Yoshuwa
22 Emva koko uYoshuwa wabiza amaRubhen, amaGadi nehafu yesizwe sakwaManase 2 waza wathi kubo: “Niyenzile yonke into awayeniyalele yona uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova,+ yaye nilithobele ilizwi lam kuyo yonke into endiniyalele yona.+ 3 Khange nibalahle abantakwenu de kwanamhlanje,+ yaye niye nawuthobela umyalelo kaYehova uThixo wenu.+ 4 Ngoku uYehova uThixo wenu uye wabaphumza abantakwenu njengoko wayebathembisile.+ Ningabuyela ke ezintenteni zenu kwilizwe uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova awaninika lona kwelinye icala* leYordan.+ 5 Kufuneka nje niqiniseke ukuba niyawuthobela umyalelo noMthetho awaninika wona uMoses umkhonzi kaYehova,+ ngokuthi nimthande uYehova uThixo wenu,+ nihambe ngazo zonke iindlela zakhe,+ nithobele imiyalelo yakhe,+ nithi nca kuye+ nize nimkhonze+ ngentliziyo yenu yonke nangomphefumlo wenu wonke.”*+
6 Ngoko uYoshuwa wabasikelela waza wabakhulula bahamba baya ezintenteni zabo. 7 UMoses wayenike ihafu yesizwe sakwaManase umhlaba eBhashan,+ waza uYoshuwa wanika enye ihafu yeso sizwe umhlaba kwicala elingasentshona kweYordan,+ kunye namanye amaSirayeli. Ngaphezu koko, xa uYoshuwa wayebakhulula ukuba baye ezintenteni zabo, wabasikelela 8 waza wathi: “Buyelani ezintenteni zenu nobutyebi obuninzi, imfuyo eninzi, isilivere negolide, ikopolo nentsimbi kunye neempahla ezininzi kakhulu.+ Thathani izinto enizoxuthe+ kwiintshaba zenu, nahlulelane nabantakwenu.”
9 Emva koko amaRubhen, amaGadi, nehafu yesizwe sakwaManase bawashiya amanye amaSirayeli, bemka eShilo, kwilizwe lakwaKanan, baza babuyela kumhlaba waseGiliyadi,+ umhlaba olilifa labo, abahlala kuwo njengokuba uYehova wayebayalele ngoMoses.+ 10 Ukufika kwabo kwingingqi yaseYordan ekumhlaba wakwaKanan, amaRubhen, amaGadi nehafu yesizwe sakwaManase bakha isibingelelo apho ngaseYordan, isibingelelo esikhulu nesithi ndijonge. 11 Kamva amanye amaSirayeli eva kusithiwa:+ “Jongani! AmaRubhen, amaGadi nehafu yesizwe sakwaManase baye bakha isibingelelo kumda womhlaba wakwaKanan, kwingingqi yaseYordan ekwicala lamaSirayeli.” 12 Xa amaSirayeli ayivayo loo nto, lonke ibandla lamaSirayeli lahlanganisana eShilo+ ukuze liyokulwa nabo.
