1 Kwathi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka emibili waphupha uFaro; bheka, wayemi ngasemfuleni.
2 Bheka, kwakhuphuka emfuleni izithole eziyisikhombisa ezibukeka kahle, zikhuluphele, zadla emhlangeni.
3 Nazo ezinye izithole eziyisikhombisa zenyuka emfuleni emva kwazo, zibukeka kabi, zondile; zema kwezinye izithole ogwini lomfula.
4 Izithole ezibukeka kabi ezondileyo zadla izithole ezibukeka kahle ezikhulupheleyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro.
5 Walala ubuthongo, waphupha ngokwesibili; bheka, kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezeleni linye, zibhoxile, zizinhle.
6 Bheka, nezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga, zahluma emva kwazo.
7 Izikhwebu ezincane zagwinya izikhwebu ezibhoxileyo ezipheleleyo. Wayesephaphama uFaro; bheka, kwakuyiphupho.
8 Kwathi ekuseni umoya wakhe wakhathazeka; wathuma wabiza izanusi zonke zaseGibithe nezihlakaniphi zonke zalo; uFaro wazilandisa iphupho lakhe; kepha akubangakho ongachazela wona uFaro.
9 Yayisikhuluma induna yabaphathizitsha kuFaro, ithi: “Ngiyakhumbula namuhla amacala ami.
10 UFaro wathukuthelela izinceku zakhe, wangifaka ukuba ngilindwe endlini yenduna yemilindankosi, mina kanye nenduna yabaphekizinkwa.
11 Saphupha iphupho ngabona lobo busuku mina naye. Saphupha, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngokokuchazwa kwephupho lakhe.
12 Kwakukhona nathi lapho insizwa, umHeberu, inceku yenduna yemilindankosi; sayilandisa yona, yasichazela amaphupho ethu, yachazela, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngokwephupho lakhe.
13 Kwathi njengalokho yasichazela, kwaba njalo; mina inkosi yangibuyisela esikhundleni sami, yena yamphanyeka.”
14 UFaro wayesethuma wambiza uJosefa; bashesha bamkhipha emgodini; waphucula, waphendulela ezinye izingubo, wangena kuFaro.
15 Wayesethi uFaro kuJosefa: “Ngiphuphe iphupho, kakho ongalichaza; sengizwe kuthiwa ngawe, lapho ulizwa iphupho, ungalichaza.”
16 UJosefa wamphendula uFaro, wathi: “Akukimi lokho; uNkulunkulu uzakumphendula kahle uFaro.”
17 UFaro wakhuluma kuJosefa, wathi: “Ephusheni lami, bheka, ngangimi ogwini lomfula;
18 bheka, kwase kukhuphuka emfuleni izithole eziyisikhombisa ezikhulupheleyo ezibukeka kahle; zadla emhlangeni.
19 Nazo ezinye izithole eziyisikhombisa zenyuka emva kwazo, zizacile, zibukeka kabi kakhulu, zondile, engingazange ngibone ezimbi njengalezo ezweni lonke laseGibithe.
20 Izithole ezondileyo ezimbi zadla eziyisikhombisa zokuqala ezikhulupheleyo.
21 Lapho sezingene eziswini zazo, akwabonakala ukuthi zingene eziswini zazo; zazisabukeka zizimbi njengakuqala. Ngase ngiphaphama.
22 “Futhi ngabona ephusheni lami, bheka, kwahluma izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezeleni linye, ziphelele, zizinhle.
23 Bheka, nezikhwebu eziyizintshwamu ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga, zahluma emva kwazo.
24 Izikhwebu ezincane zagwinya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle; ngakulandisa izanusi, kepha sasingekho esingangazisa khona.”
25 UJosefa wayesethi kuFaro: “Iphupho likaFaro linye; lokho uNkulunkulu azakukwenza umazise uFaro khona.
26 Izithole eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa; izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa; iphupho linye.
27 Izithole ezondileyo ezimbi ezakhuphuka emva kwazo ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa kanye nezikhwebu ezincane, ezihamukile ngumoya wasempumalanga; ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala.
28 “Yikho lokhu engikushilo kuFaro: lokho uNkulunkulu asezakukwenza ukubonakalisile kuFaro.
29 Bheka, kuyeza iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala enkulu ezweni lonke laseGibithe.
30 Emva kwayo iyakuvela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala; iyakukhohlakala inala yonke ezweni laseGibithe; indlala iyakuliqeda izwe.
