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UManase Lo-Efrayimi
1 Emva kwesikhatshana uJosefa wabikelwa ukuthi, “Uyihlo uyagula.” Ngakho wathatha amadodana akhe womabili, uManase lo-Efrayimi wahamba lawo.
2 UJakhobe esetsheliwe kwathiwa, “Indodana yakho uJosefa isifikile kuwe,” u-Israyeli wazibamba ngamandla wavuka embhedeni.
3 UJakhobe wathi kuJosefa, “UNkulunkulu uSomandla wabonakala kimi eLuzi elizweni laseKhenani, khonapho wangibusisa.
4 Wathi kimi, ‘Ngizakwenza ube lenzalo enengi kakhulu. Ngizalenza libe yisizwe sabantu, njalo ngizakupha izizukulwane zakho lelilizwe libe yilifa lazo elingapheliyo ngemva kwakho.’
5 Zwana-ke, amadodana akho amabili owawazalela eGibhithe ngingakabuyi lapha kuwe azathathwa njengawami; u-Efrayimi loManase bazakuba ngabami, kanjengoba uRubheni loSimiyoni bengabami.
6 Labobantwana abazelwe ngemva kwabo bazakuba ngabakho; kulesosigodi esizakuba yilifa labo bazabhaliswa ngaphansi kwamabizo abanewabo.
7 Ngathi ngibuya ngivela ePhadani, ngehlelwa lusizi ngafelwa nguRasheli elizweni laseKhenani silokhu sisendleleni, bucwadlana kwe-Efrathi. Ngamngcwaba khonapho eceleni kwendlela eya e-Efrathi” (kutsho eBhethilehema).
8 U-Israyeli wathi ngokubona amadodana kaJosefa wabuza wathi, “Ngobani laba?”
9 UJosefa wathi kuyise, “Ngamadodana uNkulunkulu anginike wona lapha.”
U-Israyeli wasesithi, “Balethe kimi ukuze ngibabusise.”
10 Ngalesosikhathi amehlo ka-Israyeli ayesefiphala ngenxa yokuluphala, engasabonisisi. Ngakho uJosefa wasondeza amadodana akhe kuye, uyise wawanga wawagona.
11 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Ngangingathembi ukuthi ngizaphinda ngibubone ubuso bakho njalo, ikanti manje uNkulunkulu usengivumele ukubona labantwabakho labo.”
12 UJosefa wasebasusa emadolweni ka-Israyeli wakhothamela phansi ngobuso.
13 UJosefa wasebathatha bobabili, u-Efrayimi kwesokunene sakhe eqondane lesokhohlo sika-Israyeli, kwathi uManase waba ngakwesokhohlo waqondana lesokunene sika-Israyeli, wabasondeza kuye.
14 Kodwa u-Israyeli welula isandla sakhe sokunene wasibeka ekhanda lika-Efrayimi, loba nje yena wayengomncinyane, wasenqumisa izingalo zakhe zaphambana, wabeka isandla sakhe sokhohlo ekhanda likaManase, loba nje uManase wayelizibulo.
15 Ngakho wasebusisa uJosefa wathi,
“Sengathi uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bami,
u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka, abahamba phambi kwakhe,
uNkulunkulu obengumelusi wami
ukuphila kwami konke kuze kube namuhla,
16 iNgilosi engihlengileyo kuzozonke izingozi,
sengathi angabusisa abafana laba.
Sengathi bangabizwa ngebizo lami
langamabizo abobabamkhulu u-Abhrahama lo-Isaka,
njalo sengathi banganda kakhulu emhlabeni.”
17 Kwathi uJosefa ebona uyise ebeka isandla sakhe sokunene ekhanda lika-Efrayimi akwaze kwamthokozisa; ngakho wasibamba isandla sikayise wasisusa ekhanda lika-Efrayimi ukuthi asibeke kwelikaManase.
18 UJosefa wathi kuye, “Hatshi, baba, lo nguye izibulo; beka isandla sakho sokunene kwelakhe ikhanda.”
19 Kodwa uyise wala, wathi, “Ngiyazi, ndodana yami, ngiyazi. Laye njalo uzakuba ngabantu abanengi, njalo laye uzakuba mkhulu. Loba kunjalo, umnawakhe uzakuba mkhulu kulaye lezizukulwane zakhe zizakuba ngamaxuku ezizwe.”
20 Wababusisa ngalolusuku wathi,
“Ngebizo lakho u-Israyeli uzakutsho lesisibusiso:
‘Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakwenza
ube njengo-Efrayimi loManase.’ ”
Ngakho wabeka u-Efrayimi phambi kukaManase.
21 U-Israyeli wasesithi kuJosefa, “Sengizakufa, kodwa uNkulunkulu uzakuba lani, alibuyisele elizweni labokhokho benu.
22 Wena, njengomuntu olawula abanewenu, ngikunika umqolo welizwe engawemuka ama-Amori ngenkemba yami lomtshoko wami.”