Genesis 37

¹UJakobe wakha ezweni lokugogobala kukayise, ezweni laseKhanani.

²Lokhu kuyindaba kaJakobe. UJosefa eseneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa wawalusa umhlambi kayise enabafowabo; engumfana nje wayekuwo amadodana kaBiliha nakuwo amadodana kaZilipa omkayise; uJosefa waletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngabo.

³Kepha u-Israyeli wathanda uJosefa kakhulu kunabantwana bakhe bonke, ngokuba wayeyindodana yobuxhegu bakhe; wamenzela ingubo enemikhono emide.

⁴Abafowabo babona ukuthi uyise umthanda kunabafowabo bonke; khona bamzonda, bengenakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.

⁵UJosefa waphupha iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo; babelokhu bemzonda kakhulu.

⁶Wathi kubo: “Ake nizwe leli phupho engiliphuphileyo.

⁷Bhekani, besibopha izithungu ensimini; naso-ke isithungu sami sivuka sima; nazo-ke izithungu zenu zisiphahla, zisikhothamela isithungu sami.”

⁸Base bethi kuye abafowabo: “Impela uyakuba yinkosi yethu, usibuse na?” Bamzonda kakhulu kunakuqala ngenxa yamaphupho akhe namazwi akhe.

⁹Waphupha nelinye iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo, wathi: “Bhekani, ngiphuphe nelinye iphupho; bhekani-ke ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi eziyishumi nanye kwangikhothamela.”

¹⁰Wabalandisa uyise nabafowabo; uyise wamsola, wathi kuye: “Yiphupho lini leli oliphuphileyo na? Impela mina nonyoko nabafowenu siyakuza, sikukhothamele emhlabathini na?”

¹¹Abafowabo baba nomhawu ngaye, kepha uyise wawalonda lawa mazwi.

¹²Abafowabo baya ukwalusa umhlambi kayise eShekemi.

¹³U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu abawalusi umhlambi eShekemi na? Woza, ngiyakukuthuma kubo.” Wathi kuye: “Ngilapha.”

¹⁴Wayesethi kuye: “Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi basahlezi kahle yini abafowenu nomhlambi, uze ungibuyisele izwi.” Wamthuma esuka esigodini saseHebroni, waze wafika eShekemi.

¹⁵Umuntu othile wamfumana ezulazula endle; lo muntu wambuza wathi: “Ufunani na?”

¹⁶Wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu; ake ungitshele ukuthi baluselaphi.”

¹⁷Wathi lowo muntu: “Basukile lapha, ngokuba ngabezwa bethi: ‘Asiye eDotayini.’ ” UJosefa walandela abafowabo, wabafumana eDotayini.

¹⁸Bambona esekude; engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokumbulala.

¹⁹Bakhulumisana omunye nomunye, bathi: “Bhekani, inyanga yamaphupho iyeza.

²⁰Ngalokho wozani, siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi, bese sithi: ‘Isilwane esibi siyidlile,’ sibone ukuthi azakuba yini amaphupho ayo.”

²¹URubeni wakuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo ngokuthi: “Asingambulali.”

²²URubeni wathi kubo: “Ningachithi gazi; mphonseni kulo mgodi osehlane, ningabeki isandla kuye,” ukuba amophule esandleni sabo, ambuyisele kuyise.

²³Kwathi uJosefa esefike kubafowabo, bamkhumula ingubo yakhe, leyo ngubo enemikhono emide ayeyigqokile.

²⁴Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini; umgodi wawungenalutho, kungekho manzi kuwo.

²⁵Bahlala phansi ukuba badle isinkwa; baphakamisa amehlo abo, babona; bheka, kwafika ihele labakwa-Ishmayeli livela kwaGileyadi, linamakamela alo ethwele inhlaka nebhalisamu nemure, likwewusela eGibithe.

²⁶Wayesethi uJuda kubafowabo: “Kuyakusizani, uma simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe, na?

²⁷Wozani sithengise ngaye kwabakwa-Ishmayeli, isandla senu singabi phezu kwakhe, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu.” Abafowabo bamlalela.

²⁸Kwase kudlula abathengi bakwaMidiyani; bamdonsa uJosefa, bamkhuphula emgodini, bathengisa ngoJosefa kwabakwa-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu ezingamashumi amabili zesiliva. Labo-ke bamusa uJosefa eGibithe.

²⁹URubeni wabuyela emgodini; bheka, uJosefa wayengasekho emgodini; waklebhula izingubo zakhe.

³⁰Wayesebuyela kubafowabo, ethi: “Akasekho umntwana; mina-ke ngizakushonaphi na?”

³¹Base bethatha ingubo kaJosefa, bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo egazini.

³²Bathumela leyo ngubo enemikhono emide, bayiyisa kuyise, bathi: “Siyitholile lena; ake ubone, uma le ngubo ingeyendodana yakho yini, noma akusiyo na?”

³³Wayibona, wathi: “Yiyo ingubo yendodana yami; isilwane esibi simdlile; yebo, uJosefa udatshuliwe nokudatshulwa.”

³⁴UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wafaka indwangu yamasaka okhalweni lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi.

³⁵Onke amadodana akhe nawo onke amadodakazi akhe asuka ukuyomduduza, kepha wala ukududuzwa, wathi: “Ngiyakwehla, ngiye endodaneni yami endaweni yabafileyo ngilila.” Uyise wamlilela-ke.

³⁶AbakwaMidiyani bathengisa ngaye eGibithe kuPotifari, inceku kaFaro, induna yabalindi bakhe.