1 Khona uJosefa wayengasenakuzibamba phambi kwabo bonke ababemi naye, wakhala wathi: “Phumisani kimi abantu bonke.” Kwakungemi muntu naye, uJosefa esazazisa kubafowabo.
2 Wayesephakamisa izwi ngokukhala, abaseGibithe bakuzwa, nendlu kaFaro yakuzwa.
3 Wathi uJosefa kubafowabo: “NginguJosefa; ubaba usekhona na?” Abafowabo babengenakumphendula, ngokuba bashaqeka ebusweni bakhe.
4 UJosefa wayesethi kubafowabo: “Ake nisondele kimi.” Basondela-ke. Wayesethi: “NginguJosefa umfowenu enathengisa ngaye eGibithe.
5 Manje ningabi buhlungu, ningazithukutheleli ukuthi nathengisa ngami lapha, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wangithuma phambi kwenu ukulondoloza impilo.
6 Ngokuba isimibili iminyaka indlala ikhona ezweni; kusasele iminyaka eyisihlanu okungayikulinywa, kuvunwe ngayo.
7 UNkulunkulu wangithuma ngaphambi kwenu ukunilondoloza, nibe yinsali emhlabeni, nisindiswe kube ngukukhululwa okukhulu.
8 “Kalokhu akuyinina enangithuma lapha, kepha uNkulunkulu; ungibeke uyise kaFaro, nenkosi yendlu yakhe yonke, nombusi wezwe lonke laseGibithe.
9 Sheshani nikhuphuke, niye kubaba, nithi kuye: ‘Uthe uJosefa indodana yakho: UNkulunkulu ungibeke inkosi yalo lonke iGibithe; yehla, uze kimi, ungalibali.
10 Uyakuhlala ezweni laseGosheni, ube seduze nami, wena nabantabakho, nabantwana babantabakho, nezimvu zakho, nezinkomo zakho, nakho konke onakho,
11 ngikondlele khona, ngokuba kuseyiminyaka eyisihlanu yendlala, funa uswele, wena nomuzi wakho, nakho konke onakho.’
12 “Bhekani, amehlo enu ayabona kanye namehlo omfowethu uBenjamini ukuthi yiwo umlomo wami okhuluma kinina.
13 Niyakumlandisa ubaba yonke inkazimulo yami eGibithe, nakho konke enikubonileyo, nisheshe nehlise ubaba, nimlethe lapha.”
14 Wayesewa entanyeni yomfowabo uBenjamini, wakhala; noBenjamini wakhala ngasentanyeni yakhe.
15 Wabanga bonke abafowabo, wakhalela kubo; emva kwalokho abafowabo bakhuluma naye.
16 Leli zwi lezwakala endlini kaFaro, lithi: “Abafowabo bakaJosefa bafikile.” Kwaba kuhle emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe.
17 UFaro wayesethi kuJosefa: “Yisho kubafowenu ukuthi: ‘Yenzani lokhu: thwesani izimbongolo zenu, nihambe niye ezweni laseKhanani,
18 nithathe uyihlo nemizi yenu, nize kimi, nginiphe okuhle kwezwe laseGibithe, nize nidle amanoni ezwe.’
19 “Usuyaliwe: ‘Yenzani lokhu: Nithathele izingane zenu nawomkenu izinqola ezweni laseGibithe, nilethe uyihlo, bese niza.
20 Futhi ningakhathaleli impahla yenu, ngokuba okuhle kwezwe lonke laseGibithe kungokwenu.’ ”
21 Enze njalo amadodana ka-Israyeli. UJosefa wabapha izinqola njengesiyalo sikaFaro, wabanika nomphako wendlela.
22 Kubo bonke, kwaba yilowo nalowo, wanika izingubo zokuphendulela; kepha uBenjamini wamupha izinhlamvu ezingamakhulu amathathu zesiliva nezingubo eziyisihlanu zokuphendulela.
23 Kuyise wathuma kanje: izimbongolo eziyishumi, zithwesiwe izinto ezinhle zaseGibithe, nezimbongolokazi eziyishumi, zithwesiwe amabele, nesinkwa, nomphako kayise endleleni.
24 Wayesebamukisa abafowabo, bahamba; wathi kubo: “Ningaxabani endleleni.”
25 Bakhuphuka eGibithe, bafika ezweni laseKhanani kuJakobe uyise.
26 Bamtshela bathi: “UJosefa usekhona, ungumbusi ezweni lonke laseGibithe.” Inhliziyo yakhe yayisiphela amandla, ngokuba akakholwanga yibo.
27 Bamlandisa onke amazwi kaJosefa abewashilo kubo; lapho esebona izinqola abezithumile uJosefa zokumthwala, umoya kaJakobe uyise wavuselelwa.
28 Wathi u-Israyeli: “Kwanele; uJosefa indodana yami usekhona; ngizakuhamba ngimbone ngingakafi.”