1 Josefa kazwilashila pezhugwi kwa tate babe kabalilila, kabaputa. 2 Josefa kadwa ng'anga dzakabe dzili pasi kukwe kuti dziwomese itumbu tja tate babe. Ndizo ng'anga dzikawomesa Jakubo. 3 Bakatola mazhuba ali makumi manna ngoti tjili itjo tjibaka tjakalizana kuwomesa itumbu. Baegipiti bakatola mazhuba ali makumi ali kutendeka belilila Jakubo.
4 Kukati mazhuba e kunlilila apela, Josefa kalebeleka ne be ng'umba ya Faro eti, “Ha mundihwila ngoni ndomukumbila kuti mundikumbilile kuna Faro muti, 5 ‘Tate bangu bakati babe pejo ngofa, bakathama kuti nditune kudumana ngekuti ndowobabiganya mu ikumbu tjabakazwitshila mu shango ye Kanana. Ndizo mundiletje ndiyende ndinobiganya tate ndikobuya zwangu.’ ”
6 Faro kadabila eti, “Yenda unobiganya tate babo sekwa wakatuna kuti unowothama.”
7 Ndizo Josefa kayenda kunobiganya tate babe. Hadzasha dza Faro dzose dzikayenda naye ne makombgwa e ng'umba iye ne bakulu bose be shango ye Egipiti. 8 Nsha wa Josefa na iwo ukayenda wose ne bakulu babe ne ng'umba ya tate babe yose. Kwakasala bana koga ne zwithuwo mu shango ye Gosheni. 9 Koloyi dze ngwa ne babhayani bakatatha mbizi bakayenda naye. Lakabe lili goko gulu gulu.
10 Bakati beswika pa lutombo gwe Atadi pa hwunde ye Jorodani bakalila kunogwadza ngono Josefa kagala nabo ipapo mazhuba ali kutendeka elilila tate babe. 11 Kwakati bagali be Kanana bebona tjililo itjetjo pa lutombo bakati, “Etji tjililo tjinohwisa zogwadza tje Baegipiti.” Ndizo bakatumila magalo iyawo beti Abelemizirayimu. Magalo iyawa apa hwunde ye Jorodani.
12 Ndizo bana ba Jakubo bakanthamila sekwa akabadwa. 13 Bakansengela ku shango ye Kanana bakambiganya mu guwu limu nnda ku Makipela pejo ne Mamure, wakatengwa ndi Abhurahama muna Efuroni we Nhiti kube zwikumbu. 14 Josefa kabgwilila ku Egipiti ne bakulu babe na bose bakabe bayenda naye kunobiganya tate babe.
Josefa unozwiibhatigwa bakulu babe
15 Bakulu ba Josefa bakati be bona tate babo bafa bakalebesana beti, “Towotini ha ili kuti pamwe Josefa utjakatibhata nge moyo ngono ebe etibgwilizila mbipo yatakanthamila?” 16 Ndizo bakayenda kuna Josefa bakati kunli, “Tate babo bakafa besiya bati, 17 tidwe Josefa titi: ‘Ndokukumbila, uzwiibhatigwe bakulu babo nlandu ne mbipo yabakakuthama.’ Ndizo ngwenu wali tokumbila, uzwiibhatigwe balanda be Ndzimu wa tate babo.” Bakati ipapo belebeleka na Josefa kalila.
18 Bakulu babe bakathigama mbeli kukwe, ngono bakati kunli, “Iswi ti balanda benyu.”
19 Koga Josefa kati ku bali, “Musitje. Apa imi ndi mu tjimo tje Ndzimu kene? 20 Nenguba makabe mazwimisila kundithama tjakabipa, Ndzimu wakathama kuti tjibe tjakanaka kutjidza bathu banjinji sekwa unothama sangwenu. 21 Ndizo musitje, imi ndowomutjengeta imwi ne bana benyu.” Josefa kabanyaladza nge matama iyawa, elebeleka nabo nge buthu.
Lufu gwa Josefa
22 Josefa kagala mu Egipiti ne ng'umba ya tate babe ngono katjila makole ali zana lina makole ali gumi (110). 23 Josefa katjila kabona tjizekugwana tje butatu tje bana ba Ifureimi. Kabona ne bana ba Makiri nkololo wa Manase.
24 Josefa kadwa bakulu babe kati, “Imi ndabe pejo ngofa, koga Ndzimu unowomubhatsha ukamudusa mu shango iyeyi kumuyisa ku shango yawakagadzabgwe Abhurahama na Isaki na Jakubo.” 25 Ndizo Josefa kadwa Baiziraela kati tunani kuti, “Ndzimu unowoti umudusa mu shango iyeyi, mukasenga mafupa angu mukayenda nawo.” 26 Josefa kafa ana makole ali zana lina makole ali gumi (110). Wakawomisiwa kalongwa mu bhokisi mu Egipiti.
1 Joseph started crying, then leaned over to hug and kiss his father.
2 Joseph gave orders for Jacob's body to be embalmed, 3 and it took the usual 40 days.
The Egyptians mourned 70 days for Jacob. 4 When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the Egyptian leaders, “If you consider me your friend, please speak to the king for me. 5 Just before my father died, he made me promise to bury him in his burial cave in Canaan. If the king will give me permission to go, I will come back here.”
6 The king answered, “Go to Canaan and keep your promise to your father.”
7-9 When Joseph left Goshen with his brothers, his relatives, and his father's relatives to bury Jacob, many of the king's highest officials and even his military chariots and cavalry went along. The Israelites left behind only their children, their cattle, and their sheep and goats.
10 After crossing the Jordan River, Joseph stopped at Atad's threshing place, where they all mourned and wept seven days for Jacob. 11 The Canaanites saw this and said, “The Egyptians are in great sorrow.” Then they named the place “Egypt in Sorrow.”
12 So Jacob's sons did just as their father had instructed. 13 They took him to Mamre in Canaan and buried him in Machpelah Cave, the burial place Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite.
14 After the funeral, Joseph, his brothers, and everyone else returned to Egypt.
Joseph's Promise to His Brothers
15 After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said to each other, “What if Joseph still hates us and wants to get even with us for all the cruel things we did to him?”
16 So they sent this message to Joseph:
Before our father died, 17 he told us, “You did some cruel and terrible things to Joseph, but you must ask him to forgive you.”
Now we ask you to please forgive the terrible things we did. After all, we serve the same God that your father worshiped.
When Joseph heard this, he started crying.
18 Right then, Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to the ground in front of him and said, “We are your slaves.”
19 But Joseph told them, “Don't be afraid! I have no right to change what God has decided. 20 You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. 21 Don't be afraid! I will take care of you and your children.” After Joseph said this, his brothers felt much better.
Joseph's Death
22 Joseph lived in Egypt with his brothers until he died at the age of 110. 23 Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to see the children of Manasseh's son Machir, and he welcomed them into his family. 24 Before Joseph died, he told his brothers, “I won't live much longer. But God will take care of you and lead you out of Egypt to the land he promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 Now promise me that you will take my body with you when God leads you to that land.”
26 So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110; his body was embalmed and put in a coffin.