UHLAZIYO-MNQOPHISO 1

₁Le yintetho uMosis awayibhekisayo kumaSirayeli xa ayesentlango phesheya kweJordan kwicala lasempumalanga. Babekwintili yeJordan ngaseSufi, phakathi kweParan nezi dolophu: iTofele, iLabhan, iHazeroti, neDizahabhi. ₂Luhambo lweshumi elinanye lweentsuku ukusuka kwintaba iHorebhe ukuya eKadeshe-bhaneya xa udlula kweleentaba lase-Edom. ₃Ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yeshumi elinanye yonyaka wamashumi amane amaSirayeli aphumayo eJiputa, uMosis wawaxelela zonke izinto awayeziyalelwe *nguNdikhoyo malunga nawo. ₄Ngeli xesha ke kwakusemveni kokoyiswa kokumkani uSihon wama-Amori owayehlala eHeshbhon; ngokunjalo nokumkani uOgi waseBhashan owayekwiidolophu iAshtaroti ne-Edreyi.

₅Apho phesheya kweJordan kumhlaba waseMowabhi uMosis wasuka wayichaza imithetho kaThixo, wenjenje: ₆“Xa sasikwintaba iHorebhe uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu wathetha nathi, wathi: ‘Seninethuba elide nikule ntaba. ₇Ngoko ke ndulukani, nisinge ngakumhlaba weentaba wama-Amori, niye kwizizwe eziwungqongileyo kwintili yeJordan, nommandla weentaba ngokunjalo, namathafa kumazantsi aloo ngingqi, ukuya kuthi xhaxhe kunxweme lolwandle. Ewe, jongani kwelaseKanana, niphumele kwiintaba zeLebhanon, niyokuthi gaa ngomlambo omkhulu iEfrati. ₈Niyabona, lo mhlaba ndiwunika nina. Ngoko ke hambani niwuthathe, nime kuwo. Kaloku ndênza isibhambathiso sokuwunika ookhokho benu, uAbraham, uIsake, noYakobi, ngokunjalo nezizukulwana zabo.’ ”

₉“Kaloku ngelo thuba sasikwintaba iHorebhe ndathetha nani, ndathi: ‘Mna andinakunithwala ndindodwa. ₁₀Kaloku *uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu unandise nayinyambalala enjengeenkwenkwezi ezisesibhaka-bhakeni. ₁₁Kambe ke uNdikhoyo uThixo wookhokho benu wanga anganandisa kaliwaka, anithamsanqelise ngokwesithembiso sakhe! ₁₂Kodwa ke, uxanduva olungaka lokusombulula amaqhina anixakayo ndingaluthwala njani ndedwa? Nditsho imithwalo yenu neembambano zenu.’ ₁₃Kungoko ke ndathi: ‘Kwindlu nganye khethani amadoda azizilumko ezaziwayo, amadoda anamava, ukuze ndiwamisele ajongane nezidla umzi.’ ₁₄Ke nina naphendula nathi: ‘Kuhle oku uceba ukukwenza.’ ₁₅Ngoko ke ndawathatha loo madoda azizilumko anamava naniwakhethe ngokwezindlu zenu, ndawamisela ukuba ajongane neengxaki zenu. Ndawamisa ke ajongana namaqela angabantu abangamawaka, amakhulu, namashumi ngamahlanu, namashumi ngamanye. Ngokwenjenjalo ndaba ndinimisela amagosa ngokwezindlu zenu zonke.

₁₆“Ngelo xesha ke ndabayalela abaphicotha iimbambano ezivelayo phakathi kwenu, ndathi: ‘Umcimbi ngamnye ze niwuphicothe ningenaxanasi, noba ngowamaSirayeli odwa okanye ngowomSirayeli nomngeneleli. ₁₇Ze ningakhethi buso xa nigwebayo, koko ze nigwebe ulowo nalowo, noba ungubani na, ngokufanayo. Ze ningabi nadyudyu, ningoyiki mntu, kuba nigweba ngegunya likaThixo. Ke yona imicimbi enoyisayo ze niyizise kum, ndiyigwebe ngokwam.’ ₁₈Kwangelo thuba ke ndaniyalela yonke into enimelwe kukuyenza.”

₁₉“Ke kaloku senza ngokomlomo *kaNdikhoyo, sanduluka entabeni iHorebhe, sacanda kweso sidikidiki sentlango eyoyikekayo, sajonga kweleentaba kuma-Amori. Sathi ke sakufika eKadeshe-bhaneya ₂₀ndathi ke mna: ‘Ngoku nifikile kumhlaba weentaba kwelama-Amori, mhlaba lowo asinika wona uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu. ₂₁Niyabona, uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, uninike lo mhlaba. Ngoko ke hambani niwuthathe, nime kuwo, njengoko uNdikhoyo uThixo wookhokho aniyalelayo. Sanukuba nexhala okanye noyike.’

