UJoshuwa 8:1-35
8 UJehova wasesithi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi futhi ungatshaywa luvalo.+ Thatha amabutho wonke uyehlasela i-Ayi. Sengiyinikele esandleni sakho inkosi yase-Ayi labantu bayo ledolobho layo kanye lelizwe layo.+
2 Owakwenza eJerikho lasenkosini yayo+ kwenze lase-Ayi lasenkosini yayo. Kodwa impahla lezifuyo elizazithola e-Ayi lingazithathela zona zibe ngezenu. Kumele uthume amanye amabutho ayecathama ngemva kwedolobho.”
3 UJoshuwa wasuka lawo wonke amabutho akhe esiyahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho angu-30 000 alamandla wasewathuma ebusuku.
4 Wawatshela wathi: “Lifike licathame ngemva kwedolobho kodwa lingabi khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale lilungele ukuhlasela.
5 Mina lamabutho engilawo sizaqonda edolobheni. Nxa bengaphuma bezosihlasela njengakuqala+ sizabaleka sibuyele emuva.
6 Bazasixotshanisa becabanga ukuthi sesibaleka njengakuqala.+ Kodwa thina sizabuyela emuva sisenzela ukubadonsela khatshana ledolobho labo.
7 Lina-ke lizaphuma lapho elicathame khona lihlasele idolobho lilithumbe. UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzakwenza ukuthi lilinqobe.
8 Nxa lingalithumba idolobho kumele lihle lilithungele ngomlilo.+ Kumele lenze konke uJehova akukhulumileyo. Sengilitshelile okumele likwenze.”
9 UJoshuwa wasewakhipha amabutho la, aya lapho ayezacathama khona. Afika acathama endaweni ephakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga kwe-Ayi. UJoshuwa lamanye amabutho bona basala lapho ababekhona, balala khona.
10 UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu waqoqa amabutho. Wasuka labadala bako-Israyeli bakhokhela amabutho besiya e-Ayi.
11 Wonke amabutho+ ayeloJoshuwa ahamba aze ayafika phambi kwedolobho le-Ayi njalo afika amisa inkamba yawo enyakatho ye-Ayi. Inkamba yawo ledolobho le-Ayi kwakwehlukaniswe yisigodi.
12 UJoshuwa wayethume amanye amabutho angaba ngu-5 000 ukuthi ayecathama+ phakathi kweBhetheli+ le-Ayi, entshonalanga kwedolobho.
13 Amabutho ayeloJoshuwa wona amisa inkamba yawo enyakatho kwedolobho,+ kwasekusithi amanye acathama entshonalanga kwedolobho.+ Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa wehlela esigodini.
14 Inkosi yase-Ayi yathi ikubona lokhu yahle yaphuma ekuseni kakhulu ilamadoda edolobho layo ukuze iyedibana labako-Israyeli endaweni ekhangelane lenkangala. Yayingakwazi ukuthi kwakulamabutho ayecatheme ngemva kwedolobho.
15 Kwathi amadoda ase-Ayi esehlasela, uJoshuwa labo bonke abako-Israyeli babaleka ngendlela eqonda enkangala.+
16 Kwabizwa wonke amadoda ayesedolobheni ukuthi axotshanise uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli. Abaxotshanisa aze acina esekhatshana ledolobho lawo.
17 Akusalanga lendoda eyodwa e-Ayi leBhetheli. Wonke aphuma axotshanisa abako-Israyeli, atshiya amagedi edolobho ekhamisile.
18 UJehova wasesithi kuJoshuwa: “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni* sakho ukhombele i-Ayi+ ngoba ngizayinikela esandleni sakho.”+ Ngakho uJoshuwa waphakamisa umkhonto wakhe wakhombela idolobho le-Ayi.
