1 UJosefu wathi kwisicaka esiyintloko emzini wakhe: “Zalisa ezi ngxowa zala madoda zithi ntli, uze ufake nemali yomntu ngamnye engxoweni yakhe,
2 ufake nendebe yam yesiliva ngaphezulu engxoweni yomninawa wabo, kwakunye nemali yengqolowa.” Senjenjalo isicaka.
3 Kwangentseni wabakhulula abantakwabo, bangena endleleni egodukayo, beqhuba iidonki zabo.
4 Kwathi besekude kufuphi nedolophu, wathi uJosefu kwisicaka sakhe: “Khawuleza usukele laa madoda, uthi: ‘Kutheni nibuyisa ubuhle ngobubi?
5 Niyibele ntoni indebe yesiliva yenkosi yam? Yile kanye isela ngayo, ikwayile ivumisa ngayo. Ilihlazo le nto niyenzileyo.’ ”
6 Siwathethile ke la mazwi isicaka sakufika kubo.
7 Bathe bona: “Ungathini, mhlekazi, ukuthetha ngolu hlobo? Asikhange siyenze into enjalo konke-konke.
8 Uyazi nawe ukuba nemali esayifumana ezingxoweni zethu ekhaya siyibuyisele kwakuwe. Singathini ke ngoku ukûba isiliva okanye igolide yenkosi yakho?
9 Ukuba kukho onayo apha kuthi makabulawe, baze abanye babanjwe babe ngamakhoboka.”
10 Sithe isicaka: “Ewe, kulungile, kodwa ngulo ifunyenwe kuye qha oya kubanjwa abe likhoboka; bonke abanye bangakhululeka.”
11 Bazithule kwangoko iingxowa zabo, bazibeka phantsi, elowo wavula eyakhe.
12 Sakhangelisisa isicaka sikaJosefu, siqala komkhlu sada saya kutsho koyena mncinane. Loo ndebe yafunyanwa engxoweni kaBhenjamin.
13 Baba lusizi kakhulu abantakwabo, batsho bakrazula nezambatho zabo, bayilayisha kwakhona imithwalo yabo, babuyela edolophini.
14 Ukufika kwabo ooJuda nabantakwabo, bafika esesekhaya uJosefu. Bafika bakhahlela,
15 wathi kubo uJosefu: “Niyenzeleni le nto? Beningazi kakade ukuba umntu okwesi sikhundla ndikuso uyakwazi ukuvumisa?”
16 UJuda uthe: “Singathini kuwe, mhlekazi, ukukubonisa ukuba asazani nale nto? Singathini ukuzihlamba? NguThixo olaziyo ityala lethu. Thina sonke ngoku singamabanjwa, asinguye kuphela lo ifunyenwe kuye indebe yakho.”
17 Uthe uJosefu: “Unongekhe; andiyivumi loo nto! Kuza kubanjwa lo ifunyenwe kuye indebe yam qha. Bonke abanye bangagoduka ngoxolo, babuyele kuyise.”
18 UJuda wasondela kuJosefu, wafika wathi: “Ngxe, mhlekazi! Ndivumele ndithethe, nakuba ungangokumkani ngokwakhe.
19 Wasibuza, mhlekazi, ukuba ngaba ubawo usaphila na, nokuba ngaba sinaye na umntakwethu ongomnye.
20 Sathi ubawo usadla amazimba, phofu selaluphele. Satsho nokuthi sinaye nomninawa ovele selemdala ubawo. Umkhuluwa wale ntwana akasekho; yiyo yodwa ke ngoko esaphilayo kubantwana bakanina. Uyise uyithanda kakhulu.
21 Wathi ke, mhlekazi, ze size nayo le ntwana khon' ukuze uyibone.
22 Sathi thina ayinako ukwahlukana noyise; angafa.
23 Wathi ke wena thina zicaka zakho ze singezi apha singahambi nale ntwana.
24 “Sathi sakufika kubawo samxelela konke owakuthethayo.
25 Ubawo ubuye wasithuma ukuba siphinde size kufuna into etyiwayo.
26 Samxelela sathi asinakuza apha, singenakwamkelwa, singezanga nayo le ntwana. Besingeza apha kuphela xa ngaba siza nayo.
27 Wathi ubawo: ‘Niyazi ukuba umkam uRakeli wandizalela oonyana ababini kuphela.
28 Omnye unyana akasekho; kunokuba waqwengwa zizilwanyana, kuba akazange abonwe oko wemkayo.
29 Xa ke nifuna ukuhamba naye nalo, aze angabuyi, ingandixhela loo nto ngoku sendimdala.’
30-31 “Ke ngoko, mhlekazi,” utshilo uJuda, “ukuba ndingabuyela ekhaya ingekho le ntwana, ubawo angafa zisuka nje xa aphawula ukuba ayikho. Akasenako ukwahlukana nale nkwenkwe. Selaluphele kangangokuba angafa.
32 Ngaphezu koko ndafunga kubawo ndathi kungafa mna kunokuba kwenzeke into kule ntwana. Ndathi, ukuba andibuyanga nayo, ityala aze alibeke kum.
33 Ke, mhlekazi, ndim oza kuhlala apha abe libanjwa endaweni yale ntwana. Yiyeke yona ibuyele ekhaya kunye nabakhuluwa bayo.
34 Ndingathini ukubuyela ekhaya ngaphandle kwale ntwana? Andinako ukukubukela ukudandatheka kukabawo.”