USirakhi 46

₁UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wayeliqhawe empini futhi walandela uMose emsebenzini wobuphrofethi. Wafuza igama lakhe umsindisi omkhulu wabakhethwa bakaNkulunkulu, ukuphindisela ezitheni ezibavukelayo, ukuze anikeze u-Israyeli ifa lakhe. ₂Yeka ubuhle obabukuye lapho ephakamisa izandla zakhe eyaluzisa inkemba yakhe ebhekene nomuzi! ₃Ngubani ngaphambi kwakhe owake wema akanyakaziswa? Ngokuba wayelwa izimpi zikaSimakade.

₄Kwakungengaye yini ukuthi ilanga lema ndawonye kwathi usuku olulodwa lwafana nezimbili na? ₅Wambiza Ophezukonke, onguSomandla, lapho izitha zimvukele nxazonke, iNkosi uSimakade yamphendula ngesichotho esinamandla amakhulu. ₆Wazehlula izizwe empini, wabachitha abamelene naye emathafeni, ukuze izizwe zazi izikhali zakhe, ukuthi wayelwa phambi kukaSimakade; ngokuba wayengumlandeli ozinikele kakhulu kuSomandla.

₇Futhi nasezinsukwini zikaMose wazibonakalisa ethembekile, yena noKhalebhi indodana kaJefone: bamelana nebandla, babanqanda abantu ukuba bangoni, futhi bakuthulisa ukukhononda kwabo okungalungile. ₈Laba bobabili bahlengwa phakathi kwamakhulu ayisithupha amabutho, ukuze baholele abantu efeni labo, izwe eligcwele ubisi noju lwezinyosi. ₉INkosi yamnika uKhalebhi amandla, ahlala kuye nasebudaleni bakhe, ngaleyo ndlela wakhuphukela ezweni lezintaba kwathi abantwana bakhe balizuza njengefa labo, ₁₀ukuze wonke u-Israyeli abone ukuthi kuhle kanjani ukulandela uSimakade.

₁₁Ngokunjalo nabahluleli ngokwehlukana kwamagama abo, abanhliziyo zabo zingawelanga ekukhonzeni izithombe futhi abangayihlubukanga iNkosi – makuthi ukukhunjulwa kwabo kube ngokubusisekileyo. ₁₂Makuthi amathambo abo lapho belele khona athumele impilo entsha, kanjalo namagama alabo abahlonishwayo mawaphile ngisho enzalweni yabo.

₁₃USamuweli wayethandeka kuNkulunkulu; umphrofethi kaNkulunkulu, wamisa umbuso, wagcoba ababusi phezu kwabantu bakhe. ₁₄Wayehlulela inhlangano ngokomthetho kaSimakade, iNkosi yahlala imqaphile uJakobe. ₁₅Ngenxa yokwethembeka kwakhe wamiswa waba ngumphrofethi futhi waziwa njengomboni othembekile ngenxa yezwi lakhe elaliyiqiniso. ₁₆Wakhuleka eNkosini uSomandla, lapho izitha zakhe zimbunganyele nxazonke, wenza umnikelo wewundlu elisancelayo, ₁₇ngakho iNkosi yezwakalisa izwi lokuduma kwayo isezulwini, lezwakala izwi layo ngomdumo omkhulu; ₁₈wabanqoba abaholi bezitha zakhe, kanjalo nababusi bamaFilisti. ₁₉Ngaphambi kokuba abizelwe koyisemkhulu, uSamuweli wafakaza phambi kukaSimakade nakogcotshiweyo wakhe: “Akukho mpahla ngisho izicathulo imbala, engizithathe kunoma ngubani!”

Akubangakho namunye owambeka icala. ₂₀Nasemva kokuba eseye koyisemkhulu, waphrofetha, wenza ukuba inkosi yazi ngokufa kwayo, futhi waphakamisa izwi lakhe livela emhlabathini ephrofetha, ukuze esule ukonakala kwabantu.