5 Wabuye walala waphupha okwesibili: Izikhwebu zamabele eziyisikhombisa, zigcwele zizinhle, zazikhula ehlangeni linye. 6 Ngemva kwazo kwakhula ezinye izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa, zicakile njalo zihangulwe ludwangu. 7 Izikhwebu lezo ezazicakile zaginya lezo eziyisikhombisa ezaziphilile, zigcwele. UFaro wasephaphama, kwakuliphupho nje.
8 Ekuseni umoya wakhe wawukhathazekile, ngakho wasesithi kakubizwe bonke abemilingo lezazi zaseGibhithe. UFaro wabatshela amaphupho akhe, kodwa akakho loyedwa owakwaziyo ukuwachasisa.
9 Umphathinkezo omkhulu wathi kuFaro, “Lamuhla sengikhumbula amaphutha ami. 10 UFaro wake wazondela izinceku zakhe, wangivalela mina kanye lomphekizinkwa omkhulu endlini yendunankulu yabalindi. 11 Ngamunye wethu waba lephupho ngobusuku bunye, iphupho linye ngalinye lalilengcazelo yalo lodwa. 12 Kwakulejaha lomHebheru khonapho, lathi liyinceku yendunankulu yabalindi. Salitshela amaphupho ethu, lasichasisela wona, lisipha ngulowo ingcazelo yephupho lakhe. 13 Izinto zaba njengokusichazela kwakhe: ngabuyiselwa esikhundleni sami, lomkhula wami walengiswa.”
14 Ngakho uFaro wabiza uJosefa, walethwa masinyane esuka entolongweni. Kwathi esephucile indevu, wantshintsha izigqoko weza phambi kukaFaro.
15 UFaro wathi kuJosefa, “Ngiphuphe iphupho, kodwa kakho ongangichasisela lona. Kodwa ngizwa kuthiwa wena, nxa ungalizwa iphupho uyalichasisa.”
16 UJosefa wamphendula uFaro wathi, “Ngeke ngikwenze, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzamnika uFaro impendulo ayidingayo.”
17 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa, “Ephutsheni lami bengimi okhunjini lukaNayili, 18 ngasengibona kuqhamuka amankomokazi ayisikhombisa, anonileyo, egcwele, esidla phakathi kwemihlanga. 19 Ngemva kwawo kwaqhamuka amanye amankomokazi ayisikhombisa, etshwabhene, emabi kakhulu futhi ecakile. Ngangingakaze ngibone amankomokazi amabi kangako kulolonke elaseGibhithe. 20 Lawo mankomokazi acakileyo, amabi adla lawana amankomokazi ayisikhombisa ayenonile ayiwo aqhamuka kuqala. 21 Kodwa loba esewadlile lawo kakho owayengatsho ukuthi atheni; ayelokhu emabi njengakuqala. Ngasengiphaphama.
22 Ephutsheni lami ngibone njalo izikhwebu zamabele eziyisikhombisa, zigcwele, njalo zizinhle zikhula ehlangeni linye. 23 Ngemva kwazo, kwahluma ezinye izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa, zibunile njalo zicakile, zihangulwe ludwangu. 24 Lezozikhwebu zamabele ezicakileyo zaginya leziyana eziyisikhombisa ezinhle. Ngibatshelile abamasalamusi ngalokhu, kodwa kakho okwazileyo ukungichasisela.”
25 UJosefa wasesithi kuFaro, “Amaphupho kaFaro ayilutho lunye. UNkulunkulu usevezile kuFaro lokho asezakwenza. 26 Amankomokazi ayisikhombisa amahle ayiminyaka eyisikhombisa, njalo lezikhwebu zamabele ezinhle ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa; kuliphupho linye. 27 Amankomokazi ayisikhombisa eza muva yiminyaka eyisikhombisa, kanjalo lezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezazingelamsebenzi, zitshaywe ludwangu: Yiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala.
28 Kunjengokuba ngitshilo kuFaro. UNkulunkulu usevezile kuFaro lokho azakwenza. 29 Sekusiza iminyaka eyisikhombisa eyenala enkulu kulolonke elaseGibhithe, 30 kodwa izalandelwa yiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala. Kuzakuthi yonke inala enkulu eGibhithe ikhohlakale, ngoba indlala izalibhubhisa ilizwe. 31 Inala elizweni izabe ingasakhunjulwa, ngoba indlala eyilandelayo izabe inkulu kakhulu. 32 Isizatho sokuthi iphupho liphiwe uFaro ngezindlela ezimbili yikuthi, indaba isimiswe yaqiniswa nguNkulunkulu, njalo uNkulunkulu uzakukwenza masinyane.
