Inkulumo yokugcina kaJoshuwa
1UJoshuwa wabutha zonke izizwe zakwaIsrayeli eShekemi, wabiza amalunga akwaIsrayeli, nezinhloko zakhe, nabahluleli bakhe, nezinduna zakhe, bema phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
2UJoshuwa wathi kubantu bonke: Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Oyihlo bahlala endulo ngaphesheya koMfula*, uThera uyise ka-Abrahama noyise kaNahori, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
3Ngamthatha uyihlo uAbrahama ngaphesheya koMfula*, ngamhambisa ezweni lonke laseKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamupha uIsaka.
4Ngamupha uIsaka oJakobe noEsawu; ngamnika uEsawu intaba yaseSeyiri ukuba ayidle; uJakobe nabantwana bakhe behlela eGibithe.
5Ngathuma oMose noAroni, ngahlupha iGibithe ngalokho engakwenza phakathi kwalo; ngasemuva nganikhipha.
6Ngakhipha oyihlo eGibithe; nafika elwandle; abaseGibithe babaxosha oyihlo ngezinqola nangabamahashi baze bafika eLwandle oluBomvu.
7Lapho bekhala kuJehova, wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu nabaseGibithe, waluhambisa ulwandle phezu kwabo, wabasibekela; amehlo enu abona engakwenzayo eGibithe; nahlala ehlane izinsuku eziningi.
8Nganingenisa ezweni lama-Amori ahlala ngaphesheya kweJordani, alwa nani; ngawanikela esandleni senu, nadla izwe lawo; ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
9Kwase kuvuka uBalaki indodana kaSipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, walwa noIsrayeli; wathuma wabiza uBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ukuba aniqalekise,
10kepha angithandanga ukumlalela uBileyamu, kodwa kakhulu wanibusisa, nganophula esandleni sakhe.
11Nase niwela iJordani, nafika eJeriko; amadoda aseJeriko alwa nani, namaAmori, namaPherizi, namaKhanani, namaHeti, namaGirigashi, namaHivi, namaJebusi, ngawanikela esandleni senu.
12Ngathuma iminyovu phambi kwenu eyawaxosha phambi kwenu amakhosi omabili ama-Amori, kungengankemba yakho noma ngomnsalo wakho.
13Nganinika izwe eningakhandlekanga kulo, nemizi eningayakhanga nihlala nokho kuyo; niyadla ezivinini naseminqumeni eningakutshalanga.
14Manje yesabani uJehova, nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangeqiniso, nisuse onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo phesheya koMfula* naseGibithe, nimkhonze uJehova.
15Uma kukubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uJehova, khethani namuhla ukuthi ngubani eniyakumkhonza, noma onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo besengaphesheya koMfula*, noma onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo; kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uJehova.
16Abantu baphendula bathi: Makube-kude nathi ukumshiya uJehova ukuba sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu,
17ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu nguye owasikhuphula thina nawobaba ezweni laseGibithe, indlu yobugqila, nowazenza lezozibonakaliso emehlweni ethu, wasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo, naphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esadlula phakathi kwabo.
18UJehova waxosha phambi kwethu bonke abantu, nama-Amori futhi ayehlala ezweni; ngalokho nathi siyakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu wethu.
19UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: Aninakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ongcwele; unguNkulunkulu onomhawu, akayikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu nezono zenu.
20Uma nimshiya uJehova, nikhonze onkulunkulu babezizwe, uyakuphenduka, anenzele okubi, aniqede esenenzele okuhle.
21Kepha abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: Qha, ngokuba siyakumkhonza uJehova.
22Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubantu: Nina ningofakazi benu bokuthi nizikhethele uJehova ukuba nimkhonze yena. Bathi: Singofakazi.
23Wathi: Susani manje onkulunkulu babezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, nithobele izinhliziyo zenu kuJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
24Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu siyakumkhonza, sililalele izwi lakhe.
25UJoshuwa wayesenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolosuku, wabamisela isimiso nomthetho eShekemi.
26UJoshuwa waloba lawomazwi encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, wathatha itshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho phansi kweoki* elingasendlini engcwele kaJehova.
27Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubo abantu bonke: Bhekani, lelitshe liyakuba-ngufakazi ngathi, ngokuba lizwile onke amazwi kaJehova awakhuluma kithi; ngalokho liyakuba-ngufakazi ngani, funa nimphike uNkulunkulu wenu.
28UJoshuwa wayesebamukisa abantu, yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
29Kwathi emva kwalezozinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaJehova, wafa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.
30Bammbela emkhawulweni wefa lakhe eThimnati-Sera elisezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi ngasenyakatho kwentaba yakwaGahashi.
31UIsrayeli wamkhonza uJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa nazo zonke izinsuku zamalunga ayekhona izinsuku ezithile emva kukaJoshuwa, ayeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaJehova ayeyenzele uIsrayeli.
32Amathambo kaJosefa akhushulwa eGibithe ngabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, bawembela eShekemi esiqeshini sezwe asithengayo uJakobe kumadodana kaHamori uyise kaShekemi ngamakesita* ayikhulu, laba-yifa labantwana bakwaJosefa.
33UEleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa; bammbela egqumeni likaFinehasi indodana yakhe, abenikiwe lona ezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi.
