UJosefa wayeyindodana kaJakhobe. Obhudi bakhe bananzelela ukuthi nguye umntwana owayethandwa kakhulu nguyise. Ubona angani kwabaphatha njani lokhu? Baba lomona ngoJosefa futhi bamzonda. UJosefa waqalisa ukuba lamaphupho angajayelekanga futhi waxoxela obhudi bakhe ngawo. Bacabanga ukuthi amaphupho lawo ayesitsho ukuthi ngelinye ilanga bazamkhothamela futhi bamkhonze. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi bamzonde kakhulu.

Ngelinye ilanga obhudi bakaJosefa babeyeluse izimvu duzane ledolobho leShekemu. UJakhobe wathuma uJosefa ukuthi ayebakhangela. Bambona esesekhatshana uJosefa basebesithi: ‘Nanguyana umphuphi lowana, kasimbulaleni!’ Bambamba bamphosela emgodini otshonayo. Kodwa omunye wabafowabo bakaJosefa okuthiwa nguJuda wathi: ‘Lingambulali! Asimthengiseni ayekuba yisigqili.’ Yikho-ke bamthengisa uJosefa kubathengisi abangamaMidiyani ababesiya eGibhithe ngemali engamashekeli esiliva angu-20.

Abafowabo bakaJosefa bathi sebemthengisile bathatha ijazi lakhe baligxamuza egazini lembuzi. Balihambisa kuyise bathi: ‘Asilojazi lendodana yakho yini leli?’ UJakhobe wacabanga ukuthi uJosefa wayebulewe yinyamazana yeganga. Wezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu kakhulu. Akulamuntu owayesenelisa ukumduduza.

UJosefa eseseGibhithe wathengiswa ukuthi abe yisisebenzi sesikhulu sikaFaro okwakuthiwa nguPhothifa. Kodwa uJehova wambusisa uJosefa. UPhothifa wananzelela ukuthi uJosefa wayesebenza kuhle futhi ekhuthele yikho wathi akhangele konke ayelakho.

UmkaPhothifa wabona ukuthi uJosefa wayemuhle futhi eqinile. Nsukuzonke wayetshona ecela uJosefa ukuthi alale laye. UJosefa wenzani? Wala wathi: ‘Hatshi! Angisoze ngikwenze lokho. UPhothifa uyangithanda, futhi wena ungumkakhe. Ngingalala lawe ngiyabe sengonile kuNkulunkulu.’

Ngelinye ilanga umkaPhothifa wazama ukubamba uJosefa ngamandla ukuthi alale laye. Wabamba izigqoko zikaJosefa, kodwa uJosefa wabaleka. UPhothifa wathi efika endlini umkakhe wamtshela ukuthi uJosefa wayefuna ukulala laye. UmkaPhothifa wayekhuluma amanga. UPhothifa wazonda kakhulu waphosela uJosefa ejele. Kodwa uJehova kazange amkhohlwe uJosefa.

UJosefa wathi esejele, uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe yaba lamaphupho futhi akulamuntu owayesenelisa ukuwachasisa. Esinye isisebenzi sikaFaro samtshela ukuthi uJosefa wayengachasisa ukuthi amaphupho lawo atshoni. UFaro wahle wathi uJosefa abizwe.

UFaro wabuza uJosefa wathi: ‘Ungangitshela yini ukuthi amaphupho ami atshoni?’ UJosefa wathi kuFaro: ‘Eminyakeni engu-7 ezayo kuzakuba lokudla okunengi eGibhithe njalo kuzalandela engu-7 eyendlala. Dinga indoda ehlakaniphileyo ezagcina ukudla ukuze abantu bangalambi ngeminyaka yendlala.’ UFaro waphendula wathi: ‘Ngikhetha wena. Uzakuba lesikhundla esilandela esami.’ UJosefa wakwazi njani lokho okwakutshiwo ngamaphupho kaFaro? Wancedwa nguJehova.

UJosefa wagcina ukudla okweminyaka engu-7 eyalandelayo. Ngemva kweminyaka leyo kwaba lendlala emhlabeni wonke njengokutsho kukaJosefa. Abantu beza bevela ezindaweni ezinengi bezothenga ukudla kuye. Uyise uJakhobe wezwa ukuthi eGibhithe kulokudla okunengi, yikho wathuma amadodana akhe angu-10 ukuthi ayethenga ukudla khonale.

Amadodana kaJakhobe aya eGibhithe. UJosefa wahle wabananzelela abafowabo kodwa bona babengakwazi ukuthi nguJosefa. Bamkhothamela uJosefa njengoba wayephuphe bemkhothamela esesemncane. UJosefa wayefuna ukwazi ukuthi abafowabo babelokhu belenzondo yini. Yikho wathi kubo: ‘Lizinhloli. Lilande ukuzobona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.’ Bona baphendula bathi: ‘Hatshi, sivela eKhenani. Sasiyi-12 emulini yethu kodwa omunye umfowethu sowafa kanti omncane usele lobaba ngekhaya.’ UJosefa wathi kubo: ‘Hambani liyethatha umnawenu nxa lifuna ngilikholwe.’ Yikho abafowabo bakaJosefa babuyela ngakibo.

Kwathi ukudla sekuphelile uJakhobe waphinda wathuma amadodana akhe eGibhithe. Khathesi loBhenjamini wahamba labafowabo. UJosefa wafihla inkomitsho yakhe yesiliva esakeni likaBhenjamini lamabele wasesithi abafowabo yibo abayitshontshileyo. Abafowabo bamangala kakhulu ngesikhathi izisebenzi zakhe zithola inkomitsho esakeni likaBhenjamini. Bacela uJosefa ukuthi ajezise bona kulokuthi ajezise uBhenjamini.

UJosefa wabona ukuthi abafowabo basebetshintshile, babengaselanzondo. UJosefa wakhala njalo wathi: ‘Ngingumfowenu uJosefa. Ubaba usaphila yini?’ Abafowabo bamangala kakhulu. Wathi kubo: ‘Lingakhathazeki ngalokho elangenza khona. NguNkulunkulu owangithuma lapha ukuze ngisindise ukuphila kwenu. Ngakho buyelani ekhaya liyethatha ubaba.’

Babuyela ekhaya bayatshela uyise ukuthi uJosefa usaphila. Bamletha kuJosefa eGibhithe.