Genesis 47
1 UJosefa wangena, wabikela uFaro, wathi: “Ubaba nabafowethu, nemihlambi yabo yezimvu, neyezinkomo, nakho konke abanakho, sebefikile bevela eKhanani, manje sebeseGosheni.”
2 Wathatha abahlanu phakathi kwabafowabo wayobethula kuFaro.
3 UFaro wathi kubafowabo: “Uyini umsebenzi wenu na?” Bathi kuFaro: “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi bemihlambi, thina nobaba.”
4 Baqhubeka bathi kuFaro: “Size ukuzogogobala kuleli lizwe, ngokuba akukho madlelo emfuyo yezinceku zakho, lokhu indlala ibhokile eKhanani. Ngakho-ke izinceku zakho ziyacela ukuba uzivumele zihlale eGosheni.”
5 UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Uyihlo nabafowenu beze kuwe,
6 iGibhithe lisezandleni zakho. Uyihlo nabafowenu bahlalise endaweni enhle ezweni, mabahlale eGosheni. Uma kukhona phakathi kwabo abanekhono lokwelusa, ubabeke babe ngabaphathi bemfuyo yami.”
7 UJosefa wayesemngenisa uyise, uJakobe, wamethula kuFaro. UJakobe wambusisa uFaro.
8 UFaro wathi kuJakobe: “Mingaki iminyaka yakho na?”
9 UJakobe waphendula wathi: “Izinsuku zokugogobala kwami emhlabeni seziyiminyaka eyi-130, zimfishane, kanti bezigcwele ubunzima. Kaziqhathaniseki nokho neminyaka eyaphilwa ngokhokho bami ngesikhathi eside sokugogobala kwabo.”
10 UJakobe wambusisa uFaro, wayesesuka phambi kukaFaro.
11 UJosefa wabahlalisa uyise nabafowabo, wabanika indawo eGibhithe, indawo enhle kakhulu eRamesesi njengoba uFaro ayebayalile.
12 UJosefa wamhlinzeka uyise, nabafowabo, nabo bonke abendlu kayise ngokudla, ngokwenani labantu abasezindlini zabo.
13 Kwakungekho kudla ezweni lonke, ngokuba indlala yayibhokile eGibhithe naseKhanani.
14 UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyayitholakala eGibhithe, neseKhanani, abantu ababeza ukuzothenga ngayo ukudla. Yonke leyo mali wayiyisa endlini kaFaro.
15 Lapho isiphelile imali eGibhithe naseKhanani, bonke abaseGibhithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: “Sinike ukudla. Yini ukuba sife ubhekile na? Isiphelile imali yethu.”
16 Wayesethi uJosefa: “Uma ningasenayo imali, lethani imfuyo yenu, mina ngizoninika ukudla.”
17 Baletha kuJosefa imfuyo yabo, imihlambi yezinkomo, izimbongolo, izimvu, izimbuzi, namahhashi, yena wabanika ukudla. Wabondla kanjalo-ke uJosefa ngalowo nyaka.
18 Kuthe sewuphelile lowo nyaka baphindela kuye ngonyaka olandelayo, bathi: “Singeke sikufihlele lokhu nkosi; imali, nemfuyo yethu, nezinkomo, sekuphelile; asisenalutho nkosi ngaphandle kwethu nomhlaba wethu.
19 Sizakufelani phambi kwakho na? Sithenge nemihlaba yethu, ukuze thina nemihlaba yethu sibe yizigqila zikaFaro, siphile, futhi sithole imbewu, singafi, nezwe lingabi yihlane.”
20 UJosefa wamthengela uFaro lonke iGibhithe, ngokuba bonke abaseGibhithe base bethengise ngamasimu abo ngenxa yokuba nzima kwendlala phezu kwabo; izwe lonke kwaba ngelikaFaro.
21 UJosefa wabasusa abantu kulo lonke iGibhithe, wabayisa emizini.
22 Umhlaba wabaphristi yiwo kuphela angawuthenganga, ngokuba kwakunesabelo sabaphristi esivela kuFaro. Babedla leso sabelo ababesinikwe nguFaro, yingakho bengawuthengisanga umhlaba wabo.
23 UJosefa wathi kubantu: “Njengoba manje uFaro sengimthengele nina nomhlaba wenu, nansi-ke imbewu yenu enizoniyihlwanyela emhlabathini.
24 Kuyakuthi lapho senivunile, uFaro nimnike ingxenye yesihlanu, izingxenye ezine zibe yimbewu yamasimu enu, nokudla kwenu, nokwabendlu yenu, nabantwana benu.”
25 Bathi: “Usisindisile, ngakho-ke masifumane umusa kuwe nkosi, siyakuba yizigqila zikaFaro.”
26 UJosefa wakumisa lokhu kwaba wumthetho mayelana nomhlaba eGibhithe; kusengumthetho osebenzayo nanamuhla, ukuthi ingxenye yesihlanu yezitshalo ingekaFaro. Ngumhlabathi wabaphristi kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.
27 Abakwa-Israyeli bahlala eGibhithe eGosheni, baba nempahla eningi, bazalana, banda kakhulu.
28 UJakobe wahlala eGibhithe iminyaka eyi-17. Izinsuku zikaJakobe neminyaka yokuphila kwakhe emhlabeni kwaba yi-147.
29 Zasondela izinsuku zika-Israyeli zokuba afe, wayesebiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuyo: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ngiyakucela, faka isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami, bese ungethembisa ukuthi uyongenzela umusa neqiniso. Uze ungangingcwabi lapha eGibhithe,
30 lapho sengilele kobaba, ubongithwala, ungikhiphe eGibhithe uyongingcwaba ethuneni lobaba.” UJosefa wathi: “Ngizokwenza njengoba ushilo.”
31 UJakobe wathi: “Funga.” Wayesefunga. U-Israyeli wayesekhothamela enhla nombhede.