1 Emva kwexesha injoli kakumkani waseJiputa, kunye nombhaki oyintloko, bayona inkosi yabo ukumkani.
2 Wacaphuka ukumkani zizenzo zala madoda,
3 wawafaka ke entolongweni kumzi wenduna yabalindi, apho kwakugcinwe khona uJosefu.
4 Bahlala ke entolongweni apho, yaza induna yenza uJosefu umququzeleli wabo.
5 Ngabusuku buthile bakuba besentolongweni ithutyana, injoli yaba nephupha, kwanaye nombhaki waba nelakhe iphupha. Amaphupha abo ayethetha izinto ngezinto.
6 Akufika kubo uJosefu ngentsasa, wababona bematshekile.
7 Ubuze wathi: “Kutheni ingathi nikhathazekile nje namhlanje?”
8 Bathe bona: “Sibe namaphupha phezolo, yaye akukho namnye umntu apha okwaziyo ukuwachaza into ayithethayo.”“NguThixo otyhila inkcazelo yamaphupha,” utshilo uJosefu. Watsho esithi: “Ndilawuleleni amaphupha enu.”
9 Kuqale injoli, yathi: “Mna ndiphuphe kukho umdiliya ngaphambi kwam,
10 unamasebe amathathu. Kuthe nje kuvele amagqabi, kwantshula iintyatyambo, neediliya zavuthwa.
11 Bendiphethe indebe kakumkani, ndazikha iidiliya ezo, ndazikhamela endebeni, ndazinika ukumkani.”
12 Uthe uJosefu: “Nantsi into ethethwa leli phupha lakho: Amasebe amathathu ziintsuku ezintathu.
13 Ngeentsuku ezintathu ukumkani uza kukukhulula, akuxolele, akubuyisele emsebenzini wakho. Uza kubuya ube yinjoli yendebe yakhe njengoko ubuyiyo ngaphambili.
14 Uzuncede ke kodwa, ungandilibali xa izinto sezikulungele, uncede uthethe ngam kukumkani, ndikhululwe kule ntolongo.
15 Ikakade mna ndebiwa kwilizwe lamaHebhere, ukanti nalapha eJiputa akukho nto ndiyenzileyo ibinokundingenisa entolongweni.”
16 Uthe naye umbhaki wezonka, akubona ukuba into iphupha lenjoli eliyithethayo iyanandipheka, naye walilawula kuJosefu iphupha lakhe, esithi: “Mna, kwelam iphupha bendithwele ngentloko iibhaskiti ezintathu.
17 Kwephezulu ibhaskiti bekukho zonke iindidi zokutya kukakumkani okwenziwa ngumbhaki, kwafika iintaka zakuxhola.”
18 UJosefu uthe: “Nantsi into ethethwa liphupha lakho: Iibhaskiti ezintathu zithetha iintsuku ezintathu.
19 Ukumkani uza kukukhulula ngeentsuku ezintathu, kodwa uza kunqunyulwa intloko, uze uxhonywe esibondeni, zize iintaka zikuxhole.”
20 Ngomhla wokukhunjulwa kokuzalwa kukakumkani, ngemva kweentsuku ezintathu ukususela koku, ukumkani wenzela iindedeba zasebhotwe itheko. Wayikhulula injoli nombhaki, beziswa phambi kwezo ndedeba.
21 Injoli yabuyiselwa kumsebenzi wayo ebikade iwenza,
22 kodwa yena umbhaki wanqunyulwa intloko. Kwaba njengokutsho kukaJosefu.
23 Kodwa injoli yamlibala kwaphela uJosefu.