Verse 1: Wayala inceku yendlu yakhe, wathi: “Gcwalisa amasaka alawa madoda ngokudla okulingene namandla abo okuthwala, ufake imali yalowo nalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
Verse 2: Ufake indebe yami, indebe yesiliva, emlonyeni wesaka lomncane kanye nemali yamabele akhe.” Yenza-ke njengezwi likaJosefa alishilo.
Verse 3: Ngakusasa nxa sekusile, amadoda amukiswa, wona nezimbongolo zawo.
Verse 4: Esephumile emzini, engakabi kude, uJosefa wathi encekwini yakhe: “Suka ulandele lawo madoda; nxa uwafica, yisho kuwo ukuthi: ‘Niphindiseleni okuhle ngokubi na?
Verse 5: Lena akusiyo indebe inkosi yami ephuza ngayo, ebhula ngayo, na? Nenze kabi ngokwenze njalo.’ ”
Verse 6: Yawafica, yakhuluma kuwo lawa mazwi.
Verse 7: Ayesethi kuyo: “Inkosi yami ikhulumelani amazwi anjengalawa? Akube kude nezinceku zakho ukwenze njalo.
Verse 8: Bheka, imali esayifumana emilonyeni yamasaka ethu sayibuyisa ezweni laseKhanani, sayiletha kuwe; pho, besingeba kanjani endlini yenkosi yakho isiliva noma igolide na?
Verse 9: Lowo wasezincekwini zakho eyakutholwa kuye, makafe yena, thina sibe yizigqila zenkosi yami.”
Verse 10: Yathi: “Kalokhu makube njengamazwi enu; lowo ezakutholakala kuye makabe yisigqila sami, nina ningabi nacala.”
Verse 11: Ayeseshesha ukwehlisela phansi, kwaba yileyo naleyo isaka layo, yileyo naleyo yavula isaka layo.
Verse 12: Yanyalula, yaqala ngenkulu yagcina ngencane; indebe yatholwa esakeni likaBenjamini.
Verse 13: Ayeseklebhula izingubo zawo, yileyo naleyo yethwesa imbongolo yayo, abuyela emzini.
Verse 14: UJuda nabafowabo bafika endlini kaJosefa; wayesekhona lapho; bawa phansi phambi kwakhe.
Verse 15: UJosefa wayesethi kubo: “Isenzo sini lesi enisenzileyo na? Beningazi yini ukuthi umuntu onjengami angabhula nokubhula na?”
Verse 16: Wathi uJuda: “Sizakuthini enkosini yami na? Sizakukhulumani? Sizakuzihlanguza kanjani? UNkulunkulu ufumene ububi bezinceku zakho; bheka, siyizigqila zenkosi yami thina naye etholakele esandleni sakhe indebe.”
Verse 17: Wathi: “Makube kude kimi ukwenze njalo; umuntu etholakele esandleni sakhe indebe uyakuba yisigqila sami, kepha nina manihambe kahle, nenyuke, niye kuyihlo.”
Verse 18: UJuda wayesesondela kuye, ethi: “O nkosi yami, inceku yakho mayikhulume izwi ezindlebeni zenkosi yami, ungavuthi ulaka ngenceku yakho, ngokuba ungangoFaro wena.
Verse 19: Inkosi yami yabuza izinceku zayo, yathi: ‘Ninoyihlo, ninomfowenu, na?’
Verse 20: Sase sithi enkosini yami: ‘Sinobaba, ixhegu, nomntwana wobuxhegu bakhe omncane; umnewabo ufile, usesele yedwa kwabakanina; uyise uyamthanda.’
Verse 21: “Wawusuthi ezincekwini: ‘Mehliseni kimi ukuba ngimbone ngamehlo ami.’
Verse 22: Sathi enkosini: ‘Umfana akanakumshiya uyise; uma emshiya, uyise uzakufa.’
Verse 23: Wathi wena ezincekwini zakho: ‘Uma umfowenu omncane engehli nani, anisayikubuye nibone ubuso bami.’
Verse 24: Kwathi sesikhuphukele encekwini yakho ubaba, samlandisa amazwi enkosi.
Verse 25: “Wathi ubaba: ‘Buyelani, nisithengele ukudlana.’
Verse 26: Sathi thina: ‘Asinakwehla. Uma umfowethu omncane enathi, siyakwehla, ngokuba asinakubona ubuso balowo muntu, uma umfowethu omncane engenathi.’
Verse 27: “Yayisithi kithi inceku yakho ubaba: ‘Niyazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.
Verse 28: Enye yaphuma kimi; ngathi: Impela idatshuliwe nokudatshulwa; angiyiboni kuze kube manje.
Verse 29: Nanxa nithatha nalena, niyisuse kimi, yehlelwa yingozi, niyakwehlisela izimvi zami endaweni yabafileyo ngosizi.’
Verse 30: “Kalokhu nxa ngifika encekwini yakho ubaba, umfana engenathi, lokhu inhliziyo yakhe ibambelele enhliziyweni yomfana,
Verse 31: kuzakuthi lapho ebona ukuthi umfana akakho, afe, izinceku zakho zibe zehlisela endaweni yabafileyo izimvi zenceku yakho ubaba ngosizi.
Verse 32: Ngokuba inceku yakho yaba yisibambiso somfana kubaba, yathi: ‘Uma ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngiyakuba necala kubaba kuze kube phakade.’
Verse 33: “Ngalokho inceku yakho ake ihlale esikhundleni somfana, ibe yisigqila senkosi, umfana akhuphuke nabafowabo.
Verse 34: Ngokuba ngingakhuphukela kanjani kubaba, umfana engenami, funa ngibone okubi okuzakumehlela ubaba, na?”