13 Ngoko amaSirayeli athumela uFinehasi+ unyana kaEleyazare umbingeleli kumaRubhen, kumaGadi nakwihafu yesizwe sakwaManase, kwilizwe laseGiliyadi, 14 ibe wayehamba neenkosi ezilishumi, nganye iyintloko yendlu kwisizwe ngasinye sakwaSirayeli, nganye iyintloko yendlu phakathi kwamawaka akwaSirayeli.*+ 15 Ukufika kwabo kumaRubhen, kumaGadi nakwihafu yesizwe sakwaManase kwilizwe laseGiliyadi, bathi:
16 “Ibandla likaYehova lithi: ‘Kutheni niye anathembeka+ kuThixo kaSirayeli ngale nto niyenzileyo? Namhlanje niye nayeka ukumlandela uYehova ngokuthi nakhe isibingelelo naza anamthobela uYehova.+ 17 Asanelanga na isono esasenza ePehore? Ibandla likaYehova lohlwaywa ngeso sono kodwa sisanyamezele imiphumo yaso nanamhlanje.+ 18 Nisithatha phi ke isibindi sokungamthobeli uYehova namhlanje? Xa ningamthobeli uYehova namhlanje, ngomso uza kuba nomsindo ngenxa yalo lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli.+ 19 Ukuba nicinga ukuba alicocekanga ilizwe lenu, welani niye kwilizwe elililifa likaYehova,+ apho ikhoyo intente engcwele kaYehova+ nize nihlale nathi, kodwa sanukungamthobeli uYehova, sanukusenza abantu abangathobeliyo ngokuzakhela isibingelelo ekubeni sikhona isibingelelo sikaYehova uThixo wethu.+ 20 Xa uAkan+ unyana kaZera engazange athembeke ngezinto ezazifanele zitshatyalaliswe, ngaba uThixo akazange aqumbele lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli?+ Ibe ke akuzange kufe yena yedwa ngenxa yesono sakhe.’”+
21 AmaRubhen, amaGadi nehafu yesizwe sakwaManase baziphendula iintloko zamawaka akwaSirayeli* bathi:+ 22 “UThixo woothixo, uYehova! UThixo woothixo, uYehova!+ Uyayazi ukuba siyenzele ntoni le nto, yaye namaSirayeli aza kuyazi. Ukuba siye asamthobela yaye khange sithembeke kuYehova, kwanga uThixo angangasisindisi namhlanje. 23 Ukuba esi sibingelelo sisakhe kuba sifuna ukumshiya uYehova, nokuze senze iminikelo etshiswayo, iminikelo yokutya nemibingelelo yobuhlobo, uYehova uza kusohlwaya ngokwakhe.+ 24 Kodwa le nto siyenze kuba besinexhala, sisithi, ‘Ngenye imini oonyana benu baza kuthi koonyana bethu: “Yintoni enidibanisa noYehova uThixo kaSirayeli? 25 UYehova wenze iYordan yangumda osahlulayo thina nani maRubhen namaGadi. Akukho nto inidibanisa noYehova.” Yaye oonyana benu baza kubayekisa oonyana bethu ukukhonza* uYehova.’
26 “Siye sathi ke, ‘Masizakheleni isibingelelo, singabi seseminikelo etshiswayo okanye imibingelelo, 27 kodwa sibe bubungqina phakathi kwenu nathi+ nenzala yethu, bokuba siza kumkhonza uYehova ngeminikelo yethu etshiswayo, ngemibingelelo yethu nangemibingelelo yethu yobuhlobo,+ ukuze oonyana benu bangathi koonyana bethu ngenye imini: “Akukho nto inidibanisa noYehova.”’ 28 Ngoko siye sathi, ‘Ukuba ngenye imini bangaze bathethe loo nto kuthi nakwinzala yethu, siza kuthi: “Jongani isibingelelo esenziwa ngookhokho bethu, esifana nesibingelelo sikaYehova. Babengasenzeli iminikelo etshiswayo okanye imibingelelo, kodwa ukuze sibe bubungqina phakathi kwenu nathi.”’ 29 Asiyicingi nokuyicinga into yokungamthobeli uYehova nokumshiya uYehova+ ngokuthi sakhe isibingelelo seminikelo etshiswayo, iminikelo yokutya nemibingelelo, ekubeni sikhona isibingelelo sikaYehova uThixo wethu phambi kwentente yakhe engcwele!”+
30 Xa uFinehasi umbingeleli neenkokheli zebandla eziziintloko zamawaka akwaSirayeli bawevayo amazwi awathethwa yinzala kaRubhen, ekaGadi nekaManase, baneliseka.+ 31 Ngoko uFinehasi unyana kaEleyazare umbingeleli wathi kwinzala kaRubhen, ekaGadi nekaManase: “Namhlanje siyayazi ukuba uYehova uphakathi kwethu, kuba khange ningathembeki kuYehova. Niwasindisile amaSirayeli esandleni sikaYehova.”
32 Emva koko uFinehasi unyana kaEleyazare umbingeleli neenkosi babuya kumaRubhen nakumaGadi elizweni laseGiliyadi, baya kwilizwe lakwaKanan, besiza nempendulo kwamanye amaSirayeli. 33 AmaSirayeli aneliseka yiloo mpendulo. Emva koko amdumisa uThixo aza akaphinda athethe ngokuyokulwa namaRubhen namaGadi nangokutshabalalisa ilizwe awayehlala kulo.
34 Ngoko amaRubhen namaGadi asithiya igama eso sibingelelo,* kuba ayesithi “sibubungqina kuthi bokuba uYehova nguThixo wokwenene.”