19 Wathi ewuphakamisa nje, amabutho ayecatshile aphuma lapho ayekhona aqonda edolobheni alithumba. Masinyane nje ayeselithungele ngomlilo.+
20 Amadoda ase-Ayi athi enyemukula abona intuthu iqonga isiya phezulu idolobho selisitsha, aphela amandla aswela lokuthi abalekele ngaphi. Amabutho ako-Israyeli ayebalekela enkangala aphenduka awahlasela.
21 Kwathi uJoshuwa labo bonke ayelabo bebona intuthu yedolobho iqonga isiya phezulu bahle bakwazi ukuthi amabutho abo ayeselithumbile idolobho, basebetshibilika bahlasela amadoda ase-Ayi.
22 Amanye amabutho ayesedolobheni aphuma abahlangabeza. Amadoda ase-Ayi ayesephakathi laphakathi, abako-Israyeli sebewavimbezele ngapha langapha. Bawabulala wonke, akuphunyukanga loyedwa.+
23 Kodwa inkosi yase-Ayi+ bayibamba bayiletha kuJoshuwa iphila.
24 Ama-Israyeli athi esebabulele ngenkemba bonke abantu base-Ayi ababebalandele enkangala, abuyela wonke e-Ayi afika abulala wonke umuntu ngenkemba.
25 Ngalelolanga kwafa bonke abantu base-Ayi. Babengu-12 000, kungamadoda labesifazana.
26 UJoshuwa waqhubeka ephakamise umkhonto*+ ngesandla sakhe kwaze kwabulawa+ wonke umuntu wase-Ayi.
27 Abako-Israyeli bazithathela izifuyo lempahla eyayise-Ayi njengoba nje uJehova wayetshilo kuJoshuwa.+
28 UJoshuwa wayilobisa ngomlilo i-Ayi yasala iyinqwaba yamatshe.+ Lalamuhla ilokhu injalo.
29 Walengisa inkosi yase-Ayi esigodweni* kwaze kwaba ntambama. Ilanga lithe selisiyatshona, wathi isidumbu sayo sethulwe esigodweni.+ Basithwala bayasilahlela egedini ledolobho, basebebuthelela inqwaba yamatshe phezu kwaso. Lalamuhla amatshe la alokhu ekhona.
30 UJoshuwa wasesakhela uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli i-alithare entabeni i-Ebhali.+
31 Lokhu yikho uMosi inceku kaJehova ayekutshele abako-Israyeli futhi kubhaliwe eMthethweni+ kaMosi, ukuthi: “Yenza i-alithare ngamatshe angathintwanga ngethuluzi lensimbi.”+ Banikela kuJehova iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo, benza lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano.+
32 UJoshuwa wasebhala ematsheni amazwi oMthetho+ afanana lalawo uMosi ayewabhale phambi kwabako-Israyeli.+
33 Bonke abantu bako-Israyeli+ labezinye izizwe, labadala, labaphathi, labahluleli bama baphahla ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova, bekhangelene labaphristi abangamaLevi ababelithwele. Abanye babemi* phambi kwentaba iGerizimu, abanye bephambi* kwentaba i-Ebhali+ (njengoba nje uMosi inceku kaJehova wayetshilo).+ Abantu bako-Israyeli benza lokho ukuze babusiswe.
34 Ngemva kwalokho uJoshuwa wawabala ngelizwi eliphezulu wonke amazwi oMthetho.+ Wabala izibusiso+ leziqalekiso+ njengoba zazinjalo ebhukwini loMthetho.
35 Wabalela phezulu wonke amazwi uMosi ayewatshele abantu futhi wawabala phambi kwabantu bonke bako-Israyeli.+ Abesifazana labo babekhona labantwana kanye labantu bezinye izizwe+ ababehlala phakathi kwabako-Israyeli.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ijavelini esesandleni.”
^ Kumbe, “ijavelini.”
^ Kumbe, “esihlahleni.”
^ Kumbe, “Enye ingxenye yayimi.”
^ Kumbe, “enye iphambi.”
