Yoshuwa
8 Emva koko uYehova wathi kuYoshuwa: “Sukoyika okanye wothuke.+ Hamba namajoni, unyuke uyokulwa neAyi. Jonga, ndimnikele kuwe ukumkani waseAyi, abantu bakhe, isixeko sakhe nelizwe lakhe.+ 2 Yenzani kwiAyi nakukumkani wayo laa nto nayenza kwiYeriko nakukumkani wayo.+ Kodwa ke ningazithathela izinto ezikuyo nemfuyo. Silaleleni isixeko ngasemva.”
3 Ngoko uYoshuwa nawo onke amajoni bahamba bayokulwa neAyi. UYoshuwa wakhetha amakroti ayi-30 000, waza wawathumela ngobusuku. 4 Wawayalela wathi: “Mamelani ke, nimele nisilalele ngasemva isixeko. Nize ningabi kude kakhulu esixekweni, yaye nonke nimele nihlale nilungele ukuhlasela. 5 Mna kunye nabo bonke abantu abakunye nam siza kusondela esixekweni, yaye xa bephuma bezokulwa nathi njengakuqala,+ siza kubabaleka. 6 Xa besileqa siza kubatsalela kude esixekweni kuba baza kuthi, ‘Bayabaleka njengakuqala.’+ Ngoko siza kubaleka phambi kwabo. 7 Emva koko nize niphakame kuloo ndawo nilalele kuyo, nisihlasele isixeko; uYehova uThixo wenu uza kusinikela kuni. 8 Ngokukhawuleza nakuba nisithimbile nimele nisitshise.+ Nimele nenze yonke into uYehova ayithethileyo. Leyo ke yimiyalelo yam.”
9 Emva koko uYoshuwa wawathuma loo makroti, aya kwindawo awayeza kulalela kuyo; aya phakathi kweBheteli neAyi ngakwintshona yeAyi, ngoxa uYoshuwa wayekunye namajoni ashiyekileyo ngobo busuku.
10 Emva kokuba uYoshuwa evuke ekuseni waqokelela amajoni, yena nabadala bakwaSirayeli bawakhokela, baya eAyi. 11 Onke amajoni+ awayekunye naye enyuka aya ngaphambi kwesixeko. Ahlala ngasemantla eAyi, intlambo iphakathi kwawo neAyi. 12 Ngelo xesha, wayekhethe amajoni ayi-5 000 waza wawabeka phakathi kweBheteli+ neAyi, ngakwintshona yesixeko, ukuze alalele.+ 13 Ngoko amajoni angaphambili ahlala ngasemantla esixeko+ aza amajoni angasemva ahlala ngasentshona kwesixeko,+ yena uYoshuwa wahamba ngobo busuku wangena phakathi entlanjeni.
14 Uthe nje ukumkani waseAyi akuyibona le nto, yena namadoda akhe bakhawuleza baphuma ekuseni bayokuhlasela amaSirayeli kwenye indawo ejongene nentlango. Kodwa wayengazi ukuba kukho amajoni awayesilalele ngasemva eso sixeko. 15 Xa amadoda aseAyi ehlasela, uYoshuwa nawo onke amaSirayeli babaleka ngendlela eya entlango.+ 16 Emva koko onke amajoni awayesesixekweni kwathiwa mawabaleqe; yaye njengokuba ayemleqa uYoshuwa aya ebhekela esixekweni. 17 Akukho joni elashiyekayo eAyi naseBheteli, onke aleqa amaSirayeli. Ashiya isixeko singakhuselwanga aza aleqa amaSirayeli.
