Genesis 42

Abafowabo BakaJosefa Baya EGibhithe

1Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?” 2Waqhubeka wathi, “Sengizwile ukuthi amabele akhona eGibhithe. Yehlani liye khona liyesithengela wona ukuze siphile singafi.”

3Ngakho abanewabo bakaJosefa behla bayathenga amabele eGibhithe. 4Kodwa uJakhobe kamthumanga labanye uBhenjamini, umnawakhe kaJosefa ngoba wesaba ukuthi angaqabuka ewelwa yingozi. 5Kungakho amadodana ka-Israyeli ayeludwendwe lunye lalabo ababesiyathenga amabele njengoba indlala yayikhona laselizweni leKhenani.

6Ngalesosikhathi uJosefa wayengumbusi welizwe, enguye othengisela abantu bonke amabele. Ngakho abafowabo bakaJosefa bathi befika khona bamkhothamela, bathi mbo ngobuso phansi. 7UJosefa wonela ukubabona abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owezizweni, wabakhulumisa ngokubakhahlameza. Wababuza wathi, “Livela ngaphi?”

Baphendula bathi, “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani ukuzathenga ukudla.”

8Lanxa uJosefa wabazi abafowabo, bona kabamazanga. 9Ngakho wasekhumbula amaphupho akhe ngabo wasesithi kubo, “Lizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”

10Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, nkosi yethu. Izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla. 11Singamadodana endoda yinye sonke. Izinceku zakho zingabantu abaqotho, kazisizo zinhloli.”

12Wathi kubo, “Hatshi! Lize ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”

13Kodwa baphendula bathi, “Izinceku zakho zaziyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, engamadodana endoda yinye, ehlala elizweni laseKhenani. Icinathunjana lisele lobaba, ikanti eyodwa kayisekho.”

14UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kunjengoba ngilitshelile: Lizinhloli! 15Manje-ke lizahlolwa kanje: Ngifunga uFaro, kaliyikusuka lapha ngaphandle kokuthi umfowenu omncinyane afike lapha. 16Thumani omunye wenu amlande umfowenu; lonke abanye lizagcinwa entolongweni, ukuze amazwi enu ahlolisiswe ukuthi lingabe likhuluma iqiniso yini. Nxa kungenjalo, ngifunga uFaro, lizinhloli!” 17Wasebafaka entolongweni bonke okwensuku ezintathu.

18Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo, “Yenzani lokhu ukuze lisile, ngoba mina ngesaba uNkulunkulu: 19Nxa lingabantu abaqotho, omunye wenu kahlale lapha entolongweni, kuthi lina abanye libuyele lihambisele izimuli zenu amabele esezibulawa yindlala. 20Kodwa limlethe lapha kimi umnawenu omncane ukuze amazwi enu aqiniseke, njalo ukuze lingafi.” Bakwenza lokho.

21Basebekhulumisana bathi, “Ngempela sijeziselwa umfowethu. Sambona ukuthi wayekhathazeke kangakanani esincenga, ezincengela impilo yakhe, kodwa kasaze samlalela; kungakho sisehlelwa luhlupho lolu.”

22URubheni waphendula wathi, “Kodwa kangilitshelanga yini ukuthi lingenzi isono emfaneni lina laqinisa amakhanda? Nanku-ke sesimele sifakaze ngegazi lakhe.” 23Babengakunanzeleli ukuthi uJosefa wayeluzwa ulimi lwabo njengoba wayelomtolikelayo.

24Wabafulathela wachiphiza izinyembezi, kodwa waphenduka wakhuluma labo. Wathi kuthathwe uSimiyoni kubo owahle wabotshwa phambi kwabo.

25UJosefa waselaya ukuthi kugcwaliswe amabele emasakeni abo, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo lalowo ifakwe phakathi kwesaka lakhe njalo baphiwe umphako wendlela. Sebekwenzelwe konke lokho, 26betshata amasaka abo kubobabhemi bahamba.

27Endaweni lapho abema khona ngalobubusuku omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthathela ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe yesiliva emlonyeni wesaka. 28Wathi kubafowabo, “Isiliva sami sibuyiselwe. Nansi lapha phakathi kwesaka lami.”

Zatshona inhliziyo zabo bakhangelana bethuthumela bathi, “Kuyini kambe lokhu uNkulunkulu asekwenzile kithi?”

29Bathi sebefike kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamtshela konke lokho okwakwenzakele kubo. Bathi, 30“Indoda eyinkosi yelizwe isikhulumise ngokusihalada, yasiphatha kwangathi sizinhloli elizweni. 31Kodwa sathi kuyo, ‘Singamadoda aqotho; kasisizonhloli thina. 32Sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana endoda yinye. Omunye sowedlula, kuthi icinathunjana lisele lobaba eKhenani.’

33Ngakho umuntu oyinkosi yalelolizwe wasesithi kithi, ‘Nanku okuzangenza ngazi ukuthi lingabantu abaqotho: Tshiyani omunye umfowenu lapha kimi, lithathe ukudla kwezimuli zenu ezilambayo lihambe. 34Kodwa umnawenu limlethe kimi khona ngizakwazi ukuthi kalisizinhloli, kodwa lingabantu abaqotho. Lapho-ke ngizambuyisela kini umfowenu, lani selingazithengisela phakathi kwelizwe.’ ”

35Bathi sebethulula amasaka abo, babona umxhaka wesiliva waleyo laleyo ndoda esakeni layo! Kwathi bona ngokwabo kanye loyise bebona imixhaka yemali besaba. 36Uyise uJakhobe wathi kubo, “Selingephuce abantwabami. UJosefa kasekho, loSimiyoni kasekho; manje selifuna ukuthatha uBhenjamini. Yonke into iyangihlamukela!”

37URubheni wasesithi kuyise, “Ungawabulala womabili amadodana ami nxa ngingangambuyisi kuwe. Mnikele ezandleni zami, mina ngizambuyisa.”

38Kodwa uJakhobe wathi, “Indodana yami kayiyikuhamba lani khonale; umnewabo sewafa, usenguye yedwa oseleyo. Nxa evelelwa ngokubi kuloluhambo lwenu lizakwenza ukuthi ikhanda lami eliyimpunga liye engcwabeni lidabukile.”