Joshuwa

8 UJehova wabe esethi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi noma wethuke. + Thatha lonke ibutho lempi, ukhuphuke uyokulwa ne-Ayi. Bheka, nginikele kuwe inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobha layo nezwe layo. + 2 Njengoba nje wenzile eJeriko nasenkosini yalo, + kumele wenze okufanayo e-Ayi nasenkosini yalo, kodwa ningazithathela impango nemfuyo yakhona. Beka abazocutha ngemva kwedolobha.”

3 Ngakho uJoshuwa nalo lonke ibutho lempi bakhuphuka bayokulwa ne-Ayi. UJoshuwa wakhetha amaqhawe anamandla angu-30 000, wawahambisa ebusuku. 4 Wawayala, wathi: “Kufanele nicashe ngemva kwedolobha. Ningabi kude kakhulu nedolobha, futhi nonke kufanele nime ngomumo. 5 Mina nabo bonke abantu abakanye nami sizoqonda edolobheni, lapho bephuma bezokulwa nathi njengasekuqaleni, + sizobabalekela. 6 Lapho besijaha sizobaholela kude nedolobha, ngoba bazothi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengasekuqaleni.’ + Thina, sizobabalekela. 7 Nina niyobe senivuka endaweni enizifihle kuyo bese nilithatha idolobha; uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzolinikela kini. 8 Lapho nje senilithathile idolobha, kufanele nilishise ngomlilo. + Kufanele nenze ngokuvumelana nezwi likaJehova. Bhekani, nginiyalile.”

9 Ngemva kwalokho uJoshuwa wabadedela bahamba baya endaweni ababezocasha kuyo; bafike bahlala phakathi kweBhethele ne-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi, kuyilapho uJoshuwa ehleli nelinye ibutho lempi ngalobo busuku.

10 UJoshuwa wavuka kusesekuseni waqoqela ndawonye* ibutho, ngemva kwalokho yena namadoda amadala akwa-Israyeli balihola baya nalo e-Ayi. 11 Lonke ibutho lempi + elalikanye naye lakhuphuka, laqonda edolobheni. Lakanisa enyakatho ye-Ayi, kukhona isigodi phakathi kwalo ne-Ayi. 12 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, wayethathe amadoda angaba ngu-5 000 wawathuma ukuba ayocasha + phakathi kweBhethele + ne-Ayi, entshonalanga yedolobha. 13 Ngakho abantu abaningi bakanisa enyakatho yedolobha, + kwathi ibutho elalicashile laba sentshonalanga yedolobha, + futhi ngalobo busuku uJoshuwa waya maphakathi nesigodi.*

14 Lapho nje inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokho, yona namadoda edolobha baphuma ngokushesha kusesekuseni bayolwa no-Israyeli phambi kwethafa eliwugwadule. Kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kwakukhona ababecashe ngemva kwedolobha ukuze bayihlasele. 15 Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ehlasela, uJoshuwa nawo wonke u-Israyeli babaleka ngomgwaqo oya ngasehlane. + 16 Bonke abantu ababesedolobheni babizwa ukuze babajahe; njengoba babejaha uJoshuwa baqhela edolobheni. 17 Akukho neyodwa indoda e-Ayi naseBhethele engaphumanga ukuyojaha u-Israyeli. Bashiya isango ledolobha livuleke gengelezi, bajaha u-Israyeli.

18 UJehova wabe esethi kuJoshuwa: “Yelulela umkhonto osesandleni sakho ukhombe ngase-Ayi, + ngoba ngizolinikela esandleni sakho.” + Ngakho uJoshuwa welulela umkhonto owawusesandleni sakhe ngasedolobheni. 19 Lapho nje elula isandla sakhe, ababecashile bavuka ngokushesha endaweni ababecashe kuyo, bagijimela edolobheni balithatha. Bafike bathungela idolobha ngomlilo ngokushesha. +

