Genesise 47:1-31
47 UJosefa wahamba wayobika kuFaro wathi: + “Ubaba nabafowethu nemihlambi yabo nakho konke abanakho bafikile bevela ezweni laseKhanani, basezweni laseGosheni.” +
2 Wathatha abahlanu kubafowabo wabethula kuFaro. +
3 UFaro wathi kubafowabo: “Nenza msebenzi muni?” Bamphendula: “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi bezimvu, thina nokhokho bethu.” +
4 Base bethi kuFaro: “Sizohlala njengezifiki ezweni, + ngoba awekho amadlelo omhlambi wezinceku zakho, ngoba indlala inkulu kakhulu ezweni laseKhanani. + Sicela uvumele izinceku zakho zihlale ezweni laseGosheni.” +
5 Khona-ke uFaro wathi kuJosefa: “Uyihlo nabafowenu beze kuwe lapha.
6 Izwe laseGibhithe liphethwe nguwe. Hlalisa uyihlo nabafowenu engxenyeni yezwe enhle kakhulu. + Mabahlale ezweni laseGosheni, uma kukhona amadoda anekhono owaziyo phakathi kwabo, wamise ukuba aphathe imfuyo yami.”
7 UJosefa wabe esengenisa uJakobe uyise wamethula kuFaro, uJakobe wayesembusisa uFaro.
8 UFaro wabuza uJakobe: “Uneminyaka emingaki?”
9 UJakobe wathi kuFaro: “Iminyaka yokuzulazula* kwami ingu-130. Iminyaka yokuphila kwami ibe mbalwa, + yaba ecindezelayo, ibingemide njengeminyaka yokuphila kokhokho bami ekuzulazuleni* kwabo.” +
10 Ngemva kwalokho uJakobe wambusisa uFaro wayesephuma phambi kwakhe.
11 Ngakho uJosefa wahlalisa uyise nabafowabo ezweni laseGibhithe, wabanika ifa ezweni elihle kakhulu, ezweni laseRamesesi, + njengoba nje uFaro ayeyalile.
12 UJosefa waqhubeka ebanika ukudla* uyise nabafowabo nabo bonke abomndeni kayise, ngokwesibalo sezingane zabo.
13 Manje kwakungekho kudla* kulo lonke izwe, ngoba indlala yayinkulu kakhulu, abantu baseGibhithe nabaseKhanani baphelelwa amandla ngenxa yendlala. +
14 UJosefa wayeqoqa yonke imali yokudla okusanhlamvu abantu ababekuthenga + eyayitholakala ezweni laseGibhithe nasezweni laseKhanani, uJosefa wayelokhu eletha le mali endlini kaFaro.
15 Ngemva kwesikhathi yaphela imali ezweni laseGibhithe nasezweni laseKhanani, wonke amaGibhithe eza kuJosefa, athi: “Sinike ukudla! Kungani kufanele sife phambi kwakho ngoba imali yethu isiphelile?”
16 UJosefa wathi: “Uma imali yenu isiphelile, lethani imfuyo yenu, ngizoninika ukudla nina ninginike imfuyo.”
17 Ngakho aletha imfuyo yawo kuJosefa, yena wayelokhu ewanika ukudla wona emnika amahhashi awo, imfuyo yezimvu nezimbuzi nezimbongolo, wayelokhu ewanika ukudla wona emnika yonke imfuyo yawo phakathi nalowo nyaka.
18 Lapho lowo nyaka uphela, eza kuye ngonyaka olandelayo ethi kuye: “Ngeke siyifihlele inkosi yethu ukuthi imali nemfuyo sekunikwe yona. Akusenalutho esingalunikeza inkosi yethu ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu nezwe lethu.
19 Kungani kufanele sife phambi kwakho, thina nezwe lethu? Sithenge ngokudla thina nezwe lethu, sizoba izigqila zikaFaro izwe lethu libe elakhe. Sinike imbewu ukuze siphile singafi, nezwe lethu lingasali lingenalutho.”
20 UJosefa wabe eselithengela uFaro lonke izwe lamaGibhithe, ngoba wonke amaGibhithe athengisa indawo yawo, ngoba indlala yayinkulu kakhulu; izwe laba elikaFaro.
21 Wayala bonke abantu baseGibhithe—kuzo zonke izindawo zalo—ukuba bathuthele emadolobheni. +
22 Yizwe labapristi kuphela angazange alithenge, + ngoba ukudla kwabapristi kwakuvela kuFaro futhi babephila ngokudla ababekunikezwa uFaro. Yingakho bengalithengisanga izwe labo.
23 Khona-ke uJosefa wathi kubantu: “Bhekani, namhlanje nginithengele uFaro nina nezwe lenu. Nansi imbewu, kumelwe niyitshale ezweni.
24 Lapho ikhiqiza, kumelwe ninike uFaro ingxenye yesihlanu, + kodwa izingxenye ezine kuzoba ezenu zibe imbewu yensimu nokudla kwenu nokwalabo abasezindlini zenu nokwezingane zenu ukuba zidle.”
25 Ngakho bathi: “Ukusindisile ukuphila kwethu. + Masithole umusa enkosini yethu, sizoba izigqila zikaFaro.” +
26 UJosefa wakwenza kwaba isinqumo esisasebenza kuze kube namhlanje ezweni laseGibhithe, ukuthi ingxenye yesihlanu ekaFaro. Yizwe labapristi kuphela elingazange libe elikaFaro. +
27 U-Israyeli waqhubeka ehlala ezweni laseGibhithe, ezweni laseGosheni, + bazinza kulo banda baba baningi kakhulu. +
28 UJakobe waqhubeka ehlala ezweni laseGibhithe iminyaka engu-17, izinsuku zokuphila kukaJakobe zaba iminyaka engu-147. +
29 Sasisondela isikhathi sokuba u-Israyeli afe, + ngakho wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa wathi: “Uma ngithole umusa kuwe, ngicela ubeke isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethanga lami, ungibonise uthando oluqotho nokwethembeka. Ngicela ungangingcwabi eGibhithe. +
30 Lapho ngifa,* kumelwe ungithwale ungikhiphe eGibhithe ungingcwabe ethuneni lokhokho bami.” + UJosefa wathi: “Ngiyokwenza njengoba usho.”
31 U-Israyeli wathi: “Funga kimi.” Ngakho wafunga kuye. + U-Israyeli wakhothama enhla kombhede wakhe. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “yokugogobala; yokuhlala njengesifiki.”
^ Noma, “ekugogobaleni; ekuhlaleni njengezifiki.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “isinkwa.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “sinkwa.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ngilala nobaba.”
