Ngelinye ilanga abafowabo bakaJosefa bahamba nomhlambi kayise beyowelusela eShekhemu. U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa: “Abafowenu abelusele yini eShekhemu na? Woza ukuze ngikuthume kubo.”
UJosefa wathi: “Ngilapha baba.”
Wathi kuye: “Hamba uyobona ukuthi abafowenu nemfuyo basaphatheke kahle yini, bese ungilethela umbiko.”
Wamthuma esuka esigodini eHebhroni, waze wayofika eShekhemu.
Umuntu mumbe wamfumana ezulazula endle, wambuza wathi: “Ufunani lapha na?”
Wathi: “Ngifuna abafowethu. Ngiyakuncenga, ngitshele ukuthi ngabe belusele kuphi na?”
Leyo ndoda yathi: “Basukile lapha. Ngibezwe bethi: ‘Asihambe siye eDothani.’ ”
UJosefa wahamba wabalandela, waze wabathola khona eDothani. Bambona esekude engakasondeli eduze kwabo, base bemakhela ugobe lokumbulala.
Bathi omunye komunye: “Nansi inyanga yamaphupho iza. Wozani siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi, bese sithi kubaba: ‘Udliwe yisilwane esibi sasendle,’ sibone-ke ukuthi amaphupho akhe ayofika kuphi.”
URubeni ekuzwa lokho, wazama ukumphephisa kubo, wathi: “Asingambulali. Ningalichithi igazi! Mphonseni emgodini khona lapha ehlane, ningambeki isandla!”
Wayefuna ukumphephisa kubo ukuze amphindisele kuyise.
Uthe lapho uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ingubo yakhe ayeyigqokile embalabala, enemikhono emide. Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini owawomile, ungenamanzi.
Bahlala phansi, badla; kuthe bephakamisa amehlo, babona ihele labakwa-Ishmayeli liqhamuka kwaGileyadi, amakameli abo ethwele inhlaka, nebhalisamu, nemure, bekwehlisela eGibhithe.
UJuda wathi kubafowabo: “Siyozuzani ngokubulala umfowethu, bese sifihla igazi lakhe na? Asimthengisele abakwa-Ishmayeli engenamyocu, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu.”
Abafowabo bamlalela.
Kwathi lapho kwedlula abahwebi bakwaMidiyani, bamkhipha uJosefa emgodini, bamthengisa kwabakwa-Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu zesiliva ezingama-20, ababe sebemthatha bahamba, baya naye eGibhithe.
URubeni wabuyela emgodini, washaqeka engasamfici uJosefa lapho, wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe. Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi kubo: “Akasekho umfana emgodini, ngizoshonaphi mina na?”
Bathatha ingubo kaJosefa ende, base behlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo kaJosefa egazini layo. Bayithumela ingubo ende enemibala ehlukene kuyise, bathi: “Nakhu esikutholile. Ake uhlolisise ubone ukuthi akusiyona yini ingubo yendodana yakho na?”
UJakobe eyibona, wathi: “Yingubo yendodana yami le. Isilwane esibi sasendle simdlile. Simdwengulile uJosefa waba yizicucu.”
UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wembatha isaka okhalo lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. Onke amadodana namadodakazi akhe, afika ukuzomduduza, kepha kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Wathi: “Ngiyoze ngiye kwelabafileyo ngisayililela indodana yami.”
Waqhubeka nokuyililela indodana yakhe.
AbakwaMidiyani bamthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPotifari, inceku kaFaro, induna yabalindi.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
