1 UJosefa wayesengena, wamtshela uFaro, wathi: “Ufikile ubaba nabafowethu, nezimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo, nakho konke abanakho, bephuma ezweni laseKhanani; bheka, sebesezweni laseGosheni.”
2 Phakathi kwabafowabo wathatha amadoda ayisihlanu, wawabeka phambi kukaFaro.
3 UFaro wayesethi kubafowabo: “Uyini umsebenzi wenu na?”Bathi kuFaro: “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, thina nawobaba.”
4 Bathi kuFaro: “Size ukugogobala ezweni, ngokuba akukho dlelo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho, lokhu indlala inzima ezweni laseKhanani; ngalokho izinceku zakho mazakhe ezweni laseGosheni.”
5 Wayesekhuluma uFaro kuJosefa, ethi: “Uyihlo nabafowenu beze kuwe;
6 izwe laseGibithe lisebusweni bakho; mhlalise uyihlo nabafowenu ezweni elihle kunalo lonke, ubahlalise ezweni laseGosheni; uma uwazi phakathi kwabo amadoda anamandla, wabeke abe yizinduna zezinkomo zami.”
7 UJosefa wayesemngenisa uJakobe uyise, wambeka phambi kukaFaro; uJakobe wambusisa uFaro.
8 Wathi uFaro kuJakobe: “Zingaki izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwakho na?”
9 UJakobe wathi kuFaro: “Izinsuku zeminyaka yokugogobala kwami ziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu; ziyingcosana, zimbi izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwami, azifinyelelanga ezinsukwini zeminyaka yokuhamba kwawobaba emihleni yokugogobala kwabo.”
10 UJakobe wayesembusisa uFaro, wasuka ebusweni bukaFaro.
11 UJosefa wabahlalisa uyise nabafowabo, wabapha indawo ezweni laseGibithe, izwe elihle kunalo lonke, izwe likaRamsese, njengalokho uFaro ebayalile.
12 UJosefa wamondla uyise, nabafowabo, nendlu yonke kayise ngokudla ngokwemilomo yezingane zabo.
13 Ukudla kwakungekho ezweni lonke, ngokuba indlala yayinzima kakhulu; izwe laseGibithe nezwe laseKhanani afa indlala.
14 UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyatholakala ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani ngamabele ababewathengile; uJosefa wayiyisa imali endlini kaFaro.
15 Isiphelile imali ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani, bonke abaseGibithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: “Siphe ukudla; siyakufelani phambi kwakho na? Ngokuba isiphelile imali.”
16 Wayesethi uJosefa: “Lethani izinkomo zenu; ngizakuninika ngezinkomo zenu, uma imali ingekho.”
17 Baletha-ke izinkomo zabo kuJosefa; uJosefa wabenanela ukudla ngamahhashi, nangezimvu, nangezinkomo, nagezimbongolo; wabapha ukudla ngezinkomo zabo zonke ngalowo mnyaka.
18 Usuphelile lowo mnyaka, beza kuye ngomnyaka wesibili, bathi kuye: “Asiyikufihlela inkosi ukuthi imali yethu yonke isiphelile; imihlambi yezinkomo isingeyenkosi; akukho okuseleyo emehlweni enkosi ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu namazwe ethu.
19 Siyakufelani phambi kwakho thina namazwe ethu na? Sithenge thina namazwe ethu ngokudla, sibe yizinceku zikaFaro thina namazwe ethu; siphe imbewu ukuba siphile, singafi, izwe lingachitheki.”
20 UJosefa wamthengela uFaro izwe lonke laseGibithe, ngokuba bonke abaseGibithe bathengisa ngamasimu abo, lokhu indlala yayinzima phezu kwabo; izwe lase liba ngelikaFaro.
21 Abantu wabayisa emizini, ebasusa komunye umncele wezwe laseGibithe kwaze kwaba komunye umncele walo.
22 Yizwe labapristi kuphela angalithenganga, ngokuba abapristi babethole isabelo kuFaro, badla isabelo sabo abapha sona uFaro; ngalokho abathengisanga ngezwe labo.
23 UJosefa wayesethi kubantu: “Bhekani, namuhla nginithengile nibe ngabakaFaro nina nezwe lenu; nansi imbewu yenu, nize nihlwanyele emhlabathini.
24 Kuyakuthi ezithelweni nimnike uFaro okwesihlanu, izinxenye ezine zibe ngezenu, kube yimbewu yamasimu, nokudla kwenu nokwabendlu yenu, nokudla kwezingane zenu.”
25 Base bethi: “Usisindisile; masifumane umusa emehlweni enkosi, sibe yizinceku zikaFaro.”
26 UJosefa washaya umthetho ngezwe laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla wokuthi uFaro uzakuba nokwesihlanu; kuphela izwe labapristi bodwa alibanga yilo elikaFaro.
27 U-Israyeli wahlala ezweni laseGibithe ezweni laseGosheni; bafuya khona, bazala, banda kakhulu.
28 UJakobe wahlala ezweni laseGibithe iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa; izinsuku zikaJakobe, iminyaka yokuhamba kwakhe, zaziyiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amane nesikhombisa.
29 Kwase kusondela isikhathi ayesezakufa ngaso u-Israyeli; wayesebiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ake ubeke isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami, ungenzele umusa neqiniso: ake ungangimbeli eGibithe.
30 Kepha lapho sengilele kobaba, uze ungikhiphe eGibithe, ungimbele ethuneni labo.”Wathi: “Ngizakwenza njengezwi lakho.”
31 Wayesethi kuye: “Funga kimi.” Wayesefunga kuye. U-Israyeli wakhothama esihlokweni sombhede.