20 Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ephenduka ebheka emuva, abona intuthu yokusha kwedolobha yenyukela esibhakabhakeni futhi akukho lapho akwazi ukubalekela khona. Abantu ababebalekela ehlane babe sebejika bephendukela kulabo ababebajaha. 21 Lapho uJoshuwa nawo wonke ama-Israyeli bebona ukuthi abantu ababecuthele idolobha base belithathile, bebona nokwenyuka kwentuthu yokusha kwedolobha, baphenduka bawahlasela amadoda ase-Ayi. 22 Labo ababecuthile baphuma edolobheni ukuze bawahlasele, okwenza amadoda ase-Ayi avaleleka phakathi nendawo, kukhona ama-Israyeli kulolu hlangothi namanye kuloluya hlangothi, bawabulala kwangasinda ngisho noyedwa futhi akekho owaphunyuka. + 23 Kodwa inkosi yase-Ayi + bayibamba iphila bayiletha kuJoshuwa.

24 Ngemva kokuba ama-Israyeli esebabulale bonke abase-Ayi ababengaphandle kwedolobha, ehlane ababebajaha kulo, futhi bonke sebebulawe ngenkemba, wonke ama-Israyeli abuyela e-Ayi aliqothula ngenkemba. 25 Bonke abantu base-Ayi abafa ngalolo suku, kusukela kowesilisa kuya kowesifazane, babengu-12 000. 26 UJoshuwa akasehlisanga isandla sakhe esasiphethe umkhonto ayeselulile + kwaze kwaba yilapho esebabhubhise bonke abase-Ayi. + 27 Nokho, ama-Israyeli azithathela imfuyo nempango yalelo dolobha, ngokuvumelana neziyalezo uJehova ayezinike uJoshuwa. +

28 Ngemva kwalokho uJoshuwa walishisa i-Ayi laphenduka indunduma yamanxiwa, + esekhona kuze kube namuhla. 29 Inkosi yase-Ayi wayilengisa esigxotsheni* kwaze kwaba ntambama, kwathi lapho ilanga selizoshona uJoshuwa wayala ukuba isidumbu sayo sehliswe esigxotsheni. + Ngemva kwalokho, basiphonsa esangweni ledolobha, base bebeka inqwaba enkulu yamatshe phezu kwaso, esekhona kuze kube namuhla.

30 Yingaleso sikhathi lapho uJoshuwa amakhela khona i-altare uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, eNtabeni i-Ebhali, + 31 njengoba nje uMose inceku kaJehova ayewayalile ama-Israyeli nanjengoba kulotshiwe encwadini yoMthetho + KaMose, ukuthi: “Kube yi-altare lamatshe aphelele, angazange aqheshulwe ngethuluzi lensimbi.” + Banikela kuJehova iminikelo eshiswayo phezu kwalo benza nemihlatshelo ehlanganyelwayo. +

32 UJoshuwa wabe esebhala lapho ematsheni ikhophi yoMthetho + uMose ayewulobe phambi kwama-Israyeli. + 33 Wonke ama-Israyeli, amadoda amadala, izikhulu nabahluleli bawo ayemi ngapha nangapha koMphongolo phambi kwabapristi abangamaLevi ababethwele umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova. Kwakukhona izifiki kanye nabokuzalwa. + Ingxenye yabo yayimi phambi kweNtaba iGerizimu, enye ingxenye imi phambi kweNtaba i-Ebhali + (njengoba nje uMose inceku kaJehova ayeyalile ngaphambili). + Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babezobusiswa ngale ndlela. 34 Ngemva kwalokho uJoshuwa wawafunda ngokuzwakalayo wonke amazwi oMthetho, + izibusiso + neziqalekiso, + ngokuvumelana nakho konke okulotshwe encwadini yoMthetho. 35 Akubanga khona ngisho nelilodwa izwi kuwo wonke uMose ayeyale ngawo uJoshuwa angazange alifunde ngokuzwakalayo phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lika-Israyeli, + kuhlanganise nabesifazane nezingane nezifiki + ezaziphila nabo. *+