ukuthatha noBhenjamini; konke lokhu kungaphezu kwamandla ami.”
37 URubeni wathi kuyise: “Uma ngingambuyiseli kuwe, bulala amadodana ami omabili, kodwa manje mnikele esandleni sami, ngizombuyisela kuwe.”
38 UJakobe wathi: “Indodana yami ayiyukwehla nani, ngokuba umfowabo ufile, manje nguye yedwa osele, uma ehlelwa yingozi endleleni, niyokwenza ukuba ngiye kwelabafileyo nginomunyu.”