1 UJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibithe, uJakobe wathi emadodaneni akhe: “Nibukanelani na?”
2 Wathi: “Bhekani, ngizwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibithe; yehlani, niye lapho, nisithengele khona, ukuze siphile, singafi.”
3 Base behla abafowabo bakaJosefa abayishumi, baya kuthenga amabele eGibithe.
4 Kepha uBenjamini umfowabo kaJosefa uJakobe akamthumanga nabafowabo, ngokuba wathi: “Angahle ehlelwe ngokubi.”
5 Ayesefika amadodana ka-Israyeli ukuthenga phakathi kwalabo ababefika, ngokuba kwakukhona indlala ezweni laseKhanani.
6 UJosefa wayengumbusi ezweni; nguyena owathengisela abantu bonke bezwe; bafika-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa, bamkhothamela ngobuso phansi.
7 UJosefa wabona abafowabo, wabazi, kepha wazishaya ongabaziyo kubo, wakhuluma kalukhuni kubo, wathi kubo: “Nivelaphi na?”Bathi: “Sivela ezweni laseKhanani, size ukuthenga ukudla.”
8 UJosefa wabazi abafowabo, kepha bona abamazanga.
9 UJosefa wayesekhumbula amaphupho awaphupha ngabo, wathi kubo: “Niyizinhloli; nize ukubona ubuze bezwe.”
10 Bathi kuye: “Qha, nkosi, izinceku zakho zize ukuba zithenge ukudla.
11 Sonke singamadodana andodanye; singabantu abaqotho; izinceku zakho aziyizo izinhloli.”
12 Wathi kubo: “Qhabo, nize ukubona ubuze bezwe.”
13 Base bethi kuye: “Thina zinceku zakho ziyizelamani eziyishumi nambili, amadodana andodanye ezweni laseKhanani; bheka, encane ikubaba manje, enye ayisekho.”
14 UJosefa wathi kubo: “Yikho lokhu engikushilo kini ukuthi niyizinhloli.
15 Niyakuvivinywa ngalokhu, kuphila kukaFaro, aniyikumuka lapha, kuphela uma umfowenu omncane efika lapha.
16 Thumani omunye wenu, amlande umfowenu; nizakuboshwa, ukuze kuvivinywe amazwi enu ukuba iqiniso likini yini; uma kungenjalo, kuphila kukaFaro, niyizinhloli.”
17 Wababutha bonke ukuba balindwe izinsuku ezintathu.
18 Wayesethi kubo uJosefa ngosuku lwesithathu: “Yenzani lokhu, niphile, ngokuba ngiyamesaba uNkulunkulu.
19 Uma ningabaqotho, makuboshwe omunye wabafowenu endlini yokulindwa kwenu, kepha hambani nina, nibuyele namabele endlala yezindlu zenu,
20 nilethe umfowenu omncane kimi, kuqiniswe amazwi enu, nize ningafi.” Benze njalo.
21 Base bethi omunye komunye: “Impela sitholile icala ngomfowethu, njengokuba sabona usizi lwenhliziyo yakhe, esincenga, kasamlalela; ngalokho lolu sizi selufike phezu kwethu.”
22 URubeni wabaphendula wathi: “Angikhulumanga yini kini ukuthi: ‘Ningamoni umfana,’ kanangilalela, na? Bhekani, ngalokho seliyabizwa igazi lakhe.”
23 Babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyabezwa, ngokuba kwakukhona ihumusha phakathi kwabo.
24 Wabafulathela, wakhala; wabuye waphendukela kubo, wakhuluma nabo; wayesemsusa uSimeyoni phakathi kwabo, wambopha phambi kwamehlo abo.
25 UJosefa wayeseyala ukuba amasaka abo agcwaliswe ngamabele, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo nalowo esakeni lakhe, baphiwe umphako endleleni; kwenziwa njalo kubo.
26 Base bethwesa izimbongolo zabo ngamabele abo, bamuka khona.
27 Kwathi omunye evula isaka lakhe ukuba ayinike imbongolo yakhe ukudla endlini yezihambi, wabona imali yakhe; bheka, yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
28 Wayesethi kubafowabo: “Imali yami ibuyiselwe; bhekani, isesakeni lami.” Baphela amandla, babhekana omunye nomunye bethuthumela, bethi: “Kuyini lokhu uNkulunkulu asenzele khona na?”
29 Bafika-ke kuJakobe uyise ezweni laseKhanani, bamtshela konke okubehleleyo, bathi:
30 “Lowo muntu, inkosi yezwe, ukhulume kalukhuni kithina, wasishaya izinhloli zezwe.
31 Sase sithi kuye: ‘Singabaqotho; asiyizo izinhloli;
32 siyizelamani eziyishumi nambili, amadodana kababa; enye ayisekho, encane ikubaba ezweni laseKhanani manje.’
33 “Lowo muntu, inkosi yezwe, wayesethi kithi: ‘Ngalokhu ngiyokwazi ukuthi ningabaqotho: shiyani kimi omunye wabafowenu, niphathele indlala yezindlu zenu ukudla, nimuke,
34 nilethe kimi umfowenu omncane; yikhona ngiyokwazi ukuthi aniyizo izinhloli kepha ningabaqotho, ngininike umfowenu, nihambe izwe.’ ”
35 Kwathi sebethulula amasaka abo, bheka, isikhwama semali salowo nalowo sasisesakeni lakhe; lapho bona noyise bebona izikhwama zabo zemali, bashaywa luvalo.
36 UJakobe uyise wayesethi kubo: “Niyangaphuca abantwana bami; uJosefa akasekho, noSimeyoni kasekho; senizakuthatha noBenjamini; kuphezu kwami konke lokhu.”
37 Wayesekhuluma uRubeni kuyise, ethi: “Bulala amadodana ami omabili, uma ngingambuyiseli kuwe; mnikele esandleni sami, ngizakumbuyisela kuwe.”
38 Wathi: “Indodana yami ayiyikwehla nani, ngokuba umfowabo ufile, kusele yona yodwa; uma yehlelwa yingozi endleleni eniyihambayo, niyakwehlisela endaweni yabafileyo izimvi zami ngosizi.”