IGenesisi 47:13-31

Kwakungekho kudla ezweni lonke, ngokuba indlala yayibhokile eGibhithe naseKhanani. UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyayitholakala eGibhithe, neseKhanani, abantu ababeza ukuzothenga ngayo ukudla. Yonke leyo mali wayiyisa endlini kaFaro. Lapho isiphelile imali eGibhithe naseKhanani, bonke abaseGibhithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: “Sinike ukudla. Yini ukuba sife ubhekile na? Isiphelile imali yethu.” Wayesethi uJosefa: “Uma ningasenayo imali, lethani imfuyo yenu, mina ngizoninika ukudla.” Baletha kuJosefa imfuyo yabo, imihlambi yezinkomo, izimbongolo, izimvu, izimbuzi, namahhashi, yena wabanika ukudla. Wabondla kanjalo-ke uJosefa ngalowo nyaka. Kuthe sewuphelile lowo nyaka baphindela kuye ngonyaka olandelayo, bathi: “Singeke sikufihlele lokhu nkosi; imali, nemfuyo yethu, nezinkomo, sekuphelile; asisenalutho nkosi ngaphandle kwethu nomhlaba wethu. Sizakufelani phambi kwakho na? Sithenge nemihlaba yethu, ukuze thina nemihlaba yethu sibe yizigqila zikaFaro, siphile, futhi sithole imbewu, singafi, nezwe lingabi yihlane.” UJosefa wamthengela uFaro lonke iGibhithe, ngokuba bonke abaseGibhithe base bethengise ngamasimu abo ngenxa yokuba nzima kwendlala phezu kwabo; izwe lonke kwaba ngelikaFaro. UJosefa wabasusa abantu kulo lonke iGibhithe, wabayisa emizini. Umhlaba wabaphristi yiwo kuphela angawuthenganga, ngokuba kwakunesabelo sabaphristi esivela kuFaro. Babedla leso sabelo ababesinikwe nguFaro, yingakho bengawuthengisanga umhlaba wabo. UJosefa wathi kubantu: “Njengoba manje uFaro sengimthengele nina nomhlaba wenu, nansi-ke imbewu yenu enizoniyihlwanyela emhlabathini. Kuyakuthi lapho senivunile, uFaro nimnike ingxenye yesihlanu, izingxenye ezine zibe yimbewu yamasimu enu, nokudla kwenu, nokwabendlu yenu, nabantwana benu.” Bathi: “Usisindisile, ngakho-ke masifumane umusa kuwe nkosi, siyakuba yizigqila zikaFaro.” UJosefa wakumisa lokhu kwaba wumthetho mayelana nomhlaba eGibhithe; kusengumthetho osebenzayo nanamuhla, ukuthi ingxenye yesihlanu yezitshalo ingekaFaro. Ngumhlabathi wabaphristi kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro. Abakwa-Israyeli bahlala eGibhithe eGosheni, baba nempahla eningi, bazalana, banda kakhulu. UJakobe wahlala eGibhithe iminyaka eyi-17. Izinsuku zikaJakobe neminyaka yokuphila kwakhe emhlabeni kwaba yi-147. Zasondela izinsuku zika-Israyeli zokuba afe, wayesebiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuyo: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ngiyakucela, faka isandla sakho phansi kwethanga lami, bese ungethembisa ukuthi uyongenzela umusa neqiniso. Uze ungangingcwabi lapha eGibhithe, lapho sengilele kobaba, ubongithwala, ungikhiphe eGibhithe uyongingcwaba ethuneni lobaba.” UJosefa wathi: “Ngizokwenza njengoba ushilo.” UJakobe wathi: “Funga.” Wayesefunga. U-Israyeli wayesekhothamela enhla nombhede.