UJosefa bekangomunye wabancani emadodaneni kaJakopo. Abafowabo abakhulu kunaye bayelela bona uJosefa bekayintandokazi kuJakopo. Ucabanga bona bazizwa njani ngendaba le? Bamfela umona uJosefa. Kwathi nakukhamba isikhathi, uJosefa waba namabhudango angakajayeleki. Nakatjela abafowabo ngamabhudango lawo, bacabanga bona amabhudango la atjho ukuthi ngelinye ilanga bazomkhothamela. Ngikho-ke bamhloya kangaka.

Ngelinye ilanga, abafowabo kaJosefa bebatlhogomela izimvu hlanu kwedorobho leTjhekemu. UJakopo wathumela uJosefa bona ayokuhlola ukuthi abafowabo baraga njani. Bambona asese kude bathoma bathi: ‘Qalani nasiya isibhudangikazesa siyeza. Yizani sisibulale.’ Bambamba bamphosela ngepetsini. Kodwana uJuda, omunye wabafowabo, wathi, ‘Asingambulali!’ Asimthengiseni njengesigqila.’ Yeke bamthengisela ama-Itjhimayeli ngeempaparwana ezimatjhumi amabili zesiliva, akhamba naye eGibhide.

Abafowabo bakaJosefa bathatha ijasanakhe bayithela ngeengazi zembuzi, bayithumela kubababo, bathi: ‘Nakhu esikufumeneko, sibawa ukuqalisise ukuthi akusisisembatho sendodanakho na?’ UJakopo wacabanga bona esinye seembandana esinelaka sibulele uJosefa. Wezwa ubuhlungu khulu. Wala nokududuzwa.

UJosefa bamthengisa njengenceku kuPothifara umGibhide ogade ayinduna ekulu kaFaro. Kodwana uJehova akhenge amtjhiye uJosefa. UPothifara watjheja bona uJosefa uwenza kuhle umsebenzakhe, wabona nokuthi angamthemba. Ngokuphazima kwelihlo, uPothifara wabeka uJosefa bona abe mphathi wayo yoke into engeyakhe.

UmkaPothifara watjheja bona uJosefa bekanejamo begodu aqaleka. Mihla namalanga bekabawa uJosefa bona alale naye. Wenza njani uJosefa? Wala, wathi: ‘Awa! Ikosi inginikele koke okungokwayo ngaphandle kwakho ngombana umkayo. Alo-ke ngingabenza njani ubumbi obungaka ngone kuZimu?’

Ngelinye ilanga umkaPothifara wakatelela uJosefa bona alale naye. Wakakarela isambatho sakhe kodwana uJosefa waphunyurha. Kwathi nakufika uPothifara, umkakhe wathi uJosefa bekafuna ukumkata, bekakhuluma amala. Kwamkwatisa khulu lokho uPothifara, waphosela uJosefa ngejele. Kodwana uJehova akhenge amkhohlwe uJosefa.

Ngesikhathi uJosefa asejele, ikosi yeGibhide uFaro, yaba namabhudango abantu ababhalelwa kuwahlathulula. Esinye seensebenzi zakhe satjela uFaro ukuthi uJosefa angakghona ukuhlathulula amabhudangwakhe. UFaro wathi akubizwe uJosefa khonokho.

UFaro wambuza: ‘Ungawahlathulula amabhudangwami na?’ UJosefa wathi kuFaro: ‘IGibhide izakuba nenala yokudla iminyaka elikhomba, kuthi iminyaka elikhomba elandelako kube nendlala. Khetha umuntu ohlakaniphileko ozakubuthelela ukudla bona abantu bakho bangabulawa yindlala.’ UFaro wathi: ‘Ngikhetha wena! Uzokuba ngewesibili onamandla ukudlula boke eGibhide!’ UJosefa wakwazi njani okutjhiwo mabhudango kaFaro? Bekasizwa nguJehova.

Eminyakeni elikhomba eyalandelako, uJosefa wabuthelela ukudla. Ephasini loke kwaba nendlala njengokutjho kwakaJosefa. Abantu abavela eendaweni ezihlukahlukeneko bebeza bazokuthenga ukudla kuJosefa. Uyise uJakopo wezwa bona kunokudla eGibhide, wathumela amadodanakhe alitjhumi bona ayokuthenga ukudla.

Abafowabo bathi nabafika bazokuthenga ukudla wabakhumbula. Kodwana bona bebangasamboni ukuthi nguJosefa. Bakhothama phambi kwakhe njengebhudangweni lakhe nakasese mncani. UJosefa bekafuna ukwazi ukuthi abafowabo basamhloyile na. Wathi kibo: ‘Niziinhloli nina. Nize lapha ukuzokuhlola ukuthi ningayisahlela njani inarhethu.’ Bathi: ‘Awa! Simadodana ali-12 ahlala eKanana. Munye wethu uhlongakele, omncani unobaba.’ Yeke uJosefa wathi: ‘Lethani umfowenu omncani kimi khona ngizonikholwa.’ Babuyela ekhaya kuyise.

Kwathi umndeni nawuphelelwa kukudla godu, uJakopo wathumela amadodanakhe eGibhide. Kilokhu athatha uBhenjamini, umfowabo omncani. UJosefa walinga abafowabo, wafihla ibhigiri yesiliva ngesikhwameni sakaBhenjamini bese wababeka umlandu wokweba. Kuthe iinsebenzi zakaJosefa nazifumana ibhigiri leyo ngesikhwameni sakaBhenjamini, abafowabo barareka komhlolo. Barabhela uJosefa ukuthi ajezise bona esikhundleni sakaBhenjamini.

Lokho kwenza uJosefa walemuka bona abafowabo sebatjhugulukile. UJosefa akhenge akghone ukuzibamba. Walila wathi: ‘Ngingumfowenu uJosefa. Inga-kghani ubaba usaphila na?’ Abafowabo bebararekile. Wathi kibo: ‘Ningaphatheki kumbi ngalokho enakwenza kimi. UZimu ungithumele la bona ngisindise ukuphila kwenu. Njenganje rhabani niyokuthatha ubaba nimlethe lapha.’

Babuyela ekhaya bayokutjela uyise iindaba ezimnandi, bamthatha baya naye eGibhide. Ngemva kweminyaka eminengi, uJosefa noyise babandawonye godu.