1 Kwadlula iminyaka yamibini, ukumkani waseJiputa waphupha emi ngakumlambo iNayile,
2 apho kwathi gqi iimazi zeenkomo ezityebileyo ezisixhenxe, ziphuma emlanjeni, zigramza apho phezu komlambo.
3 Kuthe thu ezinye iimazi ezinqinileyo, ezikwasisixhenxe. Zafika zema ngakwezo zaziphezu komlambo.
4 Zaza ezo mazi zinqinileyo zazithi bimbilili ezo zityebileyo. Kwesi sithuba waphaphama ukumkani.
5 Uphinde walala, wabuya waphupha kwakhona. Ubone izikhwebu ezisixhenxe zengqolowa, zizihle, zivuthiwe, zikhula kwisikhondo esinye.
6 Kusuke kwantshula ezinye izikhwebu zengqolowa. Ezo zazintshwenyile, zimbatshiswe lulophu lwasempumalanga.
7 Ezo zikhwebu zazintshwenyile zazithi bimbilili eziya zihle izikhwebu. Uphaphamile ukumkani, waza waziqonda ukuba ubephupha.
8 Kwasa ekhathazekile yile nto, waza wathi makubizwe zonke izanuse noosiyazi baseJiputa. Wabalawulela amaphupha akhe, kodwa bonke batsho phantsi, ababi nako ukuwachaza.
9 Kuvele injoli, yathi kukumkani: “Mandiyivume namhla into yokuba ndenze impazamo.
10 Ngokuya wawukhathazekile ngenxa yam nombhaki, wasivalela entolongweni emzini womphathi-balindi bebhotwe,
11 kwathi ngabusuku buthile saphupha. Elowo waba nelakhe iphupha, engathethi nto inye loo maphupha.
12 Apho kwakukho umfana womHebhere, evalelwe nathi, engumququzeleli womphathi-balindi. Sathi sakumlawulela wasichazela sobabini amaphupha ethu.
13 Kwenzeka kanye njengoko wayetshilo: mna ndabuyiselwa emsebenzini wam, waxhonywa yena umbhaki.”
14 Ukumkani wathi makabizwe uJosefu, waza ngoko nangoko wakhululwa entolongweni. Akuba etshevile, wanxiba kakuhle, wasiwa kukumkani.
15 Waza wathi ukumkani kuJosefu: “Ndinephupha ekungekho bani ube nako ukulichaza. Ke ndivile ukuba uyakwazi ukuchaza amaphupha.”
16 UJosefu uphendule ngelithi: “Mhlekazi, andikwazi kuchaza maphupha, koko nguThixo oya kuchazela ukumkani iphupha lakhe.”
17 Ulilawule ke iphupha lakhe ukumkani wenjenje: “Ndiphuphe ndimi phezu komlambo iNayile.
18 Ndabona kuvela iimazi zeenkomo ezisixhenxe ezityebileyo emlanjeni apho, zigramza.
19 Kuvele esinye isixhenxe seemazi ezinqinileyo. Zaziyeyona migqutsuba ndakha ndayibona kwelaseJiputa.
20 Loo migqutsuba ke yazithi bimbilili ezo mazi zityebileyo.
21 Kambe ke ayikhange ibonakale loo nto, kuba zasala ziyiloo migqutsuba kwanjengangaphambili. Ndaphaphama ke.
22 Emva koko ke ndibuye ndaphupha ndibona izikhwebu ezisixhenxe ezihle zengqolowa, zintshula sikhondweni sinye.
23 Kuphinde kwantshula nezinye ezisixhenxe izikhwebu zizibi ngathi zitshazwe lulophu lwasempumalanga,
24 zazithi ginyi-ginyi eziya zikhwebu zihle. Ndiwalawule la maphupha kwizanuse zalapha, kodwa akwabikho namnye unokundichazela.”
25 Uthe ukuphendula uJosefu: “Omabini la maphupha athetha into enye, mhlekazi. UThixo ebekuxelela into aza kuyenza.
26 Iimazi ezityebileyo ezisixhenxe yiminyaka esixhenxe, ukanti nezikhwebu ezihle ezisixhenxe zikwayiminyaka esixhenxe. Athetha into enye omabini la maphupha.
27 Zona iimazi ezisixhenxe ezinqinileyo, ezivele mva, kwakunye nezikhwebu ezisixhenxe ezibi, ezitshaziswe lulophu lwasempumalanga, yiminyaka esixhenxe yendlala.
28 Kunjengokuba besenditshilo, mhlekazi, uThixo ubekuxelela into aza kuyenza.
29 Kuza kubakho iminyaka esixhenxe yendyebo kulo lonke elaseJiputa,
30 emva koko kubekho iminyaka esixhenxe yendlala; yaye yonke loo minyaka yendyebo iya kuba ngathi ayizange yabakho ngenxa yendlala eya kuligqiba lonke ilizwe.
