Genesis 37

Amaphupho kaJosefa

1UJakhobe wahlala elizweni lapho uyise laye ahlala kulo, ilizwe laseKhenani.

2Lo ngumlando kaJakhobe. UJosefa ijaha elalileminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa imihlambi yezimvu labanewabo, amadodana kaBhiliha lamadodana kaZilipha, abafazi bakayise, wasebaceba kuyise.

3U-Israyeli wasuka wamthanda uJosefa okwedlula wonke amanye amadodana akhe, ngoba wamzala eseluphele; yikho wamenzela ijazi eliceciswe kakhulu. 4Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda okudlula bonke abanye bamzonda kabaze bake bamkhulumise ngothando.

5UJosefa waphupha, wathi esebatshelile ngephupho lakhe bamzonda ngokudlulayo.

6Wathi kubo, “Zwanini iphupho engibe lalo:

7besibopha izithungo zamabele sisemasimini lapho okuthe masinyane esami isithungo saphakama sema saqonda, kwathi ezenu izithungo zasihonqolozela esami, zasikhothamela phansi”

8Abanewabo bathi kuye. “Ufisa ukubusa phezu kwethu na? Utsho ukuthi uzasibusa ngoqotho na?” Base bemzonda ngamandla ngenxa yephupho lakhe lalokho ayekutshilo.

9Waphinda waba lelinye iphupho, walitshela abanewabo. Wathi, “Lalelani, ngibe lalo elinye iphupho, kuleli, ilanga lenyanga kanye lezinkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye zazingikhothamela phansi.”

10Wathi eselitshele uyise njalo labanewabo uyise wamkhalimela wathi, “Liphupho bani leli oliphuphileyo? Utsho ukuthi unyoko lami labanewenu sizaguqa phansi emhlabathini sibili siguqela wena?” 11Abanewabo bamcaphukela, kodwa uyise wayigcina engqondweni yakhe indaba le.

UJosefa Uthengiswa Ngabafowabo

12Abanewabo basuka bahamba lemihlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kweShekemu. 13UIsrayeli wathi kuJosefa, “Njengoba usazi abanewenu basemadlelweni lemihlambi eduze kweShekemu. Lalela-ke, ngifuna ukukuthuma kubo.” Waphendula wathi, “Kulungile.”

14Yikho wasesithi kuye, “Hamba uyebona ingabe abafowenu bayaphila yini kanye lemihlambi, ukuze ubuye uzongazisa.” Lakanye wamvalelisa esuka Esigodini saseHebhroni. UJosefa esefikile eShekemu, 15wafunyanwa yindoda ezula egangeni yambuza yathi, “Udingani?”

16Waphendula wathi, “Ngidinga abafowethu. Kambe ungangitshela ukuthi belusela ngaphi imihlambi yabo na?”

17Indoda yaphendula yathi, “Sebesukile lapha. Ngabezwa besithi, ‘Kasiyeni eDothani.’ ” Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wayabafumana eduze kweDothani. 18Kodwa bambona esesekude, wathi engakafiki kubo bakha icebo lokumbulala.

19Batshelana bathi, “Nanguyana umphuphi loyana esiza. 20Zwanini, kasimbulaleni simphosele kwelinye lamagodi la besesisithi udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Besesibona-ke ukuthi azaphelela ngaphi amaphupho akhe.”

21URubheni wathi esekuzwile lokhu wazama ukuthi amlamlele ezandleni zabo. Wathi, “Kasingacimi impilo yakhe. 22Lingachithi gazi. Mphoseleni emgodini lo lapha enkangala, kodwa lingambeki isandla.” URubheni watsho lokhu ukuze amlamlele kubo abesembuyisela kuyise.

23Yikho kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ijazi lakhe – elalibalazwe kakuhle ayeligqokile –

24bamthatha bayamphosela emgodini. Umgodi lo wawuze, kungelamanzi phakathi kwawo.

25Bathi sebehlezi phansi ukuthi badle, bathi baphosa amehlo babona udwendwe lwama-Ishmayeli luvelela eGileyadi. Amakamela abo ayethwele esisitheka ngeziyoliso, ibhami lemure, konke lokhu bekuthwalela eGibhithe.

26UJuda wathi kubafowabo, “Sizazuzani uma sibulala umfowethu sigqibele igazi lakhe na?

27Zwanini, kasimthengiseni kuma-Ishmayeli thina singambeki sandla; kambe yena evele engumfowethu, eyinyama yethu legazi lethu.” Abafowabo bavuma.

28Yikho kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani besedlula abafowabo bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini bamthengisa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amabili kuma-Ishmayeli, amthatha aya laye eGibhithe.

29URubheni wathi esebuyela emgodini wafumana uJosefa engasekho, wasedabula izigqoko zakhe ngokudabuka. 30Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi, “Umfana kasekho! Sengizakwenzanjani manje?”

31Basebethatha ijazi likaJosefa, babulala imbuzi basebegxamuza ijazi lelo egazini.

32Balithatha ijazi lokuceciswa babuyela lalo kuyise bathi, “Silidobhile. Ake ulikhangele kuhle kumbe lijazi lendodana yakho.”

33Lakanye walibona liyilo wathi, “Lijazi lendodana yami. Udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Ngempela uJosefa usedlithizwe waba yizicucu.”

34UJakhobe wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezamasaka walilela indodana yakhe okwezinsuku ezinengi. 35Wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi beza ukuzamduduza, kodwa kavumanga ukududuzeka. Wathi, “Hatshi, ngizakuya ethuneni ngilila nginje, ngiye endodaneni yami.” Uyise wamkhalela kanjalo.

36Kusenjalo, amaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPhothifa, omunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, owayengumlawuli wabalindi.