1 Yathath' unyawo yona indlala eKanana.
2 Kuthe kwakuba kuphele ingqolowa kwaYakobi eyayize noonyana bakhe eJiputa, wathi kubo uyise: “Buyani niye kusithengela into etyiwayo.”
3 UJuda wathi: “Laa mfo wasinqonqozisa, esithi akafuni nokusibona oku ukuba asizanga naye uBhenjamin.
4 Asikuya kuthenga kutya thina singahambi naye uBhenjamin.
5 Ukuba ke uyala, nathi asiyi kuya, kuba laa mfo walitsolisa, wathi singaze sivele phambi kwakhe singahambi noBhenjamin.”
6 USirayeli wathi: “Nindenzele ntoni into embi kangaka ngokuxelela laa mfo ukuba ninomnye umninawa?”
7 Bathi: “Laa mfo wayesibuza, esigocagoca ngekhaya lethu, efuna ukwazi ukuba ubawo usaphila na, nokuba ngaba sinaye na omnye umntakwethu. Saza ke thina sayiphendula le mibuzo. Besiya kwazi njani ukuba wayeza kuthi makuziwe noBhenjamin?”
8 UJuda wathi kuyise uSirayeli: “Yithi mayihambe nam le nkwenkwe, sinduluke kwangoku, siye kuthenga ukutya, ukuze thina neentsapho zethu singafi yindlala.
9 Ukuba kukho nto yenzeka kuyo woyibuza apha kum. Ukuba andibuyanga nayo isaphila, ndiya kuthwala ityala bonke ubomi bam.
10 Ukuba besingalibazisanga kangaka ngesiye sabuya, nditsho sada saphinda okwesibini.”
11 Uyise wathi kubo: “Xa kunjalo ke kulungile, phathani ezona ziphambili izinto ezivela kulo mhlaba, nise kumphathiswa lowo. Thathani intwana yentlaka yokuqhola, ubusi, intlaka emhlope, amakha, neembotyi zepistako, kunye neeamangile.
12 Ze niphathe nemali ngokuphindiweyo, kuba kufuneka niyibuyisele leya beniyifumene ezingxoweni zenu. Mhlawumbi yayifakwe ngempazamo.
13 Hambani naye ke umntakwenu, niye kuloo ndoda.
14 Wanga uThixo uSomandla angayenza mhlophe indlela yenu, ize loo ndoda inenzele inceba, imbuyisele kuni uBhenjamin nalaa mntakwenu useleyo. Ukuba mna kufuneka ndilahlekelwe ngabantwana bam, kulungile.”
15 Bazithatha ke izipho oonyana bakhe kunye nemali eyaneleyo, bahamba baya eJiputa kunye noBhenjamin. Bafika bazazisa kuJosefu.
16 UJosefu akubabona behamba noBhenjamin, wathi kwisicaka esiyintloko: “La madoda wase endlwini yam. Uze uxhele nokuxhela, khon' ukuze batye nam isidlo sasemini.”
17 Senjenjalo ke isicaka ngokomyalelo kaJosefu.
18 Ngeli xesha basiwa endlwini babesoyika, besithi: “Sibanjwa ngenxa yemali eyayifakwe ezingxoweni zethu. Uza kusihlasela, asibambe, sibe ngamakhoboka, athimbe needonki zethu.”
19 Bathe ke, xa besesemnyango, babhekisa kwisicaka esiphetheyo, bathi:
20 “Mhlekazi, bekhe seza kuthenga ukutya apha.
21 Sithe sakumisa ngokuhlwa endleleni egodukayo, safumana loo mali besithenge ngayo isesezingxoweni zethu ngaphezulu. Size nayo ke loo mali.
22 Siphethe nenye imali yokuthenga ukutya. Asazi ukuba yafakwa ngubani le mali ezingxoweni zethu.”
23 “Khululekani, ningoyiki,” sitshilo isicaka. “Kunokuba loo mali yinyhweba evela kuThixo wenu, uThixo kayihlo. Mna ndayifumana intlawulo yenu.” Saza sakhupha uSimon, samzisa kubo.
24 Sabangenisa endlwini kaJosefu isicaka. Sabanika amanzi, bahlamba iinyawo. Sapha needonki zabo into etyiwayo.
25 Balungiselela ukunika uJosefu izipho ukufika kwakhe ngexesha lesidlo sasemini, kuba babesebexelelwe ukuba uza kutya kunye nabo.
26 Akufika basa kuye izipho, bakhahlela, bawa ngobuso emhlabeni.
27 Wababuza impilo, waza wathi: “Linjani na ixhego uyihlo enanindixelele ngaye? Usaphila na?”
28 Bathi bona: “Mhlekazi, ubawo isicaka sakho, usaphila.” Batsho baguqa bezithoba phambi kwakhe.
29 UJosefu uthe akubona uBhenjamin umninawa wakhe: “Ngulo mninawa wenu ke lo benithetha ngaye? Lwanga ufefe lukaThixo lunganawe, mfo wam.”
30 UJosefu, esikwa yimfesane kukubona umninawa wakhe, ukhawuleze waphuma, waya kungena egumbini lakhe, kuba wayeseleza kulila. Wafika apho wakhe wagixa.
31 Akuba ebuhlambile ubuso, ubuyile, wazibamba, wathi makuphakwe.
32 Wayetyela etafileni yakhe yedwa, bona abantakwabo bekweyabo bodwa. NamaJiputa awayelapho ayesitya odwa, kuba kwakungekho sikweni ukutya kunye namaHebhere.
33 Oonyana bakaYakobi babehleli kwitafile ejongene nekaJosefu, bebekwe ngokuzana kwabo. Bathe bakuyibona indlela ababekwe ngayo etafileni, bajongana bethe manga.
34 Babesitya ukutya okuvela etafileni kaJosefu. UBhenjamin yena waphiwa kakhulu kunabanye, ephindwe kahlanu. Batya ke, basela kunye noJosefu, bada bamnandi.