Yoshuwa
24 Emva koko uYoshuwa waqokelela zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli eShekem, wabiza abadala bakwaSirayeli, iintloko, iijaji namagosa,+ baza bema phambi koThixo wokwenene. 2 UYoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: “UYehova uThixo kaSirayeli uthi, ‘Kudala, ookhokho benu, uTera utata ka-Abraham noNahore, babehlala ngaphesheya koMlambo,*+ bekhonza abanye oothixo.+
3 “‘Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndamthatha ukhokho wenu uAbraham+ ngaphesheya koMlambo, ndamhambisa lonke ilizwe lakwaKanan, ndayandisa nenzala* yakhe.+ Ndamnika uIsake,+ 4 uIsake ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu.+ Ethubeni uEsawu ndamnika iNtaba ISehire,+ waza uYakobi noonyana bakhe baya eYiputa.+ 5 Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndathuma uMoses noAron,+ ndayibetha ngezibetho iYiputa,+ ndaza ndanikhupha kuyo. 6 Xa ndakhupha ootata benu eYiputa+ naza neza elwandle, amaYiputa abaleqa ootata benu ngeenqwelo zokulwa namajoni akhwele amahashe ukuya kutsho kuLwandle Olubomvu.+ 7 Bakhala kuYehova,+ waza yena wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu namaYiputa, wawogquma ngamanzi olwandle.+ Nazibonela ngamehlo enu into endayenza eYiputa.+ Emva koko nahlala entlango iminyaka emininzi.*+
8 “‘Ndanizisa kwilizwe lama-Amori awayehleli ngaphesheya kweYordan,* aza wona alwa nani.+ Kodwa ndanenza nawoyisa ukuze nithathe ilizwe lawo, kwaye ndawatshabalalisa phambi kwenu.+ 9 Emva koko uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, walwa noSirayeli. Wabiza uBhileham unyana kaBhehore ukuze aniqalekise.+ 10 Kodwa andizange ndimmamele uBhileham.+ Ngoko wanisikelela kaninzi,+ ndaza ndanisindisa kuye.+
11 “‘Emva koko nawela iYordan,+ nafika eYeriko.+ Iinkokheli* zaseYeriko nama-Amori, amaPerizi, amaKanan, amaHiti, amaGirgashi, amaHivi namaYebhusi alwa nani, kodwa ndaninceda nawoyisa.+ 12 Ndawenza atyhafa* ningekafiki, ndawagxotha,+ kanye njengookumkani ababini bama-Amori. Naningancedwa likrele okanye sisaphetha senu.+ 13 Ngoko ndaninika ilizwe eningazange nilisebenzele nezixeko eningazange nizakhe,+ nahlala kuzo. Ngoku nitya iidiliya neminquma eningazange niyityale.’+
14 “Ngoko ke moyikeni uYehova nize nimkhonze ngokuthembeka* nimsulwa,+ nibasuse oothixo ababekhonzwa ngookhokho benu ngaphesheya koMlambo* naseYiputa,+ nize nikhonze uYehova. 15 Ukuba kubi kuni ukukhonza uYehova, zikhetheleni namhlanje ukuba ngubani eniza kumkhonza,+ enokuba ngoothixo ababekhonzwa ngookhokho benu ngaphesheya koMlambo*+ okanye oothixo bama-Amori enihleli kwilizwe lawo.+ Kodwa mna nendlu yam, siza kukhonza uYehova.”
16 Abantu baphendula bathi: “Asiyicingi nokuyicinga into yokushiya uYehova size sikhonze abanye oothixo. 17 NguYehova uThixo wethu owakhupha thina nootata bethu kwilizwe laseYiputa.+ Wasikhupha ebukhobokeni,+ wenza imimangaliso emikhulu phambi kwethu,+ esikhusela kuyo yonke indawo esasihamba kuyo nakwizizwana esasidlula kuzo.+ 18 UYehova wazigxotha zonke ezi zizwana, nkqu nama-Amori awayehlala apha ngaphambi kokuba sifike. Ngoko nathi, siza kukhonza uYehova kuba unguThixo wethu.”
19 UYoshuwa wathi ebantwini: “Aninakukwazi ukukhonza uYehova, kuba unguThixo ongcwele.+ UnguThixo ofuna kukhonzwe yena yedwa.+ Akazukunixolela xa nisona.*+ 20 Ukuba niyamshiya uYehova nize nikhonze oothixo bezinye iintlanga, naye uza kunijikela aze anitshabalalise emva kokuba enenzele izinto ezintle.”+
21 Kodwa abantu bathi kuYoshuwa: “Hayi, siza kukhonza uYehova thina!”+ 22 Ngoko uYoshuwa wathi ebantwini: “Ningamangqina okuba nizikhethele ngokwenu ukukhonza uYehova.”+ Nabo ke bathi: “Singawo.”
23 “Ngoko ke basuseni oothixo beentlanga abaphakathi kwenu, nize nikhonze uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli ngentliziyo yenu yonke.” 24 Abantu bathi kuYoshuwa: “Siza kumkhonza uYehova uThixo wethu, sithobele nelizwi lakhe!”
25 Ngoko ngaloo mini uYoshuwa wenza isivumelwano nabantu waza wasenza sangumthetho eShekem. 26 Emva koko uYoshuwa wawabhala la mazwi encwadini yoMthetho KaThixo+ waza wathatha ilitye elikhulu+ walibeka phantsi kwala mthi mkhulu ungakwindawo engcwele kaYehova.
27 UYoshuwa wathi ebantwini: “Niyabona! Eli litye liza kuba lingqina,+ kuba liyive yonke into uYehova ayithethileyo kuthi. Liza kuba lingqina ukuze ningamkhanyeli uThixo wenu.” 28 Emva koko wabakhulula abantu, ngamnye waya kwilifa lakhe.+
29 Emva kwezi zinto uYoshuwa unyana kaNun, umkhonzi kaYehova, wafa eneminyaka eyi-110.+ 30 Ngoko bamngcwabela kummandla olilifa lakhe eTimnati-sera,+ ekummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim, emntla weNtaba IGahashe. 31 AmaSirayeli aqhubeka emkhonza uYehova yonke imihla kaYoshuwa nakuyo yonke imihla yabadala abaqhubeka bephila emva koYoshuwa, nababezazi zonke izinto uYehova awayezenzele amaSirayeli.+
32 Amathambo kaYosefu,+ awemka nawo amaSirayeli eYiputa, angcwatywa eShekem kwintsimi eyayithengwe nguYakobi koonyana bakaHamore,+ utata kaShekem, ngamaqhosha emali ayi-100;+ kwaye loo ntsimi yaba lilifa loonyana bakaYosefu.+
33 NoEleyazare unyana ka-Aron wafa.+ Bamngcwaba kwiNduli KaFinehasi unyana wakhe,+ awayeyinikwe kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim.