¹ UJakobe wakha ezweni lokugogobala kukayise, ezweni laseKhanani. ² Lokhu 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. ³ Kepha u -Israyeli wathanda uJosefa kakhulu kunabantwana bakhe bonke , ngokuba wayeyindodana yobuxhegu bakhe ; wamenzela ingubo enemikhono emide. ⁴ Abafowabo babona ukuthi uyise umthanda kunabafowabo bonke ; khona bamzonda, bengenakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula. ⁵ UJosefa waphupha iphupho , wabalandisa lona abafowabo ; babelokhu bemzonda kakhulu. ⁶ Wathi kubo: Ake nizwe leli phupho engiliphuphileyo. ⁷ Bhekani, besibopha izithungu ensimini; naso-ke isithungu sami sivuka sima ; nazo-ke izithungu zenu zisiphahla, zisikhothamela isithungu sami. ⁸ Base bethi kuye abafowabo : Impela uyakuba yinkosi yethu , usibuse na ? Bamzonda kakhulu kunakuqala ngenxa yamaphupho akhe namazwi akhe. ⁹ Waphupha nelinye iphupho, wabalandisa lona abafowabo , wathi: Bhekani, ngiphuphe nelinye iphupho ; bhekani-ke ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi eziyishumi nanye kwangikhothamela. ¹⁰ Wabalandisa uyise nabafowabo; uyise wamsola, wathi kuye: Yiphupho lini leli oliphuphileyo na ? Impela mina nonyoko nabafowenu siyakuza , sikukhothamele emhlabathini na? ¹¹ Abafowabo baba nomhawu ngaye, kepha uyise wawalonda lawa mazwi. Ukuthengiswa kukaJosefa ¹² Abafowabo baya ukwalusa umhlambi kayise eShekemi. ¹³ U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa : Abafowenu abawalusi umhlambi eShekemi na ? Woza, ngiyakukuthuma kubo. Wathi kuye: Ngilapha. ¹⁴ Wayesethi kuye: Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi basahlezi kahle yini abafowenu nomhlambi, uze ungibuyisele izwi . Wamthuma esuka esigodini saseHebroni , waze wafika eShekemi. ¹⁵ Umuntu o thile wamfumana ezulazula endle ; lo muntu wambuza wathi : Ufunani na? ¹⁶ Wathi: Ngifuna abafowethu; ake ungitshele ukuthi baluselaphi. ¹⁷ Wathi lowo muntu : Basukile lapha , ngokuba ngabezwa bethi : Asiye eDotayini. UJosefa walandela abafowabo, wabafumana eDotayini. ¹⁸ Bambona esekude; engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokumbulala. ¹⁹ Bakhulumisana omunye nomunye , bathi: Bhekani, inyanga yamaphupho iyeza. ²⁰ Ngalokho wozani , siyibulale, siyiphonse komunye wemigodi , bese sithi : Isilwane esibi siyidlile, sibone ukuthi azakuba yini amaphupho ayo. ²¹ URubeni wakuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo ngokuthi: Asingambulali. ²² URubeni wathi kubo : Ningachithi gazi ; mphonseni kulo mgodi osehlane , ningabeki isandla kuye, ukuba amophule esandleni sabo, ambuyisele kuyise. ²³ Kwathi u Josefa esefike kubafowabo , bamkhumula ingubo yakhe , leyo ngubo enemikhono emide ayeyigqokile. ²⁴ Bamthatha, bamphonsa emgodini ; umgodi wawungenalutho , kungekho manzi kuwo. ²⁵ Bahlala phansi ukuba badle isinkwa ; baphakamisa amehlo abo , babona; bheka, kwafika ihele labakwa -Ishmayeli livela kwaGileyadi , linamakamela alo ethwele inhlaka nebhalisamu nemure, likwewusela eGibithe. ²⁶ Wayesethi uJuda kubafowabo : Kuyakusizani, uma simbulala umfowethu , sifihle igazi lakhe, na? ²⁷ Wozani sithengise ngaye kwabakwa -Ishmayeli, isandla senu singabi phezu kwakhe, ngokuba ungumfowethu, uyinyama yethu. Abafowabo bamlalela. ²⁸ Kwase kudlula abathengi bakwaMidiyani ; bamdonsa uJosefa , bamkhuphula emgodini , bathengisa ngoJosefa kwabakwa -Ishmayeli ngezinhlamvu ezingamashumi amabili ze siliva. Labo-ke bamusa uJosefa eGibithe. ²⁹ URubeni wabuyela emgodini ; bheka, uJosefa wayengasekho emgodini ; waklebhula izingubo zakhe. ³⁰ Wayesebuyela kubafowabo , ethi: Akasekho umntwana ; mina-ke ngizakushonaphi na? ³¹ Base bethatha ingubo kaJosefa, bahlaba impongo, bacwilisa ingubo egazini. ³² Bathumela leyo ngubo enemikhono emide , bayiyisa kuyise , bathi: Siyitholile lena; ake ubone, uma le ngubo ingeyendodana yakho yini , noma akusiyo na? ³³ Wayibona, wathi: Yiyo ingubo yendodana yami ; isilwane esibi simdlile ; yebo, uJosefa udatshuliwe nokudatshulwa. ³⁴ UJakobe wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe , wafaka indwangu yamasaka okhalweni lwakhe, walilela indodana yakhe izinsuku eziningi. ³⁵ Onke amadodana akhe nawo onke amadodakazi akhe asuka ukuyomduduza, kepha wala ukudud uzwa, wathi: Ngiyakwehla, ngiye endodaneni yami endaweni yabafileyo ngilila. Uyise wamlilela-ke. ³⁶ AbakwaMidiyani bathengisa ngaye eGibithe kuPotifari , inceku kaFaro , induna yabalindi bakhe.