Genesise
37 UJakobe waqhubeka ehleli ezweni laseKhanani, lapho uyise ayehlala khona njengesifiki. +
2 Lona umlando kaJakobe.
Lapho indodana yakhe uJosefa + ineminyaka engu-17 ubudala, yayelusa umhlambi + namadodana kaBhiliha + namadodana kaZilipha, + abafazi bakayise. UJosefa waletha umbiko omubi ngabo kuyise. 3 U-Israyeli wayemthanda uJosefa ngaphezu kwawo wonke amanye amadodana akhe, + ngoba wayemzale esegugile, ngakho wamenzela ingubo ekhethekile.* 4 Lapho abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ngaphezu kwabo bonke abafowabo, baqala ukumzonda futhi babengakwazi ukukhuluma naye ngokuthula.
5 Kamuva uJosefa waphupha iphupho walixoxela abafowabo, + base bethola esinye isizathu sokumzonda. 6 Wathi kubo: “Ngicela nilalele nali iphupho engiliphuphile. 7 Besibopha izithungo phakathi nensimu lapho isithungo sami sivuka sima siqonda, izithungo zenu zangunga isithungo sami zasikhothamela.” + 8 Abafowabo bathi kuye: “Ingabe ngempela uzozenza inkosi phezu kwethu usibuse?” + Ngakho bathola esinye isizathu sokumzonda ngenxa yamaphupho akhe nangenxa yalokho ayekushilo.
9 Ngemva kwalokho waphupha nelinye futhi iphupho, walilandisa abafowabo wathi: “Ngiphuphe nelinye iphupho. Kulokhu ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi ezingu-11 bekungikhothamela.” + 10 Wabe eselilandisa uyise nabafowabo, uyise wamkhuza wathi kuye: “Lisho ukuthini leli phupho lakho? Ingabe mina nonyoko nabafowenu ngempela sizokukhothamela emhlabathini?” 11 Abafowabo baba nomona ngaye, + kodwa uyise wawagcina la mazwi engqondweni.
12 Abafowabo bahamba bayisa umhlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kwaseShekemi. + 13 Kamuva u-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu baluse imihlambi eduze kwaseShekemi, akunjalo? Woza, ngikuthume kubo.” UJosefa wathi kuye: “Kulungile!” 14 Ngakho wathi kuye: “Ngicela uhambe uyobona ukuthi kubahambela kahle yini abafowenu. Ubheke ukuthi umhlambi unjani bese ubuya uzongitshela.” Wamhambisa esuka esigodini* saseHebroni, + wahamba waya ngaseShekemi. 15 Kamuva umuntu othile wamthola njengoba ayezulazula endle. Lo muntu wambuza, wathi: “Ufunani?” 16 Wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu. Ngicela ungitshele, bayelusele kuphi imihlambi?” 17 Lo muntu wathi: “Basukile lapha, ngoba ngibazwile bethi, ‘Masihambeni siye eDothani.’” Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wabathola eDothani.
18 Bambona esekude futhi ngaphambi kokuba afike kubo, baqala ukumakhela uzungu lokumbulala. 19 Ngakho bathi omunye komunye: “Bhekani! Nanguya umphuphi eza. + 20 Wozani simbulale simphonse komunye wemigodi yamanzi, sizothi ushwabadelwe isilwane sasendle esinolaka, bese siyabona ukuthi kuyokwenzekani ngamaphupho akhe.” 21 Lapho uRubeni + ekuzwa lokhu, wazama ukumsindisa kubo. Wathi: “Masingambulali.” + 22 URubeni wathi kubo: “Ningachithi igazi. + Mphonseni kulo mgodi wamanzi osehlane, kodwa ningamlimazi.”* + Injongo yakhe kwakuwukumsindisa kubo ukuze ambuyisele kuyise.
23 Kwathi ngokushesha lapho uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamkhumula ingubo yakhe, ingubo ekhethekile ayeyigqokile, + 24 bamthatha bamphonsa emgodini wamanzi. Ngaleso sikhathi umgodi wawungenalutho; kwakungekho manzi kuwo.
25 Ngemva kwalokho bahlala phansi badla. Lapho bephakamisa amehlo, kwakuza iqulu labakwa-Ishmayeli + livela eGileyadi. Amakamela abo ayethwele inomfi* yelabhidanu, ibhalsamu namagxolo anenomfi, + babeya eGibhithe. 26 UJuda wathi kubafowabo: “Bekuzoba nayiphi inzuzo ukube besimbulele umfowethu sase silimboza igazi lakhe? + 27 Wozani simthengise + kwabakwa-Ishmayeli, isandla sethu masingabi phezu kwakhe. Nikhumbule, ungumfowethu, inyama yethu.” Ngakho bamlalela umfowabo. 28 Kwase kuthi lapho kudlula abathengisi bakwaMidiyani, + bamkhipha emgodini wamanzi uJosefa, base bemthengisa kwabakwa-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-20. + Bamyisa eGibhithe uJosefa.
29 Kamuva lapho uRubeni ebuyela emgodini wamanzi, ebona ukuthi uJosefa wayengekho emgodini, waklebhula izingubo zakhe. 30 Lapho ebuyela kubafowabo, wababaza: “Ingane inyamalele! Mina-ke—ngizokwenzenjani?”
31 Ngakho bathatha ingubo kaJosefa bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa le ngubo egazini. 32 Ngemva kwalokho bayithumela kuyise le ngubo ekhethekile bathi: “Nakhu esikutholile. Sicela uhlole ukuthi akuyona yini ingubo yendodana yakho.” + 33 Wayihlola wababaza: “Yingubo yendodana yami le! Kumele ukuba ishwabadelwe isilwane sasendle esinolaka! Nakanjani uJosefa useyizicucu!” 34 UJakobe waklebhula izingubo zakhe wabhinca indwangu yesaka okhalweni lwakhe walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. 35 Wonke amadodana akhe nawo wonke amadodakazi akhe ayelokhu ezama ukumduduza, kodwa wayelokhu enqaba ukududuzeka, ethi: “Ngiyoyililela ngize ngife* + indodana yami!” Uyise waqhubeka emkhalela.
36 AbakwaMidiyani bamthengisa eGibhithe kuPotifari, isikhulu segceke sikaFaro, + induna yonogada. +