Genesisi 37:1-36
37 Jakobe wachubeka ahlala eveni laseKhenani, lapho bekuke kwahlala khona babe wakhe asihambi.+
2 Lona ngumlandvo waJakobe.
Ngesikhatsi Josefa+ asaneminyaka lengu-17 budzala, abeluse+ nemadvodzana aBilha+ kanye nemadvodzana aZilpha,+ bafati bababe wakhe. Josefa wabikela babe wakhe ngetintfo letimbi lebetentiwe ngulabomnakabo.
3 Israyeli abetsandza Josefa kakhulu kwendlula onkhe lamanye emadvodzana akhe,+ ngobe wamtala asamdzala, ngako wamentela ingubo yelikhetselo.*
4 Ngesikhatsi bomnakabo babona kutsi babe wabo umtsandza kakhulu kwendlula bona, bamtondza futsi bebangasamkhulumisi kahle.
5 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi, Josefa waba neliphupho wase ulitjela bomnakabo,+ futsi bamtondza kakhulu.
6 Watsi kubo: “Ngicela nilalele naku lengikubhudzile.
7 Besisekhatsi nensimu, sibopha titfungo takolo. Sitfungo sami sibese siyaphakama, sema sacondza kantsi titfungo tenu tisitungeletile taphindze tasikhotsamela.”+
8 Banakabo batsi kuye: “Usho kutsi utawuba yinkhosi yetfu futsi usibuse?”+ Ngako bamtondza kakhulu ngenca yemaphupho akhe nangenca yaloko bekakushito.
9 Ngemuva kwaloko, waba nalelinye liphupho futsi walitjela banakabo watsi: “Sengiphindze ngaba nalelinye liphupho. Nyalo lilanga, inyeti netinkhanyenti letingu-11 kungikhotsamele.”+
10 Wabese ulitjela babe wakhe kanye nebanakabo, futsi babe wakhe wamtsetsisa watsi: “Lisho kutsini leliphupho lakho? Usho kutsi mine namake wakho nabomnakenu sitawuta sikhotsame embikwakho?”
11 Ngako bomnakabo bamdlela umona,+ kodvwa babe wakhe wawagcina engcondvweni lamavi aJosefa.
12 Bomnakabo bayisa umhlambi wababe wabo emadlelweni lasedvutane neShekhemu.+
13 Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi Israyeli watsi kuJosefa: “Angitsi bomnakenu beluse imihlambi edvute naseShekhemu? Wota ngikutfume kubo.” Josefa watsi: “Kulungile.”
14 Israyeli watsi: “Ngicela uhambe uyohlola kutsi bomnakenu basaphila yini. Ubongibukela kutsi imfuyo yami injani, bese uyabuya uyangibikela.” Ngako wamtfuma wasuka etsafeni laseHebroni,+ waya ngaseShekhemu.
15 Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, wahlangana nendvodza letsite njengobe bekasolo ahambahamba esigangeni. Lendvodza yambuta yatsi: “Ufunani?”
16 Yena watsi: “Ngifuna bomnaketfu. Ngicela ungitjele kutsi belusele ngakuphi.”
17 Lendvodza yachubeka yatsi: “Sebesukile lapha ngobe ngibeve batsi: ‘Asambeni siye eDothani.’” Ngako Josefa wahamba afuna bomnakabo futsi wabatfola eDothani.
18 Bomnakabo bambona asekhashanyana. Watsi asengakefiki kubo, benta lisu lekumbulala.
19 Bakhuluma bodvwana batsi: “Ase nibuke! Nangu lomphuphi wemaphupho.+
20 Wotani simbulale bese simjika kulomunye walemigodzi, sitawubese sitsi udliwe silwane sesiganga lesiyingoti. Sitawubona-ke kutsi lamaphupho akhe atawuphelelaphi.”
21 Ngesikhatsi Rubeni+ eva loko, wetama kumsindzisa futsi watsi: “Asingambulali.”+
22 Wabese utsi: “Ningambulali.+ Mjikijeleni kulomgodzi lokulelihlane, kodvwa ningamlimati.”*+ Rubeni abefuna kumsindzisa kuze abuyele naye kubabe wakhe.
23 Kwatsi nje lapho Josefa efika kubomnakabo, bamkhumula lengubo lenhle labeyigcokile,+
24 futsi bamtsatsa bamjikijela kulomgodzi. Ngaleso sikhatsi lomgodzi bewute emanti.
25 Ngemuva kwaloko bahlala phansi badla. Batsi nabaphakamisa emehlo babona kuchamuka licembu lema-Ishmayeli+ lebelisuka eGileyadi lihamba nemakamela alo. Lamakamela abetfwele ilabhidanu,* ibhalisamu nemagcolo etihlahla,+ futsi lama-Ishmayeli abelibangise eGibhithe.
26 Nakawabona, Juda watsi kubomnakabo: “Kutasisita ngani kubulala umnaketfu bese siyafihla kutsi simbulele?+
27 Ngako-ke asimtsengiseni+ kulama-Ishmayeli futsi singamlimati. Phela lona ngumnaketfu, uyingati yetfu nenyama yetfu.” Ngako bamlalela Juda.
28 Ngesikhatsi kwendlula labantfu baka-Ishmayeli,*+ banakaboJosefa bamkhipha kulomgodzi futsi bamtsengisa kubo ngetinhlavu temali letingu-20.+ Lamadvodza atsatsa Josefa aya naye eGibhithe.
29 Ngesikhatsi Rubeni abuyela kulomgodzi futsi abona kutsi Josefa akasekho, wadzabula timphahla takhe.
30 Nakefika kubomnakabo watsi: “Lomntfwana akasekho! Ngitawenta njani mine?”
31 Ngako batsatsa lengubo yaJosefa, babulala imbuti lendvuna base benya lengubo engatini yayo.
32 Ngemuva kwaloko, bamikisa lengubo kubabe wabo futsi batsi: “Sitfole naku. Ase ubukisise kutsi akusiyo yini ingubo yendvodzana yakho.”+
33 Jakobe wayibukisisa futsi watsi: “Lena yingubo yaJosefa indvodzana yami! Udliwe silwane sesiganga lesiyingoti, futsi lapho akhonakhona uticucwana!”
34 Ngako Jakobe wadzabula timphahla takhe futsi wembatsa indvwangu yelisaka elukhalo, walilela indvodzana yakhe emalanga lamanyenti.
35 Onkhe emadvodzana nemadvodzakati akhe abesolo etama kumdvudvuta, kodvwa akazange awalalele nakamdvudvuta. Bekahlale atsi: “Ngitakuya eThuneni*+ solo ngililela indvodzana yami!” Jakobe wachubeka akhalela Josefa.
36 Labantfu baka-Ishmayeli* batsengisa Josefa eGibhithe kuPhotifari, lobekasiphatsimandla saFaro+ nendvuna yabogadzi.+
Imibhalo lengentansi
^ Nobe “ingubo lenhle futsi lendze.”
^ Nobe “ningambeki sandla.”
^ Nobe “manafu loneliphunga lelimnandzi.”
^ Nobe “labatsengisi labangemaMidiyani.”
^ Nobe “eShiyoli,” lokusho lithuna lebantfu. Fundza Tinchazelo Temagama.
^ Nobe “labatsengisi labangemaMidiyani.”
