Inkulumo Yokugcina KaJoshuwa
Ukuvuselelwa Kwesivumelwano
1UJoshuwa wayeseqoqa zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli eShekhemi, wabiza amalunga akwa-Israyeli, izinhloko, abehluleli, nezikhulu, bema phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
2UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Emandulo okhokho benu, uThera namadodana akhe u-Abhrahama noNahori, babehlala ngaphesheya komfula, bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu. 3Ngamthatha ukhokho wenu u-Abhrahama ngaphesheya komfula, ngamhola edabula lonke iKhanani, ngenza isizukulwane sakhe saba singi, ngamnika u-Isaka. 4U-Isaka ngamnika uJakobe no-Esawu. Ngamnika u-Esawu elezintaba kuze kube seSeyiri ukuba alidle libe yifa lakhe, kodwa uJakobe nabantwana bakhe behlela eGibhithe.
5“ ‘Ngathumela uMose no-Aroni, ngalihlupha iGibhithe ngalokho engakwenza phakathi kwalo; emveni kwalokho nganikhipha. 6Lapho ngibakhipha okhokho benu eGibhithe, nafika olwandle; abaseGibhithe babaxosha okhokho benu ngezinqola nangamahhashi, baze bafika oLwandle Lomhlanga. 7Lapho bekhala kuSimakade, waletha ubumnyama phakathi kwenu nabaseGibhithe. Wenza ulwandle ukuba lubuyele phezu kwabo lubagubuzele; nakubona engakwenza kwabaseGibhithe; emveni kwalokho nahlala ehlane izinsuku eziningi.
8“ ‘Nganingenisa ezweni lama-Amori ahlala phesheya kweJordani, alwa nani; ngawanikela esandleni senu, nalidla izwe lawo; ngawabhubhisa phambi kwenu. 9Inkosi uBhalaki, indodana kaZiphori wakwaMowabi, waphuma ukuyolwa no-Israyeli. Wathumela ukuyobiza uBhileyamu indodana kaBheyori ukuba aniqalekise, 10kodwa angimlalelanga uBhileyamu; ngakho-ke wanibusisa, nganikhulula esandleni sakhe.
11“ ‘Lapho niwela iJordani, nafika eJerikho; izakhamuzi zalo zalwa nani, kanjalo nama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaKhanani, amaHithi, amaGirigashi, amaHivi, namaJebusi, ngabanikela esandleni senu. 12Ngathumela iminyovu phambi kwenu, eyaxosha phambi kwenu amakhosi amabili ama-Amori, kwakungengankemba yakho noma ngomnsalo wakho. 13Nganinika izwe eningalikhandlekelanga nemizi eningayakhanga, nihlala kuyo; nidla izithelo zemivini nezeminqumo eningakutshalanga.’
14“Manje mesabeni uSimakade, nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangeqiniso, nibasuse onkulunkulu ababekhonzwa ngokhokho besengaphesheya komfula naseGibhithe, nikhonze uSimakade. 15Uma kukubi emehlweni enu ukukhonza uSimakade, khethani namuhla ukuthi ngubani eniyakumkhonza, noma ngonkulunkulu ababekhonzwa ngokhokho benu besengaphesheya komfula, noma ngonkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo, kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uSimakade.”
16Abantu baphendula bathi: “Makube kude nathi ukushiya uSimakade sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu, 17ngokuba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu nguYena owasikhipha thina nokhokho bethu Gibhithe, endlini yobugqila, nowenza lezo zibonakaliso emehlweni ethu. Wasivikela endleleni yonke esahamba kuyo, naphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esedlula phakathi kwabo. 18USimakade waxosha bonke abantu phambi kwethu, ama-Amori ayehlala ezweni; yingakho siyomkhonza uSimakade, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu wethu.”
19UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Aninakumkhonza uSimakade, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ongcwele. UnguNkulunkulu onomhawu, akayukuxolela iziphambeko zenu noma izono zenu. 20Uma nimshiya uSimakade, nikhonze abanye onkulunkulu babezizwe, uyophenduka, anenzakalise, aniqothule esenenzele lokhu okuhle.”
21Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Qha, siyokumkhonza uSimakade.”
22UJoshuwa wayesethi kubantu: “Nina ningofakazi uqobo bokuthi yinina enizikhethele uSimakade ukuba nimkhonze.”
Bathi: “Singofakazi.”
23Wathi kubo: “Ngakho-ke lahlani onkulunkulu babezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, niphendulele izinhliziyo zenu kuSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.”
24Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Siyomkhonza uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu, silalele izwi lakhe.”
25Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa wenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolo lusuku, wabamisela izimiso nemithetho eShekemi. 26UJoshuwa wawaloba lawa mazwi encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, wathatha itshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho phansi komu-okhi, endaweni engcwele kaSimakade.
27UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Bhekani, leli litshe liyokuba ngufakazi ngathi, ngokuba lizwile wonke amazwi kaSimakade awakhulume kithi; liyoba ngufakazi ngani, uma senimphika uNkulunkulu wenu.”
28UJoshuwa wayesebadedela abantu, babuyela efeni labo.
Ukufa KukaJoshuwa No-Eliyazare
29Kwathi emveni kwazo zonke lezo zinto uJoshuwa, indodana kaNuni, inceku kaSimakade, wafa eseneminyaka eyi-110. 30Bamngcwaba eThiminathi Sera eyifa lakhe, ekwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, enyakatho yentaba iGahashi. 31U-Israyeli wamkhonza uSimakade ngazo zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa, nangezamalunga aphila izinsuku ezedlula ezikaJoshuwa, futhi ayekwazi konke uSimakade ayekwenzele u-Israyeli. 32Amathambo kaJosefa ayekhushulwe ngabakwa-Israyeli eGibhithe, bawangcwaba eShekhemi esiqeshini somhlaba esasithengwe nguJakobe emadodaneni kaHamori, uyise kaShekemi, ngamakesita ayikhulu, saba yifa labantu bakwaJosefa. 33U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa; bamngcwaba eGibheya umuzi kaFinehasi indodana yakhe, ayewunikiwe kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi.
