1IJerikho gade ivalwe ntsi ngebanga lama-Israyeli. Bekungaphumi begodu kungangeni muntu. 2USomnini wathi kuJotjhuwa: “Qala, nginikele esandleni sakho iJerikho, ikosi yakhona kanye neengorho zakhona. 3Thatha woke amadoda wepi nizombeleze iJerikho kanye. Lokho ukwenze amalanga asithandathu. 4Abaphristi abalikhomba abaphethe iimpalapala zamaqama ezilikhomba bakhambe phambi komfaji. Ngelanga lekhomba nizombeleze idorobho kalikhomba bese abaphristi bavuthele iimpalapalezo. 5Bazakuvuthela iimpalapala ihlandla elide. Kuzakuthi nanizwa ukuvuthelokho bese abantu bahlaba umkhosi wepi. Umthangala wedorobho uzakubhusuka phasi bese abantu bazingenele, omunye nomunye lapha akhona.”
6Yeke uJotjhuwa umsa kaNuni wabiza abaphristi wathi kibo: “Thwalani umfaji wesivumelwano bese abaphristi abalikhomba baphathe iimpalapala zamaqama ezilikhomba bakhambe phambi komfaji kaSomnini.” 7Wathi ebantwini: “Ragelani phambili, abantu bazombeleze idorobho. Amadoda ahlomileko akhambe phambi komfaji kaSomnini.”
8Kwenzeka njengombana uJotjhuwa ayale abantu: Abaphristi abalikhomba abaphethe iimpalapala ezilikhomba phambi komfaji kaSomnini batjhinga phambili, bavuthela iimpalapalezo. Umfaji wesivumelwano sakaSomnini wabalandela 9khisibe amadoda ahlomileko akhamba phambi kwabaphristi ebebavuthela iimpalapala, abantu abangemuva balandela umfaji. Iimpalapala zaragela phambili nokuvuthelwa, 10kodwana uJotjhuwa gade ayale abantu wathi: “Ningahlabi umkhosi wepi namkha nibange itjhada, ningavuli ngitjho nemilomenu bekube kumhla nginiyala bonyana nirhuwelele. Nasele ngitjhwile, seningahlaba-ke umkhosi wepi.”
11Ngaleyondlela wazombisa umfaji kaSomnini edorobheni. Abantu balizombeleza kanye babuyela ngekampeni, balala ubusukobo lapho.
12Ngakusasa uJotjhuwa wavuka ekuseni. Abaphristi bathwala umfaji kaSomnini. 13Abaphristi abalikhomba abaphethe iimpalapala ezilikhomba bakhamba phambi komfaji, baragela phambili ngokuvuthela iimpalapala. Phambi kwabo kwakhamba amadoda ahlomileko kwathi ngemuva komfaji kwalandela abantu khibe iimpalapala zirhagele. 14Nelangeni lesibili bazombeleza idorobho kanye, babuyela ekampeni. Benza njalo amalanga asithandathu.
15Elangeni lekhomba bavuka ngesamarimarima, bazombeleza idorobho njengombana bebenza emihleni. Kodwana mhlokho kwaba kalikhomba. 16Kuthe nasele bazombeleza kwekhomba, bona abaphristi babethe iimpalapala, uJotjhuwa wathi ebantwini: “Rhuwelelani! USomnini uniphe idorobheli! 17Idorobho nakho koke okukilo kuzakunikelwa uSomnini kobana kubhujiswe. Kuzakusinda uRarhabu ingwadla nabo boke abanaye ngekumbenakhe ngombana wafihla iinthunywa esasizithumile. 18Zilondeni ezintweni ezikhethelwe ukubhujiswa ngombana nanizithathako nizakubangela bonyana ikampa yama-Israyeli ibhujiswe, ngalokho niyibangele ihlekelele. 19Kodwana loke isiliva negolide kanye nezitja zekoporo nezesimbi zikhethekile kuSomnini, zizakubulungelwa ikumba yamagugu kaSomnini.”
20Yeke abantu barhuwelela, kwavuthelwa neempalapala. Kuthe bona abantu bezwe ukulila kweempalapala, bahlaba umkhosi, umthangala weJerikho wabhusuka phasi. Abantu bazingenela, omunye nomunye lapha akhona. Bathumba idorobho, 21babhubhisa koke okukilo, amadoda nabafazi, abatjha nabadala, iinkomo, izimvu kanye nabodumbana ngesabula.
22UJotjhuwa wathi emadodeni amabili ebegade ayokuhlola inarha: “Khambani niye ekumbeni yengwadla niyoyithatha kanye nabo boke abanayo njengombana nafunga kiyo.”
23Yeke amadoda lawo akhamba ayokukhupha uRarhabu, uyise, unina, abafowabo kanye nabo boke abanaye. Iye, akhupha woke umndenakhe awuhlalisa ngaphandle kwekampa yama-Israyeli. 24Ama-Israyeli atjhisa idorobho nakho koke ebekukilo. Kwaba lisiliva negolide kanye nezitja zekoporo nezesimbi kwaphela abakubulungela ikumba yamagugu kaSomnini. 25UJotjhuwa azange abulale uRarhabu ingwadla, uyise kanye nabo boke ebebanaye. Umfazi loyo neenzukulwana zakhe zahlala kwa-Israyeli bekube namhlanje ngombana wafihla iinthunywa uJotjhuwa ayezithume bona zihlole iJerikho.
26UJotjhuwa wabafungisa ngesikhatheso wathi:
“Akanikelelwe phambi kwakaSomnini umuntu
ozakuncama avuselele idorobho leJerikhweli.
Ngomphefumulo wendodanakhe elizibulo
uzakuleya isisekelo sedorobho,
ngomphefumulo wendodanakhe ebuphetjhani
ajamise amasangwalo.”
27Yeke uSomnini waba noJotjhuwa, idumo lakhe lasabalala nenarha yoke.