31 Koba ngathi akuzange kubekho ntlutha, kuba indlala eyolandela yoba yeyoyikekayo.
32 Ukuphinda-phindwa kwephupha lakho kuthetha ukuthi uThixo selesenzile isigqibo, yaye uselembovu ukuyenza le nto.
33 “Ngoko ke, mhlekazi, khetha indoda elumkileyo, enamava, uyenze umphathiswa kweli lizwe.
34 Kufuneka utyumbe nabanye abaphathi abaza kugcina isihlanu sesivuno kule minyaka isixhenxe yendyebo.
35 Kufuneka bakuqokelele ukutya kule minyaka izayo yendyebo, babe negunya lokuvula oovimba ezixekweni, kugcinwe apho.
36 Kukutya okugciniweyo kaloku okuya kondla abantu kwiminyaka yendlala eya kulandela kweli laseJiputa. Ngale ndlela ke abasayi kulamba abantu.”
37 Ukumkani namaphakathi akhe balivuma eli cebo likaJosefu,
38 watsho esithi kubo: “Ngaba singafumana ndoda yimbi ngaphandle koJosefu, umfo owambathiswe ngoMoya kaThixo?”
39 Ubhekise kuJosefu ke ukumkani, wathi: “Nguwe oyiboniswe nguThixo le nto yonke. Kucacile ke ukuba asinakubuya sifumane mntu wumbi onobulumko namava, ingenguwe.
40 Ndiza kwenza wena ube ngumphathiswa elizweni lam. Bonke abantu bam baya kuthobela wena. Igunya lakho liya kuba ngaphantsi kwelam qha.
41 Ngoko ke ndithi ungumphathiswa kulo lonke elaseJiputa.”
42 Watsho ukumkani wakhulula emnweni wakhe umsesane owawukrwelwe uphawu lokumkani, wawufaka emnweni kaJosefu. Wamthi wambu ngomnweba owenziwe ngelinen entle, watsho emgaxela entanyeni ngesidanga esenziwe ngegolide.
43 Wamnika enye yeenqwelo zakhe ukuba ajikeleze ngayo njengesekela likakumkani. Wamnika namaphakathi okuhamba emgabulela izigcawu endleleni esithi: “Shenxani nikhahlele!” Wamiselwa ke uJosefu, waba ngumphathiswa waseJiputa.
44 Wathi ukumkani kuye: “Ukumkani ndim, ndithi ke akukho bani kulo lonke elaseJiputa oya kwenza nto engakhululelwanga nguwe.”
45-46 Watsho ke ethiya uJosefu igama abizwa ngalo eJiputa elinguZafenati-paneya, wamzekela nomfazi, uAsenati intombi kaPotifare umbingeleli waseOni.Ukuqala kwakhe ukungena kwakumkani waseJiputa wayemashumi mathathu ubudala uJosefu. Wemka ebhotwe, walijikeleza lonke elaseJiputa.
47 Ngale minyaka isixhenxe yendyebo saba sikhulu kakhulu isivuno.
48 Wasivalela koovimba isivuno uJosefu kuzo zonke iidolophu. Kwidolophu nganye wayeqokelela ukutya okuvunwe kumasimi alapho.
49 Ingqolowa yayiyintaphane kangangokuba wada wayeka ukuyiveyisha uJosefu. Yayingangentlabathi ukuba ninzi kwayo.
50 UAsenati intombi kaPotifera, umbingeleli waseOni, wazalela uJosefu oonyana ababini ngaphambi kwendlala.
51 Unyana olizibulo wathi igama lakhe nguManase, kuba esithi: “UThixo undiphumzile ndatsho ndazilibala iinkxwaleko zam, andawakhumbula namawethu.”
52 Owesibini unyana wathi nguEfrayim, kuba esithi: “UThixo undiphe inzala kwilizwe endihlupheke kulo.”
53 Yaphela ke yona iminyaka yendyebo eJiputa,
54 yagaleleka iminyaka yendlala, kanye njengoko wayetshilo uJosefu. Kwalanjwa kuwo onke amanye amazwe, kodwa kulo lonke elaseJiputa kwakukho intlutha.
55 Athe akulamba amaJiputa, aya kuzicelela ukutya kukumkani. Wathi ke yena makaye kuJosefu, aze enze loo nto awayalela yona.
56 Yakhula indlala, yaligqiba lonke elaseJiputa. Wabavula ke oovimba uJosefu, wawathengisela ingqolowa amaJiputa.
57 Babevela ngeenkalo zonke abantu elizweni, beze kuthenga ingqolowa kuJosefu, kuba indlala yayiligqugqisile lonke.