UYosefu wayengomnye woonyana abancinane bakaYakobi. Abakhuluwa bakhe babona ukuba wayeyintandane kayise. Ucinga ukuba yabaphatha njani loo nto? Bammonela baza bamcaphukela. Xa uYosefu waphupha izinto ezingaqhelekanga, waxelela abantakwabo. Bacinga ukuba kwakuza kufuneka baqubude kuye. Bamcaphukela nangakumbi!

Ngeny’ imini abantakwabo babesalusa kufuphi naseShekem. UYakobi wathumela uYosefu ukuba aye kubakhangela. Bambona esekude baza bathi: ‘Nankuya esiza laa mphuphi. Masimbulale!’ Bambamba bamphosa emngxunyeni. Kodwa omnye wabantakwabo, uYuda, wathi: ‘Ningambulali! Masimthengise njengekhoboka.’ Ngoko bamthengisa koosomashishini bakwaMidiyan ababesiya eYiputa ngamaqhosha esilivere ayi-20.

Emva koko, bathabatha isambatho sakhe basifaka egazini baza basithumela kuYakobi, bathi: ‘Ayisosambatho sonyana wakho esi?’ UYakobi wacinga ukuba ubulewe sisilwanyana sasendle. Intliziyo yakhe yaba buhlungu. Wayengathuthuzeleki.

EYiputa uYosefu wathengiswa njengekhoboka kwigosa elalibizwa ngokuba nguPotifare. Kodwa uYehova waba naye. UPotifare wabona ukuba uYosefu wayewenza kakuhle umsebenzi wakhe kwaye wayenokuthenjwa. Kungekudala emva koko wathi zonke izinto awayenazo mazibe phantsi kwakhe.

Umfazi kaPotifare wabona ukuba uYosefu wayeyinzwana eyomeleleyo. Yonk’ imihla wayecela ukuba alale naye. Wayeza kuthini ke uYosefu? Wala waza wathi: ‘Asoze ndiyenze loo nto. Inkosi yam indithembile futhi wena ungumfazi wayo. Ukuba ndilala nawe, ndiya kona uThixo!’

Ngeny’ imini umfazi kaPotifare wazama ukumnyanzela ukuba alale naye. Wamtsala ngento awayeyinxibile kodwa wabaleka. Xa efika uPotifare, wathi uYosefu ebefuna ukulala naye. Wayexoka. UPotifare waba nomsindo waza wamphosa entolongweni. Kodwa uYehova akazange amlibale uYosefu.

Ngoxa uYosefu wayesentolongweni, uFaro ukumkani waseYiputa waphupha izinto ekwakungekho mntu ukwaziyo ukuzitolika. Omnye wabakhonzi bakhe wamxelela ukuba nguYosefu owayenokuwatolika loo maphupha. Ngoko nangoko uFaro wathi makabizwe.

Wambuza: ‘Ungakwazi ukuwatolika amaphupha am?’ UYosefu wathi: ‘IYiputa iza kuba neminyaka eyi-7 yentlutha enkulu, emva kwayo kubekho eminye eyi-7 yendlala. Zikhethele umntu osisilumko oza kugcina ukutya ukuze abantu bakho bangalambi.’ UFaro wathi: ‘Nguwe kanye loo mntu! Ndikunika igunya phezu kwayo yonke into eseYiputa!’ Wancedwa ngubani uYosefu ukuze akwazi ukutolika amaphupha kaFaro? NguYehova kaloku.

Kwiminyaka eyi-7 emva koko, uYosefu wagcina ukutya. Ngoko yafika iminyaka yendlala kanye njengoko uYosefu wayetshilo. Abantu beza kuthenga ukutya kuye besuka kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo. Utata wakhe weva ukuba kukho intlutha enkulu eYiputa, wathumela oonyana bakhe abayi-10 apho ukuba baye kuthenga ukutya.

Bakufika kuYosefu, wabazi zisuka. Kodwa bona abazange bamazi. Baqubuda kuye njengoko wayephuphe njalo xa wayesemncinci. Wayefuna ukwazi ukuba basamcaphukela na. Ngoko wathi kubo: “Niziintlola! Nize kubona ukuba libuthathaka phi na ilizwe!” Bathi bona: ‘Akunjalo! Singoonyana abayi-12 abasuka kwaKanan. Omnye wasweleka, oyena mncinane ukutata.’ UYosefu wathi kubo: ‘Zisani umntakwenu omncinci kum, yaye ndiza kunikholelwa.’ Ngoko babuyela kutata wabo.

Xa kwaphinda kwaphela ukutya, uYakobi waphinda wathuma oonyana bakhe eYiputa. Kweli xesha bahamba nonyana wokugqibela katata wabo, uBhenjamin. Ebavavanya, uYosefu wafihla indebe yakhe yesilivere ebhegini kaBhenjamin yokutya okuziinkozo waza wabatyhola esithi bayibile. Xa umkhonzi kaYosefu wayifumana ebhegini kaBhenjamin, bothuka kakhulu abantakwabo. Bamcenga bathi makohlwaye bona endaweni kaBhenjamin.

UYosefu wabona ukuba batshintshile. Akazange akwazi ukuzibamba. Zehla iinyembezi, wathi: ‘NdinguYosefu umntakwenu. Utata usaphila kodwa?’ Bothuka kakhulu. Wathi kubo: ‘Ningakhathazeki ngento enandenza yona. UThixo wandithumela apha ukuze ndisindise ubomi benu. Khawulezani niye kulanda utata.’

Babuyela kuyise bemphathele iindaba ezimnandi baza bamzisa eYiputa. Emva kweminyaka bohlukana, uYosefu waphinda wadibana notata wakhe.