1 UYakobi akuva ukuba iyafumaneka ingqolowa eJiputa, uthe koonyana bakhe: “Kutheni ninyabile nje?
2 Ndivile mna ukuba iyafumaneka eJiputa ingqolowa. Yiyani kuyithenga khona, singafi yindlala.”
3 Banduluka ke abakhuluwa bakaJosefu abalishumi ukuya kuthenga ingqolowa eJiputa.
4 Kodwa uYakobi akazange amthume kunye nabo uBhenjamin umninawa kaJosefu, kuba esoyika hleze ahlelwe yinto.
5 Oonyana bakaSirayeli bagaleleka kunye nabanye abathengi, kuba kwakukho indlala kulo lonke eKanana.
6 UJosefu, umphathiswa waseJiputa, wayethengisela abantu beendawo ngeendawo ingqolowa. Bafika ke nabantakwabo, bakhahlela bequbuda ngobuso emhlabeni.
7 Wathi akubabona abantakwabo uJosefu, wabanakana kwangoko, kodwa wazenza ongabaziyo. Wababuza rhabaxa wathi: “Nivela phi?”Bona bathi: “Sivela eKanana. Size kuthenga ukutya.”
8 Ngalo lonke eli xesha uJosefu wayebazi abantakwabo, kodwa bona babengamazi.
9 Wakhumbula nalaa maphupha wayewaphupha ngabo, wathi kubo: “Nina niziimpimpi! Nizele nje ukuza kuhlola iindawo ezibuthathaka kwilizwe lethu.”
10 Bathe bona: “Hayi, nkosi, thina sizizicaka zakho nje ezize kuthenga ukutya.
11 Singoonyana bomntu omnye sonke. Asizizo konke iimpimpi, mhlekazi. Singamadoda anyanisekileyo.”
12 Uthe uJosefu: “Hayi bo, andivumi! Ndithi kuni nina nize kuhlola eli lizwe lethu.”
13 Bathe bona: “Mhlekazi, thina kutata singamadoda alishumi linambini. Simi kwilizwe laseKanana. Omnye umntakwethu akasekho; untondo yena usele nexhego ekhaya.”
14 “Benditshilo, niziimpimpi nina!” utshilo uJosefu.
15 “Niyabona ke, ndiza kunivavanya ngolu hlobo: ndifung' ukumkani, anisayi kube nimke apha kude kuze loo mninawa wenu.
16 Omnye wenu uza kuya kumphuthuma. Bonke abanye aba baza kuvalelwa elugcinweni, kude kuvele inyaniso yale nto niyithethayo. Ndifung' ukumkani, mna ndithi niziimpimpi nina.”
17 Uthe ke mabavalelwe entolongweni iintsuku ezintathu.
18 Ngolwesithathu usuku uJosefu wathi kubo: “Ndingumntu omoyikayo uThixo. Ke ndiza kunisindisa, kodwa phantsi kwalo mqathango:
19 Ukuze ndiqonde ukuba ninyanisile omnye wenu uza kuhlala apha kule ntolongo benigcinwe kuyo, abanye bona bagoduke nengqolowa le niyithengileyo, bayise kuloo mawenu alambileyo.
20 Kodwa kufuneka nimzise apha kum loo mninawa wenu yena. Loo nto iya kundibonisa ukuba beninyanisile, ndinganibulali ke.”Bavuma,
21 kambe bethetha bodwa besithi: “Kunje-nje-nje kungenxa yento esayenza kumninawa wethu uJosefu. Asizange simhoye esibongoza ukuba simncede kwimbandezelo awayekuyo. Yiyo loo nto nathi sibandezelekile nje.”
22 Uthe uRubhen: “Ndandingatshongo kuni ukuba ningayenzakalisi laa ntwana? Ke nina aneva. Nasi ke ngoku isiphumo: igazi lakhe liyathetha.”
23 UJosefu wayeyiva into ababeyithetha, nto nje bona babengayazi loo nto, kuba yena wayethetha nabo ngetoliki.
24 Wee guququ uJosefu, wakha walila. Uthe akuba nako ukuthetha kwakhona, walatha uSimon, wathi makabotshwe bejongile.
25 Wathi uJosefu mazizaliswe ngengqolowa iingxowa zabantakwabo, kufakwe nemali yomntu ngamnye engxoweni yakhe, banikwe nomphako wendlela. Yenziwa yonke loo nto.
26 Abakhuluwa bakhe bazilayisha ezimbongolweni iingxowa zabo, banduluka.
27 Kwindawo ababekhulule kuyo ukuchitha ubusuku, omnye kubo wayivula ingxowa yakhe, eza kupha idonki yakhe ukutya, wafika imali ibekwe ngaphezulu.
28 Ubhekise kubantakwabo wathi: “Imali yam ibuyisiwe; nantsi engxoweni!”Bothuka kakhulu, bangcangcazela, bathi: “Yintoni le uThixo asenza yona!”
29 Bakufika kuyise eKanana, bambalisela konke okwabehlelayo, besithi:
30 “Laa mphathiswa waseJiputa wathetha rhabaxa nathi, esithi siziimpimpi ezaziye kuhlola ilizwe labo.
31 Samphedula sathi: ‘Asizizo konke iimpimpi, koko singamadoda anyanisekileyo.
32 Singoonyana bomntu omnye abalishumi elinambini bebonke. Nto nje omnye akasekho; yena untondo usele noyise eKanana.’ ”
33 Baqokela bathi kuyise: “Yathi loo ndoda iphetheyo ukuphendula: ‘Ukuze ndiqonde ukunyaniseka kwenu, makasale abe mnye, bagoduke abanye, baphathele amawenu alambayo ukutya.
34 Kodwa ze nize nomninawa wenu kum. Nantso ke into eya kwenza ndiqonde ukuba ngenene anizizo iimpimpi. Ndomkhulula umntakwenu, nani namkeleke kweli lizwe.’ ”
35 Bathi bakuzivula iingxowa zabo, bonke ngabanye bafumana kukho imali ezingxoweni. Bothuka, noyise wothuka.
36 Wathi kubo uYakobi: “Kutheni ngathi nifuna ndilahlekelwe ngabantwana bam bonke nje? Waya ngaphi uJosefu; ephi yena uSimon? Ngoku nifuna uBhenjamin! Kuyo yonke loo nto ndim obulalekayo.”
37 URubhen uthe kuyise: “Ukuba andibuyanga noBhenjamin, uze ubabulale bobabini oonyana bam. Myeke ahambe nam; ndiza kubuya naye.”
38 Wala uYakobi, esithi: “Hayi, akanako ukuhamba nani umntwanam. Umntakwabo wasweleka; selinguye yedwa ngoku oseleyo. Usenokuhlelwa yinto endleleni. Noko sendaluphele ngoku; ingandibulala loo nto.”