Joshuwa
9 Ngesikhatsi onkhe emakhosi labehlala enshonalanga yeJordane+ eva ngaloku lebekwentekile, lawo labesesifundzeni setintsaba, eShefela, ngakulo lonkhe lugu lweLwandle Lolukhulu,*+ kanye nasembikweLebanoni, lokungemaHethi, ema-Amori, emaKhenani, emaPheresi, emaHivi kanye nemaJebhusi,+ 2 enta sivumelwane kute alwe naJoshuwa kanye nema-Israyeli.+
3 Bantfu labahlala eGibeyoni+ nabo beva ngaloko Joshuwa labekwente eJerikho+ nase-Ayi.+ 4 Ngako benta ngekuhlakanipha, batsatsa imiphako bayifaka emasakeni ladzabukile base bayitfwalisa timbongolo tabo, baphatsa netigubhu tesikhumba tekufaka liwayini lebetigugile, tibhubukile futsi tachitjelwa. 5 Bebafake tincabule letigugile naletichitjelwe, bagcoka netimphahla letidzabukile. Sonkhe sinkhwa lesasikulomphako wabo sasomile futsi siphushuka. 6 Ngemuva kwaloko baya kuJoshuwa endzaweni lebekahlala kuyo leyayiseGilgali,+ bakhuluma naye nemadvodza aka-Israyeli batsi: “Sisuka eveni lelikhashane. Ngako sicela nente sivumelwane natsi.” 7 Kodvwa emadvodza aka-Israyeli atsi kulamaHivi:+ “Mhlawumbe nje nakhelene natsi, manje singasenta njani sivumelwane nani?”+ 8 Aphendvula Joshuwa atsi: “Tsine sitinceku* takho.”
Joshuwa wabese utsi kuwo: “Nibobani nine futsi nichamuka kuphi?” 9 Wona atsi kuye: “Tinceku takho tichamuka eveni lelikhashane kakhulu+ ngobe tihlonipha libito laJehova Nkulunkulu wakho, futsi tivile ngeludvumo lwakhe nangako konkhe lakwenta eGibhithe,+ 10 kanye nangako konkhe lakwenta emakhosini lamabili ema-Amori lebekahlala ngale* kweJordane, lokunguSihoni inkhosi+ yaseHeshboni na-Ogi inkhosi+ yaseBhashani, lobekahlala e-Ashtarothe. 11 Ngako emadvodza lamadzala aseveni letfu nabo bonkhe bantfu labahlala kulo batse kitsi: ‘Tsatsani imiphako lenitayidzinga endleleni, nihambe niyohlangabeta ema-Israyeli. Nibotsi kuwo: “Tsine sitawuba tinceku tenu,+ ngako sicela nente sivumelwane natsi.”’+ 12 Lesinkhwa lebesingumphako wetfu besishisa ngalelilanga sisuka emakhaya etfu sita lapha kini. Nyalo niyasibona kutsi sesomile futsi sesiyaphushuka.+ 13 Naletigubhu tesikhumba betitinsha ngalesikhatsi sitigcwalisa, kodvwa nyalo setibhubukile.+ Timphahla kanye netincabule tetfu setigugile ngenca yendlela lendze lesiyihambile.”
14 Nakeva loku, lamadvodza aka-Israyeli atsatsa lokunye lobekungumphako webaseGibeyoni akuhlolisisa, kodvwa akazange abute kuJehova.+ 15 Ngako Joshuwa wenta sivumelwane sekuthula nabo+ kuze bachubeke baphila, futsi nguloko nebaholi balesive labakufunga kubo.+
16 Kwatsi nasekwendlule emalanga lamatsatfu bente lesifungo nabo, beva kutsi laba baseGibeyoni bakhelene nabo, futsi babomakhelwane babo. 17 Ngalo lelolanga lesitsatfu, ema-Israyeli abese ayaphuma aya emadolobheni abo. Lamadolobha bekuyiGibeyoni,+ iKhefira, iBherothi neKhiriyathi-jeyarimu.+ 18 Kodvwa ema-Israyeli akazange abahlasele, ngobe baholi balesive bebafunge kubo ngaJehova+ Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli. Ngako onkhe ema-Israyeli acala kukhonona ngalabaholi. 19 Ngaleso sizatfu, bonkhe labaholi bakhuluma naso sonkhe lesive batsi: “Ngenca yekutsi sifunge kubo ngaJehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, asikavumeleki kutsi sibabulale. 20 Naku lesitakwenta: Sitawubayekela baphile kuze Nkulunkulu angasitfukutseleli ngenca yalesifungo lesisente kubo.”+ 21 Njengobe labaholi bebetsembise baseGibeyoni, bengeta batsi: “Abachubeke baphila, kodvwa batawutfotela sonkhe lesive tinkhuni futsi basikhele emanti.”
22 Joshuwa wababita wase utsi kubo: “Nisiyengeleni natsi: ‘Sisuka endzaweni lekhashane kakhulu nani,’ kantsi nihlala khona lapha edvute natsi?+ 23 Kusukela nyalo senicalekisiwe.+ Nitawuba tigcili letitawutfota tinkhuni futsi nikhe nemanti endlu yaNkulunkulu wami.” 24 Bamphendvula batsi: “Kungobe tinceku takho tachazelwa kahle kutsi Jehova Nkulunkulu wenu watjela Mosi inceku yakhe kutsi aninike lonkhe lelive futsi acotfule embikwenu bonkhe bantfu labahlala kulo.+ Ngako besesaba kulahlekelwa kuphila kwetfu ngenca yenu,+ kungako-ke sente loku.+ 25 Nyalo sitinikela esandleni senu. Yentani kitsi loko lenikubona kukuhle futsi kulungile.” 26 Nguloko-ke Joshuwa lakwenta kubo, wabasindzisa esandleni sema-Israyeli futsi awazange ababulale. 27 Kodvwa ngalelolanga Joshuwa wabaniketa umsebenti wekutfota tinkhuni newekukha emanti labetawusetjentiswa ngema-Israyeli+ nalabetawusetjentiswa e-al’thare laJehova, kulendzawo Yena labetayikhetsa.+ Nalamuhla basachubeka benta lowo msebenti.+