1 Nanga amagama oonyana bakaSirayeli abâfuduka kunye naye baya eJiputa nezindlu zabo:
2 uRubhen, uSimon, uLevi, noJuda;
3 uIsakare, uZebhulon, noBhenjamin;
4 uDan, uNafetali, uGadi, noAshere.
5 Bebonke abayinzala kaYakobi babengamashumi asixhenxe. Kaloku yena uJosefu wayeseleseJiputa kakade.
6 Ekuhambeni kwexesha wafa uJosefu nabantakwabo, naso sonke eso sizukulwana.
7 Kambe ke yona inzala yabo, amaSirayeli, yaqhama yanda kakhulu. Ewe, yanda yaphinda-phindana, yakhula nangamanani, futhi iluqilima, yada yalizalisa elaseJiputa.
8 Ke kaloku kwavela kumkani wumbi owayengazi nto ngoJosefu, wangumlawuli kwelaseJiputa.
9 Wabhekisa kubantu bakhe, wathi: “Niyawabona na ukwanda kwawo la maSirayeli, niqonda na ukuba aluqilima?
10 Ngoko ke masihlale sivundlile, hleze athi akwanda ngaphezu koku adibane neentshaba zethu ngexesha lemfazwe, asihlasele, afumane ithuba lokubaleka emke kweli lizwe.”
11 Ngoko ke, ukuwaphul' iimpondo amaSirayeli, amaJiputa awamisela iinduna, khon' ukuze asetyenziswe nzima. Zakhiwa ngolu hlobo ke izixeko zokumkani, iPitom neRamesi, ezazingoovimba.
12 Kambe ke, okukhona bawatshutshisayo amaSirayeli, yaba kokukhona andayo, alizalisa lonke ilizwe. Le meko ke yawenza ahlala exhaleni elingathethekiyo amaJiputa ngenxa yamaSirayeli.
13-14 Ngoku ke aphatheka kabuhlungu amaSirayeli, akhohlakalelwa, enziwa amakhoboka ngamaJiputa. Latsho laxubayela ke ngakumaSirayeli, kuba asetyenziswa ekwenzeni izitena, nasemasimini, nakuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima. Aye ke ebhexeshwa kungekho lusini tu!
15 Ukumkani waseJiputa wathetha noShifra noPuwa ababelekisi bamaHebhere, wathi:
16 “Xa ninceda amaHebherekazi, aze afumane abantwana abangamakhwenkwe, babulaleni; kanti ke ningabayeka abangamantombazana baphile.”
17 Kodwa ke ababelekisi abo yayingabafazi abamoyikayo uThixo. Basuka bawaphula umyalelo kakumkani, àbawabulala amakhwenkwe lawo.
18 Ukumkani ke wababiza ababelekisi abo, wababuza wathi: “Ngani ukuba nibayeke abantwana bamaHebhere abangamakhwenkwe ningababulali?”
19 Ababelekisi baphendula bathi: “AmaHebherekazi akafani namaJiputakazi; wona akufikelwa yinimba abeleka lula, singekafiki nokufika thina.”
20-21 Ngenxa yokuba ababelekisi bemoyika uThixo, uThixo wabavuza ngeentsapho. Ke wona amaSirayeli aya esanda ngokwanda, aba luqilima.
22 Ekugqibeleni ke ukumkani wayalela bonke abantu bakhe wathi zonke iintsana ezingamakhwenkwe zamaHebhere maziphoswe emlanjeni iNayile, ke zona ezingamantombazana ziyekwe.