UJoshuwa Ubuyisela AbakwaRubeni Nabanye Emathendeni
1UJoshuwa wayesebiza abakwaRubeni, nabakwaGadi, nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase, 2wathi kubo: “Nikugcinile konke uMose inceku kaSimakade aniyala ngakho, futhi nangilalela kukho konke enganiyala ngakho; 3anibalahlanga abafowenu ngazo zonke lezi zinsuku kuze kube namuhla, kodwa nikuqikelele ukugcina konke uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu aniyale ngakho. 4Manje uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu usebanike ukuthula abafowenu njengoba ayebathembisile; ngakho-ke buyelani emuva emathendeni enu ezweni eliyisabelo senu, izwe uMose inceku kaSimakade aninika lona ngaphesheya kweJordani. 5Qaphelani ukuba nigcine imiyalo nomthetho aniyala ngakho uMose, inceku kaSimakade, ukuba nimthande uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, nihambe kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, nigcine imiyalo yakhe, ninamathele kuye, nimkhonze ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu nangawo wonke umphefumulo wenu.”
6UJoshuwa wayesebabusisa, wabakhulula ukuba bahambe, bahamba babuyela emathendeni abo.
7Enye ingxenye yesizwana sakwaManase, uMose wayeyabele isabelo sayo eBhashani, kodwa enye ingxenye uJoshuwa wayabela phakathi kwabafowabo izwe elisentshonalanga, phesheya kweJordani. Ngesikhathi ebabuyisela emathendeni abo, wababusisa, 8wathi kubo: “Buyelani emathendeni enu nengcebo eningi, nemfuyo eningi, nesiliva, igolide, ithusi, insimbi, nezimpahla eziningi, nabelane nabafowenu impango eniyithathe ezitheni zenu.”
9Ngakho-ke abozalo lukaRubeni nabolukaGadi nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase babuyela emakhaya, behlukana nabanye bakwa-Israyeli eShilo, eKhanani, ukuba babuyele kwaGileyadi, ezweni labo ababelidle laba yisabelo sabo njengokuyala kukaSimakade ngoMose.
Impikiswano Nge-althare Elingaphesheya KweJordani
10Kwathi lapho befika emngceleni eJordani, eKhanani, abozalo lukaRubeni, abolukaGadi, nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase bakha i-althare elikhulu kakhulu. 11Abakwa-Israyeli bezwa ukuthi abakwaRubeni, abakwaGadi, nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase bakhe i-althare malungana neKhanani ezifundeni ezingaseJordani, ohlangothini lwabakwa-Israyeli.
12Kuthe ukuba abakwa-Israyeli bakuzwe lokho, yonke inhlangano yabakwa-Israyeli yabuthana eShilo ukuze balwe nabo.
13Abakwa-Israyeli bathumela uFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare umphristi, kwabozalo lukaRubeni, olukaGadi, nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase kwaGileyadi. 14UFinehasi wayehambisana nezikhulu ezilishumi, kuyisikhulu ngendlu kayise kuzona zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli, kuyileso naleso simele indlu kayise phakathi kwemindeni yakwa-Israyeli.
