UGenesise 47:13-31

Kwakungekho sinkwa ezweni lonke; ngokuba indlala yayinzima kakhulu, izwe laseGibithe nezwe lonke laseKhanani kwafa indlala. UJosefa waqoqa yonke imali eyatholwa ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani kakolweni ababewuthenga, uJosefa wayingenisa imali endlini kaFaro. Kwathi imali isingekho ezweni laseGibithe nasezweni laseKhanani, bonke abaseGibithe beza kuJosefa, bathi: “Siphe isinkwa, ngokuba siyakufelani phambi kwakho na?” ngoba imali iyahluleka. Wayesethi uJosefa: “Lethani izinkomo zenu; ngiyakukunika imfuyo yakho, uma imali iyeka. Base beletha izinkomo zabo kuJosefa; uJosefa wabanika isinkwa ngamahhashi, nangezimvu, nangezinkomo, nangezimbongolo; Kwathi lowo nyaka usuphelile, beza kuye ngomnyaka wesibili, bathi kuye: “Asiyikufihlela inkosi yami ukuthi imali yethu yachithwa kanjani; Inkosi yami inemihlambi yezinkomo; akusele lutho emehlweni enkosi, kuphela imizimba yethu namasimu ethu. Kungani siyakufa phambi kwamehlo akho, thina nezwe lakithi? sithenge thina namazwe ethu ngesinkwa, thina namazwe ethu sibe yizinceku zikaFaro; futhi usinike inzalo, ukuze siphile, singafi, ukuze izwe lingabi yincithakalo. UJosefa wamthengela uFaro izwe lonke laseGibithe; ngokuba abaseGibithe bathengisa, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngesiqephu sakhe somhlaba, ngokuba indlala yabehlula, izwe laba ngelikaFaro. Kepha abantu, wabayisa emizini kusukela kolunye uhlangothi lomkhawulo waseGibithe kuze kube kolunye uhlangothi lwalo. Yizwe labapristi kuphela angalithenganga; ngoba abapristi bababela isabelo sikaFaro, badla isabelo sabo uFaro abanika sona; ngalokho abathengisanga ngezwe labo. UJosefa wayesethi kubantu: “Bhekani, namuhla nginithengele uFaro nina nezwe lenu; bheka, nansi imbewu yenu, nihlwanyele ezweni. Esakhiweni niyonika uFaro okwesihlanu, futhi izingxenye ezine ziyoba zenu njengembewu yensimu nokudla kwenu nokwabendlu yenu nokudla kwabancane benu. Bathi: “Usindisile ukuphila kwethu; masithole umusa emehlweni enkosi yami, sibe yizinceku zikaFaro. UJosefa wabeka umthetho phezu kwezwe laseGibhithe kuze kube namuhla ukuthi uFaro athole ingxenye yesihlanu; ngaphandle kwezwe labapristi lodwa, elingazange libe ngelikaFaro. U-Israyeli wahlala ezweni laseGibithe, ezweni laseGosheni; babenemfuyo kulo, banda, banda kakhulu; UJakobe wahlala iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa ezweni laseGibithe; Iyonke iminyaka kaJakobe yaba yiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amane nesikhombisa. Sase sisondela isikhathi sokuthi u-Israyeli afe; wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuye: “Uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, beka isandla sakho ngaphansi kwenyonga yami, ungenzele umusa neqiniso; ungangingcwabi eGibhithe. Kodwa ngizakuba lobudlelwano labobaba, njalo uzangikhupha eGibhithe, ungingcwabe ethuneni labo. Wathi: “Ngizokwenza njengokusho kwakho.” Wathi: “Funga kimi.” Wafunga kuye. U-Israyeli wakhuleka ekhanda lombhede.