Genesise
48 Ngemva kwalezi zinto, kwathiwa kuJosefa: “Bheka, uyihlo useba buthakathaka.” Yena-ke wathatha amadodana akhe amabili uManase no-Efrayimi wahamba nawo. + 2 UJakobe watshelwa: “Bheka uJosefa indodana yakho uze kuwe.” Ngakho u-Israyeli waziqinisa wavuka wahlala embhedeni wakhe. 3 UJakobe wathi kuJosefa:
“UNkulunkulu uMninimandla Onke wabonakala kimi eLuze ezweni laseKhanani wangibusisa. + 4 Wathi kimi, ‘Ngiyakwandisa, ngiyokwenza ube mningi, ngikwenze ibandla lezizwe, + leli zwe ngiyolinika inzalo* yakho kube ngelayo unomphela.’ + 5 Manje amadodana akho amabili ozalelwe wona ezweni laseGibhithe ngaphambi kokuba ngize lapha kuwe eGibhithe, angawami. + U-Efrayimi noManase bazoba ngabami njengoba nje noRubeni noSimeyoni bengabami. + 6 Kodwa izingane ozozalelwa zona ngemva kwabo ziyoba ngezakho. Ziyobizwa ngegama labafowabo efeni labo. + 7 Lapho ngivela ePhadani, uRaheli wafa + eceleni kwami ezweni laseKhanani, kusasele ibanga elide ngaphambi kokufika e-Efrathi. + Ngakho ngamngcwaba lapho endleleni eya e-Efrathi, okungukuthi, eBhetlehema.” +
8 U-Israyeli wabe esebona amadodana kaJosefa, wabuza: “Obani laba?” 9 UJosefa wathi kuyise: “Amadodana ami uNkulunkulu angiphe wona kule ndawo.” + Uyise wathi: “Ngicela uwalethe kimi ukuze ngiwabusise.” + 10 Amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesenqundekile ngenxa yokuguga, engasaboni. Ngakho uJosefa wawasondeza kuye, wayesewaqabula, wawagona. 11 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Angikaze ngicabange ukuthi ngiyophinde ngibubone ubuso bakho, + kodwa uNkulunkulu ungivumele ukuba ngibone nenzalo* yakho.” 12 UJosefa wawasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli, wakhothama ngobuso phansi.
13 UJosefa wawathatha womabili, u-Efrayimi + ngesandla sokudla wamyisa kwesobunxele sika-Israyeli, noManase + ngesandla sobunxele wamyisa kwesokudla sika-Israyeli, wawasondeza kuye. 14 Nokho, u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokudla wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, nakuba ayengomncane, kwathi isandla sakhe sobunxele wasibeka ekhanda likaManase. Wazibeka kanjalo ngamabomu izandla zakhe, njengoba uManase ayeyizibulo. + 15 Wambusisa uJosefa wathi: +
“UNkulunkulu weqiniso, obaba u-Abrahama no-Isaka abahamba phambi kwakhe, +
UNkulunkulu weqiniso obengelusa sonke isikhathi sokuphila kwami kuze kube namuhla, +
16 Ingelosi ebilokhu ingisindisa kuzo zonke izinhlekelele, + mayibabusise abafana. +
Igama lami malibizwe phezu kwabo negama lobaba, u-Abrahama no-Isaka,
Mabande babe baningi emhlabeni.” +
17 Lapho uJosefa ebona ukuthi uyise wayelokhu ebeke isandla sakhe sokudla ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, akazange akuthande lokho, ngakho wazama ukubamba isandla sikayise ukuze asisuse ekhanda lika-Efrayimi asibeke ekhanda likaManase. 18 UJosefa wathi kuyise: “Ungenzi kanjalo baba, ngoba yilo oyizibulo. + Beka isandla sakho sokudla ekhanda lakhe.” 19 Kodwa uyise wayelokhu enqaba ethi: “Ngiyazi ndodana yami, ngiyazi. Naye uyoba isizwe, naye futhi uyoba mkhulu. Noma kunjalo, umfowabo omncane uyoba mkhulu kunaye, + nenzalo* yakhe iyoba ningi ngokwanele ukuba yakhe zonke izizwe.” + 20 Ngakho waqhubeka ebabusisa ngalolo suku, + ethi:
“Ama-Israyeli mawabize igama lakho lapho ebusisana, athi,
‘Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angakwenza ube njengo-Efrayimi nanjengoManase.’”
Kanjalo u-Israyeli wayelokhu ebeka u-Efrayimi ngaphambi kukaManase.
21 Ngemva kwalokho u-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Bheka, sengiyafa, + kodwa uNkulunkulu uzoqhubeka enani anibuyisele ezweni lokhokho benu. + 22 Mina, ngikunika ingxenye eyodwa yezwe ngaphezu kwabafowenu, izwe engalithatha esandleni sama-Amori ngenkemba yami nangomnsalo wami.”