Genesis 42:1-38
42 Uthe uYakobi akuva ukuba kukho ukutya okuziinkozo eYiputa,+ wathi koonyana bakhe: “Kutheni nisuke najongana nje?”
2 Waphinda wathi: “Ndive kusithiwa kukho ukutya okuziinkozo eYiputa. Yihlani niyokusithengela, ukuze sihlale siphila, singafi.”+
3 AbantakwaboYosefu abalishumi behla,+ bayokuthenga ukutya okuziinkozo eYiputa.
4 Kodwa uYakobi akamthumelanga uBhenjamin,+ umntakwaboYosefu, kunye nabantakwabo, kuba wathi: “Hleze ahlelwe yingozi aze afe.”+
5 Ngoko oonyana bakaSirayeli beza kunye nabanye abantu ababeze kuthenga ukutya, kuba indlala yayifikelele nakwilizwe lakwaKanan.+
6 UYosefu wayephethe kwelo lizwe,+ inguye owayethengisela bonke abantu bomhlaba ukutya okuziinkozo.+ Ngoko abantakwabo beza baza baqubuda kuye.+
7 Uthe nje uYosefu akubabona abantakwabo wabazi, kodwa wabafihlela ukuba ungubani.+ Wathetha rhabaxa nabo, wathi: “Nivela phi?” Bona bathi: “Sivela kwilizwe lakwaKanan. Sizokuthenga ukutya.”+
8 UYosefu wabazi abantakwabo, kodwa bona abazange bamazi.
9 Ngoko nangoko uYosefu wakhumbula amaphupha awawaphuphayo ngabo,+ waza wathi kubo: “Niziintlola! Nize kubona ukuba libuthathaka phi na ilizwe!”
10 Bathi kuye: “Akunjalo nkosi yam, kodwa izicaka zakho zize kuthenga ukutya.
11 Sonke singoonyana bendoda enye. Singabantu abalungileyo. Izicaka zakho azizizo iintlola.”
12 Wathi kubo: “Soz’ uve! Nize kubona ukuba kuphi apho lingomelelanga khona ilizwe!”
13 Bona bathi: “Izicaka zakho zingamadoda ayi-12 azalwa kunye.+ Singoonyana bendoda enye+ kwilizwe lakwaKanan ibe oyena mncinci ukutata,+ kanti omnye akasekho.”+
14 UYosefu wathi kubo: “Ndiyithethile ke le nto kuni, ‘Niziintlola!’
15 Nantsi indlela eniza kuvavanywa ngayo: Ephila nje uFaro, anizukuhamba apha, de umntakwenu omncinci eze apha.+
16 Thumelani omnye wenu ukuba aye kulanda umntakwenu, nina nishiyeke nibotshiwe. Loo nto iza kubonisa ukuba nithetha inyani na. Kungenjalo, ephila nje uFaro, niziintlola.”
17 Ngoko wabavalela bonke iintsuku ezintathu.
18 Ngosuku lwesithathu, uYosefu wathi kubo: “Yenzani le nto ukuze niphile, kuba ndiyamoyika uThixo.
19 Ukuba ningabantu abalungileyo, omnye wabantakwenu makahlale apha kule ndlu nivalelwe kuyo, kodwa bonke abanye bangahamba, nise ukutya okuziinkozo, ukuze nigxothe indlala ezintsatsheni zenu.+
20 Emva koko yizani nomninawa wenu ukuze kucace ukuba amazwi enu ayinyani, nize ningafi.” Bayenza ke loo nto.
21 Bathetha bodwa besithi: “Ngokuqinisekileyo siyohlwaywa ngenxa yomntakwethu,+ kuba sayibona intlungu yakhe* ibhalwe ebusweni xa wayesicenga ukuba sibe nenceba kuye, kodwa asizange simamele. Yiloo nto sikule ntlungu nje.”
22 URubhen wabaphendula wathi: “Zange nditsho na kuni ukuba, ‘Sanukumenza nto lo mfana,’ kodwa anamamela?+ Ngoku, ngokuqinisekileyo liyafunwa igazi lakhe.”+
23 Babengazi ukuba uYosefu uyabeva, kuba wayethetha nabo ngetoliki.
24 Wathi gu bucala walila.+ Wabuya wathetha nabo, waza wathatha uSimeyon,+ wambopha bejongile.+
25 Emva koko wayalela ukuba zigcwaliswe iingxowa* zabo ngokutya okuziinkozo, kubuyiselwe imali yendoda nganye engxoweni yayo, banikwe nomphako. Yenziwa yonke ke loo nto.
26 Bakukhwelisa ukutya kwabo okuziinkozo kwiidonki zabo, bahamba.
27 Bathi bakufika kwindawo ababeza kulala kuyo, omnye wabo wavula ingxowa yakhe, ukuze aphe idonki yakhe ukutya, wabona imali yakhe isemlonyeni wengxowa yakhe.
28 Wathi kubantakwabo: “Imali yam ibuyisiwe, nantsi apha engxoweni yam!” Batsho batyhafa, baza bajongana besoyika kakhulu, bathi: “Yintoni le siyenziwe nguThixo?”
29 Xa befika kuYakobi utata wabo kwilizwe lakwaKanan, bambalisela yonke into ebehleleyo, besithi:
30 “Indoda eyinkosi yelo lizwe ithethe rhabaxa nathi,+ yasimangalela isithi size kuhlola ilizwe.
31 Kodwa sithe kuyo: ‘Singabantu abalungileyo. Asizizo iintlola.+
32 Singamadoda ayi-12 azalwa kunye,+ sizalwa ngutata omnye. Omnye akasekho,+ yaye oyena mncinci ukutata, kwilizwe lakwaKanan.’+
33 Kodwa laa ndoda iyinkosi yelizwe ithe kuthi, ‘Ndiza kubona ngale nto ukuba ningabantu abalungileyo: Mshiyeni kum omnye wabantakwenu.+ Abanye mabathathe ukutya, bahambe ukuze nigxothe indlala ezintsatsheni zenu.+
34 Nize nizise umninawa wenu kum, ukuze ndazi ukuba anizizo iintlola kodwa ningabantu abalungileyo. Ndiza kutsho ke ndimbuyisele kuni umntakwenu, futhi ningashishina kweli lizwe.’ ”
35 Bathe xa bekhuphela iingxowa zabo, ngamnye wabona isiqhuma semali yakhe engxoweni yakhe. Kwaye xa bona kunye notata wabo bezibona iziqhuma zabo zemali, boyika.
36 Wakhala ke uYakobi utata wabo wathi kubo: “Nindoxuthela abantwana!+ UYosefu akasekho,+ uSimeyon akasekho,+ ngoku nifuna ukuthatha noBhenjamin! Zonke ezi zinto zehlela mna!”
37 Kodwa uRubhen wathi kutata wakhe: “Ungababulala bobabini oonyana bam ukuba andibuyanga naye.+ Myeke ahambe nam ndiza kumjonga, yaye ndiza kumbuyisa.”+
38 UYakobi wathi: “Anizukuhla nonyana wam, kuba umntakwabo wafa kwaye sele kushiyeke yena yedwa.+ Ukuba unokwehlelwa yingozi endleleni aze afe, ngokuqinisekileyo niza kuzihlisela engcwabeni*+ izimvi zam ndisentlungwini.”+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “yomphefumlo wakhe.”
^ Okanye “izikhongozelo.”
^ Funda Ingcaciso Yamagama.
