1 Ke kaloku uYakobi wahlala ezweni lokuphambukela kukayise, ezweni lakwaKanan.
2 Yiyo le ke inzala kaYakobi. UYosefu, engominyaka ilishumi linesixhenxe ezelwe, wayesalusa impahla emfutshane ndawonye nabakhuluwa bakhe; yena ke, engumfana, wayenoonyana bakaBhiliha, noonyana bakaZilipa, abafazi bakayise. UYosefu wazisa udaba lwabo olubi kuyise.
3 USirayeli wayemthanda uYosefu ngaphezu kwabo bonke oonyana bakhe, ngokuba ebengunyana wokwaluphala kwakhe; yena wamenzela ke ingubo ende enemikhono.
4 Abakhuluwa bakhe babona ukuba uyise umthanda ngaphezu kwabo bonke, bamthiya, ababa nakuthetha naye bexolile.
5 UYosefu waphupha iphupha, wabaxelela abakhuluwa bakhe; kwaba kukhona bamthiyayo.
6 Wathi kubo, Khanilive eli phupha ndiliphuphileyo.
7 Yabonani, besibopha izithungu entsimini phakathi; saza isithungu sam sesuka sema; zaza izithungu zenu zasingqonga, zaqubuda kwisithungu sam.
8 Abakhuluwa bakhe bathi kuye, Yinene na ukuba uya kuba ngukumkani phezu kwethu? Yinene na ukuba uya kusilawula? Kwaba kukhona bamtiyayo ngenxa yamaphupha akhe, nangenxa yamazwi akhe.
9 Wabuya waphupha elinye iphupha, walixela kubakhuluwa bakhe, wathi, Yabonani, ndibuye ndaphupha iphupha; ndiphuphe ilanga nenyanga neenkwenkwezi ezilushumi elinanye ziqubuda kum.
10 Wakuxela kuyise, nakubakhuluwa bakhe. Uyise wamkhalimela, wathi kuye, Liphupha lini na eli uliphuphileyo? Mna, nonyoko, nabakhuluwa bakho, soza size kuqubuda kuwe na emhlabeni?
11 Abakhuluwa bakhe bammonela, ke yena uyise waligcina eli lizwi.
12 Ke kaloku abakhuluwa bakhe baya kwalusa impahla emfutshane kayise kwaShekem.
13 USirayeli wathi kuYosefu, Abakhuluwa bakho abalusi eShekem na? Yiza, ndikuthume kubo.
14 Wathi yena kuye, Ndilapha. Wathi kuye, Khawuye kukhangela ukuphila kwabakhuluwa bakho, nokuphila kwempahla emfutshane; ubuye uze kundixelela. Wamthuma ke, emsusa entilini yaseHebron, waya eShekem.
15 Wafunyanwa ngumfo, ebhadula endle; umfo lowo wambuza wathi, Ufuna ntoni na?
16 Wathi, Ndifuna abakhuluwa bam; khawundixelele apho balusa khona.
17 Wathi umfo, Bandulukile apha, kuba khendeva besithi, Masiye eDotan. UYosefu wabalandela abakhuluwa bakhe, wabafumana eDotan.
18 Bambona ke esekude, engekasondeli kubo, benza iyelenqe lokumbulala.
19 Bathetha omnye komnye besithi, Nanko lo mphuphi esiza.
20 Yizani ke ngoko, simbulale, simphose komnye wemihadi, sithi, Udliwe lirhamncwa, size sibone ukuba amaphupha akhe oba yintoni na.
21 Weva uRubhen, wamhlangula esandleni sabo; wathi, Masingambulali afe.
22 Wathi uRhubhen kubo, Musani ukuphalaza gazi; mphoseni kulo mhadi usentlango; musani ukumsa sandla. Watsho, ukuze amhlangule esandleni sabo, ambuyisele kuyise.
23 Kwathi akufika uYosefu kubakhuluwa bakhe, bamhluba uYosefu ingubo yakhe, ingubo ende enemikhono abenayo;
24 bamthabatha, bamphosa emhadini; umhadi lowo ube uze, kungekho manzi kuwo.
25 Bahlala phantsi, badla isonka; baphakamisa amehlo abo, bakhangela, nango umkhoko wamaIshmayeli uvela eGiliyadi, uneenkamela zithwele intlaka emhlophe, namafutha aqholiweyo, nentlaka emnandi, besihla nazo besiya eYiputa.
26 UYuda wathi kubazalwana bakhe, Yinzuzoni na ukuthi simbulale umninawa wethu, sifihle igazi lakhe?
27 Yizani sithengise ngaye kumaIshmayeli; isandla sethu masingabi phezu kwakhe, ngokuba ngumzalwana wethu, yinyama yethu. Bamphulaphula abazalwana bakhe.
28 Adlula amaMidiyan lawo angabarhwebi; bamrhola, bamkhupha uYosefu emhadini, bathengisa ngoYosefu kumaIshmayeli ngeesilivere ezimashumi mabini; amsa uYosefu eYiputa.
29 Wabuyela uRubhen emhadini. Yini? UYosefu akakho emhadini; wazidrazula iingubo zakhe.
30 Wabuyela kubaninawa bakhe, wathi, Umfana akakho; mna ke ndosuka ndiye ngaphi na?
31 Bayithabatha ingubo kaYosefu, baxhela inkunzi yebhokhwe exhonti, bayithi nkxu ingubo egazini.
32 Bayithumela ingubo ende enemikhono ekhaya, bayisa kuyise, bathi, Siyichole; khawufanise, ukuba yingubo yonyana wakho, asiyiyo, sini na?
33 Wayifanisa, wathi, Yingubo yonyana wam; udliwe lirhamncwa; inene, uqwengiwe uYosefu.
34 UYakobi wazikrazula iingubo zakhe, wabeka ezirhwexayo esinqeni sakhe, wamenzela isijwili unyana wakhe imihla emininzi.
35 Besuka bonke oonyana bakhe nazo zonke iintombi zakhe, beza kumthuthuzela; akavuma kuthuthuzelwa, wathi, Ndiya kuhla ndiye kunyana wam kwelabafileyo, ndisenza isijwili. Uyise wamlilela ke.
36 AmaMidiyan aya athengisa ngaya eYiputa kuPotifare, umbusi wakwaFaro, umthetheli wabasiki.