1 Indlala yayinzima ezweni.
2 Kwathi sebeqedile amabele ababewathengile eGibithe, uyise wathi kubo: “Buyelani, nisithengele ukudlana.”
3 UJuda wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “Lowo muntu wagoma nokugoma kithina, wathi: ‘Aniyikubona ubuso bami, kuphela uma umfowenu enani.’
4 Uma umthuma nathi umfowethu, sizakwehla, sithenge ukudla;
5 kepha uma ungamthumi, asizukwehla, ngokuba lowo muntu wathi kithina: ‘Aniyikubona ubuso bami, kuphela uma umfowenu enani.’ ”
6 Wayesethi u-Israyeli: “Ningenzeleni okubi ngokumtshela lowo muntu ukuthi ukhona omunye umfowenu na?”
7 Bathi: “Wabuza nokubuza lowo muntu ngathi nangezihlobo zethu, wathi: ‘Usekhona uyihlo na? Ninomunye umfowenu na?’ Samlandisa njengalawa mazwi; sasingakwazi kanjani ukuba uyakuthi: ‘Yehlisani umfowenu,’ na?”
8 UJuda wathi ku-Israyeli uyise: “Thuma umfana nami, size sisuke, sihambe ukuba siphile, singafi, thina nawe kanye nezingane zethu.
9 Mina ngiyakuba yisibambiso sakhe; uzakumbiza esandleni sami; uma ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngimbeke ebusweni bakho, ngiyakuba necala kuze kube phakade,
10 ngokuba uma sasingalibalanga, impela nga sesibuyile manje ngokwesibili.”
11 Uyise u-Israyeli wayesethi kubo: “Uma kunjalo, yenzani lokhu; phathani izithelo ezikhethiweyo zezwe emasakeni enu, nimehlisele lowo muntu isipho, ibhalisamu* eliyingcosana, nezinyosi eziyingcosana, namakha, nemure,* namapisitakiyo,* nama-alimondi,*
12 niphathe esandleni senu imali iphindwe kabili; naleyo mali eyabuyiselwa emilonyeni yamasaka enu, niyihambise ngesandla senu; mhlawumbe kwenzeka iphutha.
13 Nithathe futhi umfowenu, nisuke nibuyele kulowo muntu.
14 UNkulunkulu uSomandla aniphe umusa ebusweni balowo muntu, ukuze anikhululele umfowenu lowo omunye kanye noBenjamini; kepha mina, uma ngaphucwa abantwana, ngiyaphucwa.”
15 Amadoda ayesethatha leso sipho nemali ephindwe kabili esandleni sawo kanye noBenjamini, asuka ehlela eGibithe, ema ebusweni bukaJosefa.
16 UJosefa esembona uBenjamini enabo, wathi kophezu kwendlu yakhe: “Ngenisa lawa madoda endlini, uhlabe, ulungise, ngokuba lawa madoda ayakudla nami emini.”
17 Lowo muntu wenza njengalokho eshilo uJosefa; inceku yawangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa.
18 Amadoda esaba, ngokuba angeniswa endlini kaJosefa, athi: “Singeniswe lapha ngenxa yemali eyabuyiselwa emasakeni ethu kuqala ukuba asizume, asehlele, asenze izigqila kanye nezimbongolo zethu.”
19 Asondela-ke encekwini yendlu kaJosefa, akhuluma kuyo ngasemnyango wendlu,
20 athi: “O nkosi, ngempela safika kuqala ukuthenga ukudla.
21 Kwathi sesifike endlini yezihambi, savula amasaka ethu; bheka, imali yalowo nalowo yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe, imali yethu ngokulinganiswa kwayo; sesiyibuyisile ngesandla sethu.
22 Sehle nenye imali esandleni sethu ukuba sithenge ukudla; asazi ukuthi ngubani owayifaka imali yethu emasakeni ethu.”
23 Yayisithi kubo: “Ukuthula makube kinina; ningesabi; uNkulunkulu wenu noNkulunkulu kayihlo uniphe igugu emasakeni enu; imali yenu ngayithola.” Yaphumisa uSimeyoni, yamletha kubo.
24 Inceku yayisingenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa, yawanika amanzi; ageza izinyawo zawo; yazipha izimbongolo zawo ukudla.
25 Alungisela uJosefa isipho, ezofika emini, ngokuba ayezwile ukuthi ayakudla khona.
26 UJosefa esefike ekhaya, ayisa kuye endlini isipho esasisesandleni sawo, akhothamela phansi kuye.
27 Wabuza impilo yabo, wathi: “Usaphila uyihlo, ixhegu enanikhuluma ngalo, na? Usekhona na?”
28 Bathi-ke: “Inceku yakho ubaba isaphila, isekhona.” Bamkhothamela, bamkhonza.
29 Wayesephakamisa amehlo akhe, wambona uBenjamini umfowabo, indodana kanina, wathi: “Nguye lo ongumfowenu omncane enakhuluma ngaye kimi na?” Wathi: “UNkulunkulu makabe nomusa kuwe ndodana yami.”
30 Wakhawuleza uJosefa, ngokuba ngaphakathi kwakhe kwavutha isihe ngomfowabo; wafuna lapho angakhala khona, wangena ekamelweni lakhe, wakhala khona.
31 Wageza ubuso bakhe, waphuma; wazibamba, wathi: “Lethani ukudla.”
32 Bambekela ukudla ngokwakhe, nalabo ngokwabo, nabaseGibithe abadla naye ngokwabo, lokhu abaseGibithe bangedle namaHeberu, ngokuba kuyanengeka kubo abaseGibithe.
33 Bahlala phambi kwakhe, izibulo njengobuzibulo balo nomncane njengobuncane bakhe; abantu bamangala omunye nomunye.
34 Wabathathela izabelo kulokho okwakuphambi kwakhe, kepha isabelo sikaBenjamini saphindwa kahlanu silinganiswa nesabo. Baphuza, bathokoza naye.