Joshuwa

22 UJoshuwa wabe esebiza abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nohhafu wesizwe sakwaManase 2 wathi kubo: “Nikwenzile konke lokho uMose inceku kaJehova aniyala ngakho, + futhi nililalelile izwi lami kukho konke enginiyale ngakho. + 3 Anibashiyanga abafowenu sonke lesi sikhathi kuze kube namuhla; + futhi niwugcinile umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu. + 4 Manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu usebanike ukuphumula abafowenu, njengoba nje abathembisa. + Ngakho seningabuyela ematendeni enu ezweni uMose inceku kaJehova aninika lona ukuba libe ngelenu ngaphesheya* kweJordani. + 5 Kuphela nje niqikelele ukuba nigcine umyalo noMthetho uMose inceku kaJehova aninika wona, + ngokuthanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, + nihambe kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, + nigcine imiyalo yakhe, + ninamathele kuye + futhi nimkhonze + ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu nangawo wonke umphefumulo* wenu.” +

6 UJoshuwa wayesebabusisa, wabakhulula baya ematendeni abo. 7 UMose wayenike uhhafu wesizwe sakwaManase ifa eBhashani, + omunye uhhafu wesizwe uJoshuwa wawunika izwe ohlangothini olusentshonalanga yeJordani + kanye nabafowabo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho uJoshuwa ebakhulula ukuba baye ematendeni abo, wababusisa 8 wathi kubo: “Buyelani ematendeni enu nengcebo eningi, nemfuyo eningi, nesiliva negolide, nethusi nensimbi kanye nezingubo eziningi. + Thathani ingxenye yenu yempango + yezitha zenu kubafowenu.”

9 Ngemva kwalokho abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nohhafu wesizwe sakwaManase basuka kwamanye ama-Israyeli, eShilo, ezweni laseKhanani, babuyela kwaGileyadi, + izwe lefa labo ababehlala kulo ngokuvumelana nomyalo kaJehova ngoMose. + 10 Lapho befika eJordani ezweni laseKhanani, abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nohhafu wesizwe sakwaManase bakha i-altare lapho ngaseJordani, i-altare elikhulu elibabazekayo. 11 Kamuva amanye ama-Israyeli akuzwa lokho, + athi: “Bhekani! AbakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nohhafu wesizwe sakwaManase bakhe i-altare emngceleni wezwe laseKhanani eJordani endaweni yama-Israyeli.” 12 Lapho ama-Israyeli ezwa ngakho, yonke inhlangano yama-Israyeli yahlangana eShilo + ukuze iyolwa nabo.

13 Ngakho ama-Israyeli athumela uFinehasi + indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi kwabakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nakuhhafu wesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi, 14 ehamba nezikhulu eziyishumi, isikhulu esisodwa emndenini ngamunye kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli, ngasinye siyinhloko emndenini kayise futhi simelele izinkulungwane* zakwa-Israyeli. + 15 Lapho befika kwabakwaRubeni, kwabakwaGadi nakuhhafu wesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi, bathi kubo:

16 “Nakhu ekushoyo yonke inhlangano kaJehova: ‘Senzo sini lesi enisenzile sokungathembeki + kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli? Seniyekile manje ukulandela uJehova ngokuzakhela i-altare nangokudlubulunda kuJehova. + 17 Sasisincane yini isono esasenza ePheyori? Asikazihlanzi kuso kuze kube namuhla, nakuba inhlangano kaJehova yabhuqwa ngesifo. + 18 Nina seniyayeka manje ukulandela uJehova! Uma nidlubulunda namuhla kuJehova, kusasa uzothukuthelela yonke inhlangano ka-Israyeli. + 19 Uma kuwukuthi izwe eliyifa lenu lingcolile, welelani ezweni lefa likaJehova + lapho kuhlala khona itabernakele likaJehova, + nihlale nathi, kodwa ningadlubulundi kuJehova futhi ningasenzi izidlubulundi ngokuzakhela elinye i-altare libe likhona i-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu. + 20 Ngesikhathi u-Akhani + indodana kaZera enza ngokungathembeki ngokuphathelene nento okwakufanele ibhujiswe, intukuthelo ayehlelanga yini yonke inhlangano ka-Israyeli? + Akuyena yedwa owafa ngenxa yesono sakhe.’” +

