Genesisi

44 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uJosefa watjela indoda egade iphethe emzinakhe wathi: “Zalisa imigodla yamadoda la ngokudla okunengi kuye ngokwalokho angakghona ukukuthwala, ufake nemali emgodleni womunye nomunye wawo.+ 2 Ufake nekaphwami yesiliva emgodleni womncani, ufake nemalakhe ebekazokuthenga ngayo ikoroyi.” Indoda le yenza njengombana uJosefa atjhwile.

3 Ekuseni nasele kukhanya, amadoda la avunyelwa bona angene indlela nabodumbana bawo. 4 Kwathi asese seduze nedorobho, uJosefa watjela indoda egade iphethe emzinakhe, wathi: “Sikima, ugijimise amadoda lawa! Nawufika kiwo uthi, ‘Nenzelwe okuhle, alo kubayini nithokoza ngokwenza okumbi? 5 Kubayini nebe ikapho yekosami? Anazi na ukuthi ikapho le ikosami isela ngayo beyikghona nokubona ingomuso ngayo? Into eniyenzileko le kukhohlakala.’”

6 Nje-ke indoda leya yabafumana, yabatjela amezwi la. 7 Bathi kuye: “Kubayini ikosethu itjho njalo? Iinsebenzi zakho zingayenza njani into efana nale? 8 Imali esayifumana emigodlenethu sibuye nayo nasisuka eKanana.+ Alo, singaleba njani isiliva namkha igolide emzini wekosakho? 9 Nange ingafumaneka kwenye yeengqila zakho, kuzokufuze ife begodu soke nje sizokuba ziingqila zekosami.” 10 Indoda leya yathi: “Akube njengokutjho kwenu: Ozokufunyanwa ayiphethe, uzokuba sigqila sami kodwana nina noke nizokuba msulwa.” 11 Nje-ke boke barhaba behlisa imigodlabo bayibeka phasi, bayivula. 12 Yaphenyisisa yathoma ngomdala yayokuswaphelisa ngomncani. Ekugcineni yafumana ikapho leyo ngemgodleni kaBhenjamini.+

13 Barathula izambatho zabo, omunye nomunye wabuyisela umthwalwakhe phezu kwakadumbanakhe, babuyela edorobheni. 14 UJuda+ nabafowabo babuyela emzini kaJosefa, bamfumana asesekhona, nje-ke baguqa phambi kwakhe.+ 15 UJosefa wathi kibo: “Yintobani eniyenzileko le? Anazi na ukuthi indoda enjengami nje ikghona ukubona ingomuso?”+ 16 UJuda wamphendula wathi: “Yini esingayitjho ekosinethu? Singaziveza njani bona silungile? Nakhu uZimu weqiniso wembule ubutjhapho beengqila zakho.+ Nje-ke soke nje siziingqila zekosethu kuhlanganise nalo ofunyenwe nekapho.” 17 UJosefa wathi: “Yinto engeze ngayenza leyo! Indoda efunyenwe nekapho le izokuba sigqila sami+ kodwana nina noke ningakhamba ngokuthula, niye kuyihlo.”

18 UJuda wabandamela, wathi kuye: “Ngiyakuncenga kosami, ngibawa ungilalele begodu ungasipheleli ihliziyo isigqila sakho ngombana wena ufana noFaro.+ 19 Ikosami yabuza iingqila zayo yathi, ‘Uyihlo usaphila na? Ninomunye umfowenu?’ 20 Saphendula ikosethu sathi, ‘Iye ubaba usaphila, sebele aluphele begodu sinaye omunye umfowethu ubaba aba naye ekuluphaleni kwakhe, ungomncani.+ Nokho umnakwabo wahlongakala,+ nje-ke usele yedwa ngakummakhe+ begodu uyise umthanda tle.’ 21 Ngemva kwalokho, wathi eengqileni zakho, ‘Izani naye kimapha ngifuna ukumbona.’+ 22 Saphendula ikosethu sathi, ‘Umfowethu angeze akghona ukutjhiya uyise ngombana nakangamtjhiya, uyise angahlongakala.’+ 23 Waphendula iingqila zakho wathi, ‘Ningabuyi kimi nakube anizi nomfowenu.’+

24 “Nje-ke saya esigqileni sakho ubaba, samtjela lokho ikosethu ekutjhwileko. 25 Kamva ubaba wathi, ‘Buyelani niyosithengela ukudla.’+ 26 Samphendula sathi, ‘Angeze sikghone ukuya. Nange umfowethu angakhamba nathi sizokuya ngombana angeze sabuyela endodeni leya singakhambi nomfowethu omncani.’+ 27 Ubaba isigqila sakho wathi kithi, ‘Nazi kuhle ukuthi umkami wangibelethela amadodana amabili.+ 28 Omunye wabo wangitjhiya, nje-ke ngathi: “Kwamambala urathulwe waba ziinquqwana,+ solo kwamhlokho akhenge ngisambona. 29 Nange nithatha nalo kungenzeka avelelwe yingozi bekafe. Kwamambala nizongibangela bona ngihlongakale*+ ngilisizi sengiluphele.’+

30 “Nje-ke angifuni ukubuyela kubaba isigqila sakho, ngingakhambi nomfowethu lo ngombana umthanda ukudlula indlela azithanda ngayo, 31 nakabona ukuthi umfowethu lo akakabuyi nathi uzokuhlongakala, yeke sizabe senze bona ubaba isigqila sakho ahlongakale* alisizi sele aluphele nje. 32 Ngafunga kubaba ngathi, ‘Nange ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngizakuthwala isonweso ukuphila kwami koke.’+ 33 Nje-ke ngiyakubawa, akusale mina ngibe sigqila sakho kunokuthi kusale umfowethu lo, akakhambe nabafowethu abuyele kuyise. 34 Ngingabuyela njani kubaba ngingakhambi nomfowethu lo? Angifuni ukubona ubaba awurubajeka!”