Gen 42 | NdeIBE | STEP | Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi kumadodana akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?”

Genesis 42

Abafowabo BakaJosefa Baya eGibhithe

1 Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi kumadodana akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?”

2 Waqhubeka wathi, “Sengizwile ukuthi amabele akhona eGibhithe. Yehlani liye khona liyosithengela wona ukuze siphile singafi.”

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

6 Ngalesosikhathi uJosefa wayengumbusi welizwe, enguye othengisela abantu bonke amabele. Yikho abafowabo bakaJosefa bathi befika khona bakhothamela yena bathi mbo phansi ngobuso. 7 UJosefa wonela ukubabona abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owezizweni, wabakhulumisa ngokubakhahlameza. Wababuza wathi, “Livela ngaphi?” Baphendula bathi, “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani ukuzathenga ukudla.”

8 Loba uJosefa yena wabazi abafowabo, bona kabamazanga. 9 Yikho wasekhumbula amaphupho akhe ngabo wasesithi kubo, “Liyizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”

10 Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, nkosi yethu. Izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla.

11 Sonke singamadodana endoda yinye. Izinceku zakho zingabantu abaqotho, kasisizo zinhloli.”

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

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

14 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kunjengoba ngilitshelile: Liyizinhloli! 15 Manje-ke lizahlolwa kanje: Ngifunga uFaro, kaliyikusuka lapha ngaphandle kokuthi isicino sakwenu sifike lapha. 16 Thumani omunye wenu amlande umfowenu; lonke abanye lizagcinwa entolongweni, ukuze amazwi enu ahlolisiswe ingabe likhuluma iqiniso yini. Uma kungenjalo, ngimfunge uFaro, liyizinhloli!” 17 Wasebafaka ejele bonke okwezinsuku ezintathu.

18 Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo, “Yenzani lokhu ukuze lisile, ngoba mina ngesaba uNkulunkulu: 19 Nxa lingabantu abaqotho, omunye wenu kahlale lapha entolongweni, nxa abanye benu selibuyela ukuhambisa amabele ebantwaneni benu asebesifa ngendlala. 20 Kodwa limlethe lapha kimi umnawenu omncane ukuze amazwi enu aqiniseke, njalo ukuze lingafi.” Bakwenza lokho.

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

22 URubheni waphendula wathi, “Kambe kangilitshelanga yini ukuthi lingenzi isono emfaneni lina laqinisa intamo? Nanku-ke sesimele sifakaze ngegazi lakhe.”

23 Babengananzelele ukuthi uJosefa wayeluzwa ulimi lwabo ngokuba wayelomcasiseli.

24 Wabafulathela wachiphiza izinyembezi, kodwa waphinda wabakhangela wabakhulumisa. Wathi kakuthathwe uSimeyoni kubo owahle wabotshwa phambi kwabo.

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

27 Endaweni lapho abakanisa khona ngalobubusuku omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthathela ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe yesiliva emlonyeni wesaka. 28 Wathi kubafowabo, “Isiliva sami sibuyiselwe. Nansi lapha phakathi kwesaka lami.” Zatshona izinhliziyo zabo bakhangelana bethuthumela bathi, “Kuyini kambe lokhu uNkulunkulu asekwenzile kithi?”

29 Bathi sebefike kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamtshela konke lokho okwakwenzakele kubo. Bathi, 30 “Indoda engumbusi welizwe yasikhulumisa ngokusihalada, yasiphatha kwangathi siyizinhloli elizweni. 31 Kodwa sathi kuyo, ‘Singamadoda aqotho; kasisizozinhloli thina.

32 Sasingabafowabo abalitshumi lambili, amadodana endoda yinye. Omunye kasekho, kuthi ucinathunjana yena wasala lobaba eKhenani.’

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

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

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

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