15Bafika ozalweni lukaRubeni nolukaGadi nasengxenyeni yesizwana sakwaManase kwaGileyadi, bathi kubo: 16“Isho kanje inhlangano yonke kaSimakade: ‘Siphambeko sini lesi enisenze kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba nimjikele namuhla ngokungabe nisamlandela uSimakade ngokuzakhela i-althare, na? Ningamhlubuka kanjani uSimakade namuhla, na? 17Asonanga yini ngokwanele ePheyori, okuze kube manje asikazihlambululi kubo, okwathi ngenxa yabo, yonke inhlangano kaSimakade yehlelwa wubhubhane, 18ukuba namuhla nimhlubuke ningabe nisamlandela uSimakade, na? Uma nimhlubuka namuhla uSimakade, uzoyithukuthelela yonke inhlangano ka-Israyeli kusasa. 19Kepha uma izwe lenu lingcolile, welelani ezweni eliyifa likaSimakade, lapho kukhona ithabanakeli likaSimakade, nibe nefa phakathi kwethu; ningamhlubuki uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu, futhi ningasihlubuki nathi ngokuzakhela i-althare, kunalelo likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu. 20U-Akhani, indodana kaZera, akenzanga yini isiphambeko ngokuqalekisiweyo, kwathi yonke inhlangano yakwa-Israyeli yehlelwa yintukuthelo, na? Akazange abhubhe yedwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sakhe.’ ”
21Abozalo lukaRubeni, nabolukaGadi, nengxenye yesizwana sakwaManase baziphendulela kanje kuzo izinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli, bathi: 22“Simakade, Nkulunkulu wonkulunkulu! USimakade, uNkulunkulu wonkulunkulu uyazi, no-Israyeli makazi! Uma kungukuhlubuka noma kungukwephula ukholo kuSimakade, ningasiyekeli sisinde namuhla, 23ngokuzakhela i-althare ukuze sihlubuke ekulandeleni uSimakade; noma uma lokhu sikwenze ukuze sinikele kulo iminikelo yokushiswa noma yokusanhlamvu noma yobudlelwane, uSimakade uqobo makaziphindiselele. 24Qha, silakhe ngokwesaba ukuthi esikhathini esizayo abantwana benu bayothi kwabethu: ‘Ninamsebenzi muni noSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, na? 25Ngokuba uSimakade ulenzile iJordani laba ngumngcele phakathi kwethu nani, nina bakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi; aninasabelo kuSimakade.’ Izingane zenu zingenza abantwana bethu bayeke ukukhonza uSimakade.
26“Ngakho-ke sithe: ‘Manje masakhe i-althare, lingabi ngelomnikelo wokushiswa noma elomhlatshelo,’ 27kodwa libe ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani, naphakathi kwezizukulwane emva kwethu, ukuthi siyayenza inkonzo kaSimakade phambi kwakhe ngeminikelo yethu yokushiswa, ngemihlatshelo, nangeminikelo yobudlelwane, ukuze abantwana benu bangaze bathi kwabethu ngesikhathi esizayo: ‘Aninasabelo kuSimakade.’
28“Sathi-ke: ‘Uma kungase kushiwo lokhu kithi nasezizukulwaneni zethu ngomuso, siyokuthi: “Bhekani lo mfanekiso we-althare likaSimakade abalenza okhokho bethu, bengalenzeli iminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo, kodwa ukuze libe ngubufakazi phakathi kwethu nani.” ’
29“Makube kude nathi ukuhlubuka uSimakade sichezuke namuhla ekulandeleni uSimakade ngokwakha i-althare lomnikelo wokushiswa nowokusanhlamvu noma umhlatshelo, kunalelo althare likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwethabanakeli lakhe.”
30Lapho uFinehasi umphristi, izikhulu zenhlangano, nezinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli ababenaye bezwa lawo mazwi akhulunywa ngabozalo lukaRubeni, olukaGadi, nolukaManase, beneliseka. 31Umphristi uFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare, wathi kwabakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi nabakwaManase: “Namuhla sesiyazi ukuthi uSimakade uphakathi kwethu, ngokuba anisenzanga lesi siphambeko kuSimakade; namuhla nibasindisile abakwa-Israyeli esandleni sikaSimakade.”
32Umphristi uFinehasi, indodana ka-Eleyazare, nezikhulu babuyela emuva besuka kwaRubeni nakwaGadi kwaGileyadi eKhanani, babuyela kwa-Israyeli nezwi abaliphathisiwe. 33Umbiko wabathokozisa abakwa-Israyeli, base bembonga uNkulunkulu, ababe besayiphatha eyokukhuphuka babahlasele ukuze babhubhise izwe abahlala kulo abozalo lukaRubeni nabolukaGadi.
34AbakwaRubeni nabakwaGadi balibiza lelo althare ngokuthi: “Ngubufakazi,” ngokuba bathi: “Lingubufakazi phakathi kwethu bokuthi uSimakade unguNkulunkulu.”
