UJosefa Ulinga Abafowabo

UJOSEFA ufuna ukubona ukuthi abafowabo abangu-10 balokhu belukhuni njalo bengela musa yini. Ngakho uthi: ‘Liyizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.’

Baphendula bathi, ‘Hatshi, kasisizonhloli, singabantu abaqotho. Sizalwa sonke. Sasilitshumi lambili. Kodwa oyedwa kasekho njalo icinathunjana lisele lobaba.’

UJosefa uyenza angani kabakholwa. Ugcina uSimeyoni esejele, abeseyekela abanye bathathe ukudla bahambe lakho ekhaya. Kodwa uyabatshela: ‘Nxa seliphenduka, kumele libuye lomnawenu.’

Sebefike eKhenani, batshela uyise uJakhobe konke okwenzakeleyo. UJakhobe uyadana kakhulu. Uthi, ‘UJosefa kasekho, khathesi loSimeyoni kasekho. Kangisoze ngivume ukuthi lithathe isicino sami uBhenjamini.’ Kodwa lapho ukudla sekuphela, uJakhobe ucina evuma ukuthi bahambe loBhenjamini eGibhithe ukuze bayethatha okunye ukudla.

Khathesi uJosefa ubona abanewabo bebuya. Uthabela ukubona umnawakhe uBhenjamini. Kodwa phakathi kwabo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi umuntu lo oqakathekileyo nguJosefa. UJosefa wenza okuthile ukuze alinge abanewabo abangu-10.

Utshela izinceku zakhe ukuthi zigcwalise ukudla emasakeni abo. Kodwa bengakwazi, ulaya izinceku zakhe ukuthi zifake inkomitsho yakhe eqakathekileyo eyesiliva esakeni likaBhenjamini. Bonke sebehambe umango omncinyane emgwaqweni, uJosefa uthuma izinceku zakhe ukuthi zibalandele. Lapho izinceku zikaJosefa zibathola zithi: ‘Lintshontsheleni inkomitsho yenkosi yethu?’

Abanewabo bonke bathi, ‘Kasiyintshontshanga inkomitsho yakhe thina, nxa lingayithola komunye wethu, lowo muntu kabulawe.’

Ngakho izinceku zidinga kuwo wonke amasaka njalo inkomitsho ziyithola esakeni likaBhenjamini njengoba ubona lapha. Izinceku zithi: ‘Lonke lina lingahamba, kodwa uBhenjamini kumele asale lathi.’ Abanewabo abangu-10 bazakwenzani manje khathesi?

Bonke babuyela loBhenjamini endlini kaJosefa. UJosefa utshela abafowabo: ‘Lonke buyelani ekhaya kodwa uBhenjamini kumele asale lapha eyisigqili sami.’

UJuda ukhuluma athi: ‘Nxa ngingabuyela ngekhaya ngingelaye umfana, ubaba uzakufa ngoba uyamthanda kakhulu. Ngakho, ngicela ukuthi ngisale ngiyisigqili sakho kodwa yekela umfana ahambe.’

UJosefa uyabona ukuthi abafowabo sebentshintshile. Kabasekho lukhuni njalo sebelomusa. Ake sibone ukuthi uJosefa wenzani khathesi.