Amadodana kaJakobe eGibhithe

Ukuhlala kuka-Israyeli isikhathi eside eGibhithe kuphenduka ubugqila. UBaba wethu uvusa uMose, uphula uFaro ngezinhlupho eziyishumi, uvula ulwandle, futhi uhola abantu abayise eNtabeni iSinayi—lapho ezibophezela khona kubo ngesivumelwano futhi efika ukuzohlala phakathi kwabo.

Isahluko 1.

Yilawa amagama amadodana ka-Israyeli afika eGibhithe noJakobe, yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe: uRubeni, uSimeyoni, uLevi, noJuda, u-Isakare, uZebuloni, noBhenjamini, uDani noNafetali, uGadi no-Asheri. Bonke abavela kuJakobe babengabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayevele eseseGibhithe. uJosefa wafa, kanye nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane. Kodwa abantu bakwa-Israyeli bazala, banda kakhulu, bachuma, baba namandla ngokwedlulele, laze lagcwala yibo izwe.

Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi futhi banamandla kunathi. Wozani, masibaphathe ngobuqili, funa bande, kuthi uma kufika impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, baphume ezweni.” Ngakho babeka phezu kwabo abaphathi bemisebenzi ukuba babacindezele ngomsebenzi wokubophayo, bakhela uFaro imizi yeziphala: iPhithomi neRamesesi. Kodwa ngokubacindezela kwamaGibhithe, yikho abakwa-Israyeli banda ngakhona basabalala, aze amaGibhithe esaba abantu bakwa-Israyeli. Ngakho amaGibhithe abasebenzisa kanzima abantu bakwa-Israyeli njengezigqila. Enza ukuphila kwabo kwaba muncu ngomsebenzi onzima wodaka nezitini nangayo yonke imisebenzi yasemasimini. Kuyo yonke imisebenzi yabo enzima amaGibhithe abasebenzisa ngochuku.

Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubabelethisi bamaHeberu, omunye okuthiwa uShifira nomunye uPhuwa: “Lapho nisiza abesifazane bamaHeberu bebeletha, nibheke esihlalweni sokubeletha: uma kuyindodana, yibulaleni; kodwa uma kuyindodakazi, iyekeni iphile.” Kodwa ababelethisi bamesaba uBaba wethu osezulwini, abenzanga njengokuba inkosi yaseGibhithe ibayalile; bayekela abafana baphila. Ngakho inkosi yaseGibhithe yababiza ababelethisi yathi kubo: “Nikwenzeleni lokhu, niyekela abafana bephila?”

Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: “Abesifazane bamaHeberu abafani nabesifazane baseGibhithe—banamandla, babeletha ingakafiki umbelethisi.”

Ngakho uBaba wethu wabaphatha kahle ababelethisi, abantu banda baba namandla kakhulu. Futhi ngokuba ababelethisi bemesaba uBaba wethu, wabanika imizi yabo siqu. uFaro wayala bonke abantu bakhe, wathi: “Yonke indodana ezalwa ngamaHeberu niyiphonse emfuleni iNayile, kodwa yonke indodakazi niyiyeke iphile.”