18 Ngoku uYehova wathi kuYoshuwa: “Khomba iAyi ngentshuntshe esesandleni sakho,+ kuba ndiza kuyinikela esandleni sakho.”+ Ngoko uYoshuwa wakhomba eso sixeko ngentshuntshe eyayisesandleni sakhe. 19 Uthe nje akusolula isandla sakhe, amajoni awayelalele aphakama, angena esixekweni aza asithimba. Akhawuleza asitshisa isixeko.+
20 Athe amadoda aseAyi akujonga ngasemva abona umsi unyukela esibhakabhakeni, awabi namandla okubalekela naphi na. Emva koko amajoni awayebalekela ngasentlango, ajika angqala ngqo kuloo madoda awayebaleqa. 21 Uthe uYoshuwa nawo onke amaSirayeli bakubona ukuba amajoni awayelalele isixeko asithimbile, baza babona nomsi unyuka kweso sixeko, bajika bawahlasela amadoda aseAyi. 22 Amanye amajoni aphuma esixekweni, abahlangabeza, amadoda aseAyi aba phakathi, yangamaSirayeli ngapha nangapha, aza awaxabela akwabikho mntu usindayo okanye ubalekayo.+ 23 Kodwa bambamba ukumkani waseAyi+ ephila, bamzisa kuYoshuwa.
24 Emva kokuba amaSirayeli egqibile ukubulala bonke abemi baseAyi ethafeni, kwintlango ababebaleqe bada bayokufika kuyo, yaye bonke bebulewe ngekrele, amaSirayeli abuyela eAyi aza abulala wonke umntu oshiyekileyo ngekrele. 25 Ngaloo mini kwabulawa bonke abantu baseAyi, kwabulawa abantu abayi-12 000, amadoda nabafazi. 26 UYoshuwa akazange ayeke ukusolula isandla sakhe esasinentshuntshe,+ de wabe ubatshabalalise bonke abemi baseAyi.+ 27 Kodwa ke amaSirayeli azithathela imfuyo nezinto zeso sixeko ngokomyalelo uYehova awayewunike uYoshuwa.+
28 Emva koko uYoshuwa wayitshisa iAyi waza wayishiya iyindulana yamabhodlo,+ njengokuba isenjalo nanamhlanje. 29 Wamxhoma esibondeni* ukumkani waseAyi yaye lathi xa liza kutshona ilanga uYoshuwa wathi masothulwe isidumbu sakhe esibondeni.+ Basijula ngasegeyithini yesixeko baza bafumba imfumba yamatye phezu kwaso, yaye loo mfumba iselapho nanamhlanje.
30 Emva koko uYoshuwa wamakhela isibingelelo uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, kwiNtaba Ye-Ebhali,+ 31 kanye njengokuba uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova wayewayalele amaSirayeli, nanjengokuba kubhaliwe encwadini yoMthetho+ kaMoses kwathiwa: “Isibingelelo samatye odwa ekungasetyenziswanga sixhobo santsimbi kuwo.”+ Kweso sibingelelo banikela imibingelelo etshiswayo kuYehova kunye nemibingelelo yobuhlobo.+
32 Emva koko uYoshuwa wakhuphela kuloo matye uMthetho,+ lowo uMoses wayewubhale phambi kwamaSirayeli.+ 33 Onke amaSirayeli, abadala, amagosa, nabagwebi babemi kuwo omabini amacala eTyeya phambi kwababingeleli abangabaLevi ababethwele ityeya yesivumelwano kaYehova. Abantu basemzini babelapho kunye namaSirayeli.+ Ihafu yabo yayimi phambi kweNtaba YeGerizim, enye ihafu imi phambi kweNtaba Ye-Ebhali+ (kanye njengokuba uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova wayeyalele),+ ukuze basikelelwe abantu bakwaSirayeli. 34 UYoshuwa wafunda ngokuvakalayo onke amazwi oMthetho,+ iintsikelelo+ neziqalekiso,+ njengokuba zibhalwe encwadini yoMthetho. 35 Akukho nalinye ilizwi kwawayalelwa nguMoses angazange alifunde uYoshuwa ngokuvakalayo phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lamaSirayeli,+ kuquka abafazi, abantwana nabantu basemzini+ ababehlala* namaSirayeli.+