Genesisi 44:1-34
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!”
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “ngehlele eTjhiyoli.” Qala Ihlathululo.
^ Namkha “ehlele eTjhiyoli.” Qala Ihlathululo.