31 Inala ayiyukwaziwa ezweni ngenxa yendlala elandelayo, ngokuba iyakuba nzima kakhulu.
32 Lokhu ukuthi iphupho liphindwe kabili kuFaro, kungokuba le nto inqunywe nguNkulunkulu, futhi uNkulunkulu uyakushesha ayenze.
33 “Manje uFaro makakhethe umuntu oqaphelayo ohlakaniphileyo, ambeke phezu kwezwe laseGibithe.
34 Makenze njalo uFaro, abeke ababonisi phezu kwezwe, bahlukanise okwesihlanu kwezwe laseGibithe ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala.
35 Mababuthe konke ukudla kwale minyaka emihle ezayo, banqwabele phansi kwesandla sikaFaro amabele emizini, abe ngukudla, bawalonde.
36 Lokhu kudla kuyakubekelelwa izwe ngenxa yeminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala eyakuba khona ezweni laseGibithe ukuba izwe lingabhubhi ngendlala.”
37 Leli zwi laba lihle emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe zonke.
38 Wayesethi uFaro ezincekwini zakhe: “Singamthola yini umuntu onjalo, onoMoya kaNkulunkulu, na?”
39 Wathi uFaro kuJosefa: “Njengokuba uNkulunkulu ekwazise wena konke lokhu, akakho oqaphelayo ohlakaniphileyo njengawe.
40 Wena uzakuba phezu kwendlu yami; ngezwi lakho bayakuhlelwa bonke abantu bami; esihlalweni sobukhosi kuphela ngiyakuba mkhulu kunawe.”
41 Wathi uFaro kuJosefa: “Bheka, sengikubeke phezu kwezwe lonke laseGibithe.”
42 UFaro wayesekhumula indandatho yakhe esandleni sakhe, wayifaka esandleni sikaJosefa, wamembathisa izingubo zelineni elicolekileyo, wafaka umnaka wegolide entanyeni yakhe.
43 Wamkhwelisa enqoleni yesibili emva kwakhe; bamemeza phambi kwakhe, bathi: “Guqani!” Wambeka phezu kwezwe lonke laseGibithe.
44 UFaro wathi kuJosefa: “NginguFaro; ngaphandle kwakho akuyikuphakamisa muntu isandla sakhe nonyawo lwakhe ezweni lonke laseGibithe.”
45 UFaro waqamba igama likaJosefa ngokuthi uSafenati Phaneya; wamnika u-Asenati indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi wase-Oni abe ngumkakhe. UJosefa waphuma, wahamba izwe lonke laseGibithe.
46 UJosefa wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu mhla emi phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe. UJosefa waphuma ebusweni bukaFaro, wahamba izwe lonke laseGibithe.
47 Ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala umhlaba wathela kakhulu.
48 Waqoqa konke ukudla kwale minyaka eyisikhombisa eyayisezweni laseGibithe, wabekelela ukudla emizini; ukudla kwamasimu azungeza yilowo nalowo muzi wakubekelela kuwo.
49 UJosefa waqongelela amabele angangesihlabathi solwandle, okuningi kakhulu, waze wayeka ukubala, ngokuba kwakungenakubalwa.
50 UJosefa wazalelwa amadodana amabili, kungakafiki mnyaka wendlala, amzalela wona u-Asenati indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi wase-Oni.
51 UJosefa waqamba igama lezibulo ngokuthi uManase,* wathi: “Ngokuba uNkulunkulu ungenze ngikhohlwe konke ukuhlupheka kwami nendlu yonke kababa.”
52 Igama lowesibili waliqamba ngokuthi u-Efrayimi,* wathi: “Ngokuba uNkulunkulu ungenze ngizale ezweni lokuhlupheka kwami.”
53 Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala eyayisezweni laseGibithe yaphela.
54 Iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala yayisiqala ukufika, njengalokho eshilo uJosefa; kwakuyindlala emazweni onke; kepha ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukudla kwakukhona.
55 Kwathi selilambile izwe lonke laseGibithe, abantu bakhala kuFaro ngokudla; uFaro wathi kubo bonke abaseGibithe: “Yanini kuJosefa; lokho anitshela khona, nikwenze.”
56 Indlala yayisebusweni bezwe lonke; uJosefa wavula zonke izinqolobane, wathengisela abaseGibithe; indlala yayinzima ezweni laseGibithe.
57 Amazwe onke afika kuJosefa eGibithe ukuyothenga amabele, ngokuba indlala yayinzima emhlabeni wonke.