21 Lapho bezwa lokhu, abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi nohhafu wesizwe sakwaManase baphendula izinhloko zezinkulungwane* zakwa-Israyeli bathi: + 22 “UNkulunkulu Onamandla, uJehova! UNkulunkulu Onamandla, uJehova! + Yena uyazi, no-Israyeli uzokwazi. Jehova, uma sidlubulundile futhi singathembekanga kuwe, ungasiyeki namuhla. 23 Uma sizakhele i-altare ukuze siyeke ukulandela uJehova nokuba sinikele kulo iminikelo yokushiswa, iminikelo yokudla okusanhlamvu nemihlatshelo yenhlanganyelo, uJehova uzosijezisa. + 24 Leli altare silakhe ngoba besikhathazeke ngokuthi ngelinye ilanga amadodana enu ayothi emadodaneni ethu: “Nilithathaphi ilungelo lokukhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli kanye nathi?* 25 UJehova ubeke iJordani njengomngcele phakathi kwethu nani, abakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi. Akukho okunihlanganisa noJehova.” Amadodana enu ayovimba amadodana ethu ekukhonzeni* uJehova.

26 “Ngakho sithe, ‘Masizakheleni i-altare, kungabi elomnikelo wokushiswa noma elomhlatshelo, 27 kodwa libe ubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani + nenzalo yethu* bokuthi siyokwenza inkonzo kaJehova phambi kwakhe ngeminikelo yethu eshiswayo, ngemihlatshelo nangemihlatshelo yethu ehlanganyelwayo, + ukuze ngelinye ilanga amadodana enu angathi emadodaneni ethu: “Akukho okunihlanganisa noJehova.”’ 28 Ngakho sithe, ‘Uma kwenzeka ngelinye ilanga besho lokho kithi nasenzalweni yethu,* siyothi: “Bhekani i-altare elenziwa obaba bethu elifana ne-altare likaJehova, kungelona eleminikelo eshiswayo noma imihlatshelo, kodwa ukuze libe ubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani.”’ 29 Kuyinto esingenakuyicabanga ukudlubulunda kuJehova nokuba siyeke namuhla ukulandela uJehova + ngokwakha i-altare leminikelo eshiswayo, iminikelo yokudla okusanhlamvu nemihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwe-altare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwetabernakele lakhe!” +

30 Lapho uFinehasi umpristi, izikhulu zenhlangano nezinhloko zezinkulungwane* zakwa-Israyeli ezazikanye naye bezwa amazwi ayeshiwo inzalo kaRubeni, kaGadi nekaManase, baneliseka. + 31 Ngakho uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi wathi enzalweni kaRubeni, kaGadi nekaManase: “Namuhla siyazi ukuthi uJehova uphakathi kwethu, ngoba anisenzanga lesi senzo sokungathembeki kuJehova. Manje niwasindisile ama-Israyeli esandleni sikaJehova.”

32 Ngemva kwalokho uFinehasi indodana ka-Eleyazare umpristi nezikhulu babuya kwabakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi ezweni lakwaGileyadi babuyela ezweni laseKhanani, babuyisela impendulo kwamanye ama-Israyeli. 33 Ama-Israyeli aneliseka ngalowo mbiko. Ama-Israyeli abe esedumisa uNkulunkulu, awazange esasho lutho ngokuyolwa nabakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi ukuze abhubhise izwe ababehlala kulo.

34 Ngakho abakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi baliqamba igama leli altare,* ngoba “liwufakazi phakathi kwethu bokuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso.”