UYOSHUWA 17

₁Inxalenye yomhlaba ongasentshonalanga kweJordan wabelwa ezinye izindlu zezindlu eziyinzala yonyana omkhulu kaJosefu uManase *ngamaqashiso. UMakire, uyise kaGiliyadi, wayengunyana omkhulu kaManase, umfo oligorha emfazweni. Yiyo ke loo nto wabelwa iGiliyadi neBhashan, ezingasempumalanga kweJordan. ₂Umhlaba ongasentshonalanga kweJordan wona wabelwa inxalenye yezindlu zesizwe sakwaManase: ooAbhiyezere, Heleki, Aseriyeli, Shekem, Hefere, noShemida. Aba ngokwezindlu zabo yayingabazukulwana abangamadoda bakaManase unyana kaJosefu. ₃UZelofehadi unyana kaHefere, ozalwa nguGiliyadi unyana kaMakire ozalwa nguManase, yena akazanga azale madoda, yaba ziintombi zodwa. Nanga amagama azo: uMala, noNowa, uHogela, noMilika, kunye noTirza. ₄Zaya kuElazare umbingeleli, bekunye noYoshuwa unyana kaNune kwaneenkokheli, zafika zathi: “*UNdikhoyo uyalele uMosis ngelithi nathi aze asabele umhlaba kunye nezizalwana zethu ezingamadoda.” Ke ngoko zawunikwa umhlaba kwanjenge-zizalwana zabo ezingamadoda njengoko uNdikhoyo wayetshilo.

₅Isizwe sakwaManase saba nezabelo ezilishumi nje ukongezelela kwiGiliyadi neBhashan engasempumalanga kweJordan, ₆kungenxa yokuba abazukulwana bakaManase abaziintombi nabangamadoda babelwa umhlaba. Umhlaba waseGiliyadi wona wabelwa enye inxalenye yabazukulwana bakaManase.

₇Ummandla wesizwe sakwaManase wawusuka eAshere use eMikemetati ngasempumalanga yeShekem. Umda wawusihla uye ngasezantsi, uquke bonke abantu base-En-tapuwa. ₈Umhlaba owawungqinge iTapuwa wawungowakwaManase, kodwa sona isixeko saseTapuwa esisemdeni sasisesenzala kaEfrayim. ₉Wawusihla loo mda ubheke ezantsi ngakwintlambo iKana. Izixeko ezingezantsi kwaloo ntlambo yayizezakwaEfrayim, nakuba zazikummandla wakwaManase nje. Umda wakwaManase wawucanda ngakwicala elingasentla kwaloo ntlambo, uye kuma ngolwandle. ₁₀Isizwe sakwaEfrayim sasingasezantsi, esakwaManase sona singasentla, ulwandle lungasentshona. UAshere wayemi ngasentla koManase, uIsakare emi ngasempuma. ₁₁Ngaphakathi kwemida yakwaIsakare nakwa-Ashere iBhete-shan kunye neIbleyam, neelali ezizingqongileyo, yayizezakwaManase, kwakunye neDore engaselwandle, ne-Endore, iTanaki, iMegido, kwaneelali ezizijikelezileyo. ₁₂Isizwe sakwaManase kambe asizanga sibe nako ukubagxotha abemi bezo zixeko, kuba amaKanana ayezimisele ukuhlala khona. ₁₃Naxa amaSirayeli selenamandla, akabanga nako ukuzithimba ezo zixeko zamaKanana, kambe awanyanzela ukuba abe zizicaka.

₁₄Bathi kuYoshuwa abazukulwana bakaJosefu: “Ngani ukuba usinike isiqwenga sibe sinye somhlaba, ukanti sibaninzi kangaka ngenxa yokuthamsanqeliswa kunene *nguNdikhoyo?”

₁₅Wathi uYoshuwa: “Ukuba nibaninzi kangangokuba neleentaba lakwaEfrayim lingananeli, yiyani emahlathini, nifike nigece nizivulele umhlaba kwelamaPerezi namaRafa.”

₁₆Baphendula bathi: “Eliya leentaba aliphangalele kangangokuba lingasanela, kanti ke phaya ezintilini amaKanana aneenqwelo zentsimbi, la ahlala eBhete-shan nalawa ahlala kule ntili yeYizereli xa ewonke.”

₁₇Wathi uYoshuwa kubo: “Ngenene, ndlu kaJosefu, nina zinto zikaEfrayim nani zinto zikaManase, nibaninzi, yaye ninamandla. Niza kusongezwa isabelo senu. ₁₈Eleentaba lelenu, nditsho lilihlathi linjalo. Kufuneka niligece nime kulo lonke. AmaKanana wona kufuneka niwagxothe, nditsho enezo nqwelo zentsimbi, omelele enjalo.”