₂₂“Kambe ke nina nonke neza kum, nathi: ‘Masithumele iintlola, ziye kuwujonga umhlaba, zisicebise ngeyona ndlela singayithathayo, futhi zisicebise nangokuma kweedolophu zakhona.’ ₂₃Ke kaloku sevana ngaloo ndawo, ndaza ke mna ndanyula ishumi elinambini lamadoda, yanye kwindlu nganye. ₂₄Wona ke ahamba aya kutsho kweleentaba, aya kuma kwintili ye-Eshkoli, aza ke ayihlola. ₂₅Ekubuyeni kwawo asiphathela iziqhamo zakhona, enza nengxelo ethi elo lizwe asinika lona uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu lihle liyintombazana.

₂₆“Kambe ke nina navukelana nawo umyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, anavuma ukungena kulo elo lizwe. ₂₇Nahlala phantsi nakhalaza, nisithi: ‘UNdikhoyo usithiyile; ebengekhe asikhuphe kwelaseJiputa, aze azokusibeka esichengeni sokubulawa ngala ma-Amori! ₂₈Siya kuya phi na ke ngoku? Andithi kaloku nala madoda besiwathumile asityhafisile esithi abantu belo lizwe bomelele, futhi bade kunathi, ngokunjalo bahlala kwiidolophu ezinkulu ezibiyelwe ngeendonga ezirhec' izulu; kananjalo babone neengxilimbela ezingoonyana baka-Anaki!’

₂₉“Ke mna ndaniyala ndisithi: ‘Musani ukuba nedyudyu nixhalabe ngenxa yabo! ₃₀UNdikhoyo uThixo wenu nguye onikhokelayo. Yena wonilwela njengoko nambonayo esenjenjalo eJiputa ₃₁nasentlango. Andithi kaloku yena wanibeleka njengoko uyise enjenjalo kunyana wakhe, yonke loo ndlela kude kube ngoku?’ ₃₂Kodwa ke, nakuba kunjalo, animthembanga uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, ₃₃kanti nguye owayesoloko enikhokela ade anifunele nendawo eningamisa kuyo. Ewe, kaloku wayenikhokela ngelangatye lomlilo ebusuku, ukuze niyibone indlela emanihambe ngayo, aze anikhokele ngomqulu welifu emini.”

₃₄“Ke kaloku *uNdikhoyo akuziva izikrokro zenu wakhathazeka, wada wafunga wathi: ₃₅‘Inene, akukho namnye kuni, sizukulwanandini esigwenxa, uya kungena kwelo lizwe lihle kunene ndabathembisa ngalo ngesifungo ooyihlo-mkhulu. ₃₆Kuphela longenwa nguKalebhi unyana kaJefune. Kaloku yena wahlala enyanisekile kum, ndaye ke elo lizwe walihlolayo ndiza kulinikela kuye nesizukulwana sakhe.’

₃₇“Kwakukwangenxa yenu ukuze uNdikhoyo akhathazeke, athi kum: ‘Nawe ngokwakho soze uthi cakatha kwelo lizwe. ₃₈Kambe ke ihlakani lakho, uYoshuwa unyana kaNune, nguye oya kulingena elo lizwe; mkhuthaze, kuba nguye oya kungenisa uSirayeli kwelo lizwe elililifa lakhe.’

₃₉“Ngaphezu koko ke uNdikhoyo wathi: ‘Ngabantwana benu kuphela abaya kungena kwelo lizwe; nditsho abo bangekakwazi ukwahlula okubi kokuhle, abo kanye nanisithi nina boba ngamaxhoba otshaba. Elo lizwe ndiya kulinikela kubo, limiwe ngabo. ₄₀Ke nina jikani, nisinge entlango ngendlela eya kuLwandle oluBomvu.’

₄₁“Ke nina naphendula nathi kum: ‘Simonile uNdikhoyo. Ngoko ke siza kujika silihlasele elo lizwe ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wethu.’ Ngenene ke nonke naqulela imfazwe, nicinga ukuba yoba yindlwana iyanetha ukuhlasela eleentaba. ₄₂Ke yena uNdikhoyo wathi kum: ‘Balumkise uthi: “Ningayi kulwa; andiyi kuhamba nani ndinilwele; niya koyiswa ziintshaba zenu.” ’ ₄₃Ndanixelela ke loo mazwi kaNdikhoyo, kodwa zange niwakhathalele. Ewe, nasuka namgwilikela, naza nathi ngelo kratshi lenu nalihlasela eleentaba. ₄₄Asuka ke wona ama-Amori awayehlala kwezo ntaba, athi quba phezu kwenu oku kwebubu leenyosi. Aningena ke, aniswantsulisa, nada naya kufika eHoma, anoyisela kwezo ntaba zaseSeyire. ₄₅Kweso sithuba ke naba ngazibika kuNdikhoyo nilila, suka wavingc' iindlebe, akaniphulaphula.

₄₆“Ke kaloku nahlala eKadeshe ixesha elide.”