1 UYakobi wayehlala eKanana, kwelo lizwe wayemi kulo uyise ngaphambili.
2 Nanga amagqabantshintshi ngoYakobi.Akuba yinkwenkwe eneshumi linesixhenxe leminyaka ubudala, uJosefu wayedla ngokuhamba nabakhuluwa bakhe abangoonyana bakaBhiliya noZilipha, amaqadi kayise, baye kwalusa impahla. Wayedla ngokubaxela kuyise ngezinto ezingekho mgaqweni ababezenza.
3 USirayeli wayemthanda ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantakwabo uJosefu, kuba yena wavela selaluphele uSirayeli. Wamenzela ingubo embeje-mbeje.
4 Bathi abantakwabo bakuphawula ukuba uyise umthanda ukugqitha bona uJosefu, bamthiya kangangokude bangakwazi nokuthetha kakuhle naye.
5 Ngabusuku buthile uJosefu waba nephupha, athe akulilawula kubakhuluwa bakhe, bamthiya ngakumbi.
6 Wathi kubo: “Khanive ndinixelele iphupha lam.
7 Ndiphuphe sisemasimini, sibopha izithungu zengqolowa. Suka esam isithungu sema nkqo, zaza ezenu zeza kusingqonga, zakhahlela kuso.”
8 Bathe abakhuluwa bakhe: “Ngaba uba uza kuba yikumkani, size thina silawulwe nguwe?” Loo nto yelo phupha yamenza wanetyheneba kubo, nangenxa yeentetho zakhe.
9 Uphinde wanelinye iphupha uJosefu, wabuya wabalawulela abantakwabo, esithi: “Kweli iphupha ndibone ilanga, nenyanga, neenkwenkwezi ezilishumi elinanye, zikhahlela kum.”
10 Ulilawule nakuyise eli phupha. Wamngxolisa uyise, esithi: “Suk' apha, phupha lini eli athi unyoko nabantakwenu kunye nam sikhahlele wena!”
11 Abakhuluwa bakaJosefu bammonela, kodwa yena uyise wamana elijika-jika engqondweni eli phupha.
12 Ngamini ithile abakhuluwa bakaJosefu babeseShekem besalusa impahla,
13 wathi uSirayeli kuJosefu: “Ndifuna ukukuthuma kubantakwenu eShekem apho bayalusela khona impahla.”Uthe uJosefu: “Kulungile, tata.”
14 Uthe uYakobi: “Khawuye kukhangela ukuba abantakwenu basahleli kakuhle na, nokuba akukho monakalo ukhoyo na empahleni, ubuye uze kundazisa.” Wanduluka ke uJosefu kuloo ntili yeHebron, ethunywe eShekem.Wahamba waya kufika eShekem uJosefu.
15 Kuthe esabhadula kwelo zwe, kwavela ndoda ithile, yambuza yathi: “Ufuna ntoni?”
16 “Ndifuna abantakwethu abalusa impahla; ungandixelela apho bakhoyo?” utshilo uJosefu.
17 “Sebemkile,” itshilo loo ndoda. “Ndibavele besithi baza kuya eDotan.” Wenjenjeya ke uJosefu ukulandela abantakwabo, wada waya kugaleleka eDotan, apho wafika bekhona.
18 Bambona esekude, waza wathi efika kubo baba sebenze iyelenqe lokumbulala.
19 Bathi bakumbona: “Nanku esiza laa mphuphi.
20 Masimbulale, size isidumbu sakhe sisifake kwelinye lala maqula atshileyo, sithi uqwengwe ngamarhamncwa, sibone ke ukuba aya kuthini na loo maphupha akhe.”
21 URubhen wabavela kuloo nto, wafuna ukumsindisa uJosefu, wathi: “Hayini, madoda,
22 masingambulali siphalaze igazi lomntakwethu. Makaphoswe nje kweli qula lilapha entlango, kodwa ningamenzakalisi.” Ethetha loo nto nje wayeceba ukumhlangula kubo, aze amgoduse amse kuyise.
23 Akufika kubantakwabo uJosefu, bamkhulula loo ngubo imbeje-mbeje,
24 baza bamthatha bamphosa equleni elingenamanzi.
25 Kuthe ke besatya, kwee gqi igqiza lamaIshmayeli, evela eGiliyadi, esinga eJiputa. Ayeqhuba iinkamela ezithwele intlaka yesiqhumiso, namafutha anamakha, nentlaka yokuqhola.
26 UJuda wabhekisa kubantakwabo, wathi: “Iza kusenzela ntoni into yokubulala umntakwethu, khona sesibufihlile obo bugwinta?
27 Masithengise ngaye kula maIshmayeli. Ngaloo ndlela asiyi kumenzakalisa. Andithi gxebe ligazi lethu eliya?” Bavumelana naye abanye.
28 Kwathi xa kwakudlula iqela labarhwebi bamaMidiyan, bamkhupha uJosefu kuloo mhadi, bamthengisa ngamashumi amabini eesiliva kumaIshmayeli, awamthathayo amsa eJiputa.
29 Akuya kuvela kwelo qula uRubhen, wafika engekho uJosefu, wasuka wakrazula izambatho zakhe ngenxa yosizi awayenalo.
30 Wabuyela kubaninawa bakhe, wathi: “Madoda, laa nkwenkwe ayikho phaya; ndiza kuyithini le nto?”
31 Banqumla ibhokhwe, baza ingubo kaJosefu bayityikila ngelo gazi layo.
32 Bayithatha loo ngubo, bayisa kuyise, bafika bathi: “Sichole le nto; khawufanise ukuba ngaba asiyiyo eyonyana wakho na?”
33 UYakobi wayifanisa kwangoko, wathi: “Yingubo yomntwanam le! Kwowu, uqwengwe ngamarhamncwa! Hayi, amqwenga-qwengile umntwanam uJosefu!”
34 Wazikrazula izambatho zakhe uYakobi, elusizi; wanxiba ezamarhonya, ezila. Wamzilela ithuba elide unyana wakhe.
35 Beza kumthuthuzela bonke oonyana neentombi zakhe, kodwa wala, akavuma ukuthuthuzeleka. Uthe kubo: “Ndiya kude ndife ndisamzilele umntwana wam.” Wazila rhoqo ke, ezilela unyana wakhe uJosefu.
36 Ngelo xesha amaMidiyan ayeselemthengisile uJosefu eJiputa kuPotifare, elinye lamagosa okumkani waseJiputa, elaliyinduna yabalindi bebhotwe lakomkhulu.