UJuda nabafowabo bangena endlini kaJosefa; ngoba wayeselapho, bawa phansi phambi kwakhe.
UJosefa wayesethi kubo: “Yisenzo sini lesi enisenzile na? Anazi yini ukuthi umuntu onjengami angabhula na?
UJuda wasesithi: Sizakuthini enkosini yami? sizokhuluma ngani? noma singazihlanza kanjani na? UNkulunkulu uthole ububi bezinceku zakho; bheka, siyizinceku zenkosi yami, thina naye okufunyenwe kuye indebe.
Wathi: “UNkulunkulu makangenze ngikwenze lokho; kepha umuntu ofunyanwa esandleni sakhe indebe, uyakuba yinceku yami; wena-ke khuphuka uye kuyihlo ngokuthula.
UJuda wayesesondela kuye, wathi: “Awu, nkosi yami, inceku yakho mayikhulume izwi ezindlebeni zenkosi yami, futhi intukuthelo yakho mayingayivuthi encekwini yakho, ngokuba unjengoFaro;
Inkosi yami yasibuza izinceku zayo yathi: Lilobaba yini kumbe umfowenu?
Sathi enkosini yami: ‘Sinobaba ixhegu, nomntwana wobungane bakhe omncane; umfowabo wafa, yena wasala yedwa kunina, uyise wamthanda.
Wathi wena ezincekwini zakho: ‘Mehliseleni kimi, ukuze ngimbone ngamehlo ami.’
Sathi enkosini yami: Indodana ayinakumshiya uyise, ngokuba uma imshiya uyise, uyise uyakufa;
Wathi wena ezincekwini zakho: ‘Uma umfowenu omncane engehli nani, anisayikubona ubuso bami futhi.
Kwasekusithi ekunyukeni kwethu kunceku yakho, ubaba, samtshela amazwi enkosi yami.
Wathi ubaba: “Buyelani, nisithengele ukudla.”
Futhi sathi: Ngeke sisuse; uma umfowethu omncane enathi, siyakwehla; ngoba ngeke sibubone ubuso bendoda uma umfowethu omncane engekho kithi.
Inceku yakho ubaba yathi kithi: ‘Niyazi nina ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.
Enye yaphuma kimi, ngathi: Impela idatshuliwe; futhi angizange ngimbone kusukela ngaleso sikhathi.
Futhi uma futhi nikususa kimi futhi ehlelwa okubi, niyokwehlisela izinwele zami ezimpunga endaweni yabafileyo ngokudabuka.
Uma ngifika encekwini yakho, ubaba, futhi indodana ingekho kithi; ebona ukuthi impilo yakhe iboshelwe empilweni yomfana;
Uma ebona ukuthi umfana akekho kithi, uzokufa; izinceku zakho ziyakwehlisela izinwele ezimpunga zenceku yakho, ubaba ethuneni ngosizi.
Ngokuba inceku yakho yenze isibambiso sendodana nobaba, yathi: ‘Uma ngingayikumletha kuwe, ngiyakuthwala icala likababa kuze kube phakade.
Manje ake inceku yakho ihlale esikhundleni somfana, isigqila senkosi yami; umfana akhuphuke nabafowabo.
Ngoba ngingakhuphukela kanjani kubaba, umfana engekho nami? ukuze ngingabuboni ububi obehlela ubaba.