33 Khathesi-ke uFaro kadinge indoda elombono njalo ehlakaniphileyo ayibeke phezu kwelizwe laseGibhithe. 34 UFaro abesekhetha abalisa elizweni abazathatha ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu yesivuno saseGibhithe ngeminyaka yenala eyisikhombisa. 35 Kumele baqoqe konke ukudla ngale iminyaka emihle ezayo bakugcine ukudla ngaphansi kukaFaro, kugcinwe emadolobheni ukuthi kube yikudla. 36 Ukudla lokhu kakugcinelwe ilizwe kulondolozelwe ukusetshenziswa ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezafika eGibhithe, ukwenzela ukuthi ilizwe lingabhujiswa yindlala.”
37 Icebo leli lakhanya lilihle kuFaro lakuzo zonke izikhulu zakhe. 38 UFaro wasezibuza wathi, “Kambe singamfumana yini omunye onjengendoda le, umuntu olomoya kaNkulunkulu?”
39 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa, “Njengoba uNkulunkulu esekwazisile konke lokhu, kakho olombono onje lohlakaniphileyo njengawe. 40 Wena-ke usuzaphatha isigodlo sami, kuthi bonke abantu bami bazalalela iziqondiso zakho. Mina ngizakuba mkhulu kulawe ngesikhundla sesihlalo sobukhosi sami kuphela.”
44 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa, “Mina nginguFaro, kodwa ngaphandle kwelizwi lakho kakho ozasiphakamisa isandla loba unyawo kulolonke elaseGibhithe.” 45 UFaro wetha uJosefa ibizo elithi Zafenathi-Phaneya, wasemupha u-Asenathi indodakazi kaPhothifera, umphristi wase-Oni ukuba abe ngumkakhe. UJosefa walibhoda lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.
46 UJosefa wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu yokuzalwa eqalisa ukusebenzela uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. UJosefa wasuka phambi kukaFaro walibhoda lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe. 47 Ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala umhlaba wathela ukudla okunengi kakhulu. 48 UJosefa wakuqoqa konke ukudla okwavunwa phakathi kwaleyominyaka eyisikhombisa yenala eGibhithe wakulondoloza emadolobheni. Kulelo lalelodolobho wabeka ukudla okwakulinywa emasimini akuleyondawo. 49 UJosefa waqoqa izinqwaba lezinqwaba zamabele, kwaba njengetshebetshebe lolwandle. Kwaba kunengi waze wayekela ukukubhala phansi ngoba kwasekungaphezu kokulinganiswa.
50 Ingakafiki iminyaka yendlala, u-Asenathi, indodakazi kaPhothifera, umphristi ka-Oni wazalela uJosefa amadodana amabili. 51 UJosefa wetha izibulo lakhe wathi nguManase, esithi, “Kungenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wenzile ukuthi ngilukhohlwe lonke uhlupho lwami kanye layo yonke indlu kababa.” 52 Indodana yesibili wayibiza ngokuthi ngu-Efrayimi, wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu ungenze ngaba lezithelo elizweni lokuhlupheka kwami.”
53 Iminyaka yenala eyisikhombisa eGibhithe yaphela, 54 kwaqalisa iminyaka yendlala eyisikhombisa, njengoba uJosefa wayetshilo. Indlala yaba khona kuwo wonke amanye amazwe, kodwa kulolonke ilizwe laseGibhithe ukudla kwakukhona. 55 Kwathi lapho iGibhithe lonke selingenelwa yindlala abantu bazibika kuFaro befuna ukudla. Ngakho uFaro wasebatshela bonke abaseGibhithe wathi, “Yanini kuJosefa lenze lokho alitshela khona.”
56 Kwathi indlala isimemetheke kulolonke ilizwe uJosefa wavula iziphala wawathengisela amaGibhithe ukudla ngoba indlala yayisinkulu kakhulu kulolonke ilizwe laseGibhithe. 57 Kwathi wonke amanye amazwe eza eGibhithe ezothenga amabele kuJosefa, ngoba indlala yayibhahile kuwo wonke umhlaba.
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