UJoshuwa 8

₁USimakade wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi, ungabi naluvalo; thatha wonke amabutho, nikhuphukele e-Ayi; bheka, ngiyinikele esandleni sakho inkosi yase-Ayi nabantu bayo, nomuzi wayo nezwe layo. ₂Uyakwenza e-Ayi nasenkosini yakhona lokho okwenzile eJerikho nasenkosini yakhona; impango yalo kuphela nemfuyo yalo eniyakuzithathela khona. Gwacani ngemuva komuzi.”

₃UJoshuwa nawo wonke amabutho bagasela e-Ayi. UJoshuwa wakhetha amabutho ayizi-30 000 wawathumela ebusuku, ₄ewayalile, wathi: “Niyakugwaca ngemuva komuzi, ningayi kude nawo, kodwa nihlale nonke niqaphile. ₅Mina nabo bonke abantu abanami siyakusondela emzini; kuyothi lapho bephuma besihlasela, sicele empunzini njengakuqala. ₆Bayakuphuma basixoshe, nathi siyakubayenga baphume emzini, ngokuba bayakuthi: ‘Bayabaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala.’

“Ngesikhathi sibaleka phambi kwabo, ₇niyakuvuka niwuthelekele umuzi, niwudle, ngokuba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu uzowunikela ezandleni zenu. ₈Lapho seniwudlile umuzi, niyakuwuthungela ngomlilo, nenze njengalokhu uSimakade eniyalile. Bhekani, senginiyalile.”

₉UJoshuwa wabathuma baya kuleyo ndawo ababezogwaca kuyo, bazifihla phakathi kweBhetheli ne-Ayi, ngasentshonalanga e-Ayi. Ngalobo busuku uJoshuwa walala phakathi kwabantu.

₁₀UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni wahlela abantu, base beyakhuphuka phambi kwabantu, yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli, baya e-Ayi. ₁₁Wonke amabutho ayenaye akhuphuka, asondela phambi komuzi, ayesekanisa ngasenyakatho e-Ayi, kukhona umfula obehlukanise nomuzi i-Ayi. ₁₂Wakhetha amabutho ayizi-5 000 wawabeka phakathi kweBhetheli ne-Ayi, entshonalanga e-Ayi. ₁₃Bawahlela amabutho, ingxenye enkulu yawo yayingasenyakatho, ingxenye eyayingemuva ingasentshonalanga yomuzi. UJoshuwa walala esigodini ngalobo busuku.

₁₄Lapho inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokho, yaphuma ngokushesha ekuseni, yona nabantu bayo, izakhamuzi zomuzi i-Ayi, baya endaweni ebhekene ne-Araba lapho impi yayibambene khona neyakwa-Israyeli, kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kukhona abayilalele unyendle emva komuzi. ₁₅UJoshuwa nayo yonke impi yakwa-Israyeli, bashaya sengathi bayehlulwa, base beyabaleka ngendlela eqonde ogwadule. ₁₆Ngakho-ke bonke abantu ababesemzini babizelwa ndawonye ukuba babaxoshe. Besaxosha uJoshuwa baya ngokuya bededa emzini. ₁₇Akusalanga namunye e-Ayi noma eBhethele lapho bephumela ukuyoxosha abakwa-Israyeli, bawashiya amasango ethe gengelezi.

₁₈USimakade wathi kuJoshuwa: “Yelulela ngase-Ayi umkhonto osesandleni sakho, ngokuba ngiyakulinikela esandleni sakho.”

UJoshuwa welulela ngasemzini umkhonto owawusesandleni sakhe. ₁₉Wathi ukuba aselule isandla sakhe, ababebalalele unyendle bathi vumbu lapho babegwace khona, banikela emzini. Bangena emzini, bawudla, ngokushesha bawuthungela ngomlilo.

₂₀Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ebheka emuva akhangwa yisikhatha sentuthu sibheke esibhakabhakeni, kusha umuzi. Aphelelwa ngamandla, awaze azi ukuthi abalekele ngaphi, ngokuba abakwa-Israyeli ababebalekele ehlane babaphendukela abase-Ayi ababebaxosha. ₂₁Kuthe lapho uJoshuwa nawo wonke u-Israyeli bebona ukuthi umuzi udliwe ngababewuhlasela, nokuthi isikhatha sentuthu yomuzi sasenyukela phezulu, baphenduka babulala amabutho ase-Ayi. ₂₂Abanye baphuma emzini babhekana nabo. Ngaleyo ndlela abakwa-Israyeli babavimbezela nxazonke bababulala, akwaze kwasinda muntu. ₂₃Abayibulalanga nokho inkosi yase-Ayi, kodwa bayithumba bayiletha kuJoshuwa.

₂₄U-Israyeli eseqedile ukubulala zonke izakhamuzi zase-Ayi ehlane elalivulekile lapho babebaxoshele khona, nalapho bonke ngothi lwabo sebebulewe ngenkemba, bonke abakwa-Israyeli baphindela e-Ayi, balihlasela balibhubhisa ngenkemba. ₂₅Inani lalabo abawa ngenkemba ngalolo lusuku, abesilisa nabesifazane kwakuyizi-12 000, zonke izakhamuzi zakhona. ₂₆UJoshuwa akasifinyezanga isandla sakhe, wayelokhu eselulile siphethe inkemba, waze wazibhubhisa zonke izakhamuzi zase-Ayi. ₂₇U-Israyeli waphanga imfuyo nempahla kuphela, njengokuba uSimakade ayemyalile uJoshuwa.

₂₈Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa walishisa i-Ayi, walishiya liyindunduma yencithakalo kuze kube namuhla. ₂₉Inkosi yase-Ayi wayilengisa emthini kwaze kwaba kusihlwa. Ngokushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wayala ukuba basehlise isidumbu sayo emthini, basitshinge esangweni lomuzi, base bebeka inqwaba enkulu yamatshe phezu kwaso, esekhona nanamuhla.

₃₀UJoshuwa wakhela uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli i-althare entabeni i-Ebhali, ₃₁walenza lanjengalokhu uMose inceku kaSimakade ayemyalile u-Israyeli, nanjengalokhu kulotshwe encwadini yomthetho kaMose, ukuthi: i-althare kumele lenziwe ngamatshe angabaziwe, okungakaze kusetshenziswe thuluzi kuwo. Base benikela iminikelo yokushiswa kuSimakade, banikela neminikelo yokuthula. ₃₂Bekuleyo ndawo uJoshuwa wabhala ifuzela lomthetho ayewubhalile uMose phambi kwabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli. ₃₃Bonke abakwa-Israyeli, abaholi, izinduna nabehluleli babo, abafokazi naboselwa, bama ngapha nangapha komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade phambi kwabaphristi babaLevi ababethwele umphongolo. Enye ingxenye yabantu yayiphambi kwentaba iGerizimu, enye ingxenye iphambi kwentaba i-Ebhali, njengokuba uMose, inceku kaSimakade, ayebayalile ukuze babusise abantu bakwa-Israyeli njengasezikhathini ezedlule.

₃₄Emveni kwalokho, uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho, izibusiso neziqalekiso, njengakho konke okwakubhalwe encwadini yoMthetho. ₃₅UJoshuwa alikho nalinye izwi angalifundanga phambi kwebandla lakwa-Israyeli, kukho konke uMose ayeyale ngakho; wabafundela bonke abesifazane, abantwana nabafokazi ababehlala phakathi kwabo.