Amakhosi ayisihlanu anqotshwa ngaseGibeyoni
1Kwathi lapho uAdoni-Sedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema esezwile ukuthi uJoshuwa uthathile iAyi, waliqeda nya-njengalokho ebenzile kulo iJeriko nenkosi yalo, wayenze njalo kulo iAyi nenkosi yalo-nokuthi abakhileyo eGibeyoni benzile ukuthula noIsrayeli, baba-phakathi kwabo,
2besaba kakhulu, ngokuba iGibeyoni lalingumuzi omkhulu njengomunye wemizi yamakhosi nangokuba lalilikhulu kuneAyi, onke amadoda alo engamaqhawe.
3Ngalokho uAdoni-Sedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema wathumela kuHohamu inkosi yaseHebroni, nakuPiramu inkosi yaseJarimuthi, nakuJafiya inkosi yaseLakishi, nakuDebiri inkosi yase-Egiloni, wathi:
4Khuphukelani kimi, ningisize sichithe iGibeyoni, ngokuba lenzile ukuthula noJoshuwa nabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.
5Ngalokho amakhosi ayisihlanu amaAmori, inkosi yaseJerusalema, nenkosi yaseHebroni, nenkosi yaseJarimuthi, nenkosi yaseLakishi, nenkosi yase-Egiloni, ahlangana, akhuphuka, wona nawo onke amabandla awo, amisa malungana neGibeyoni, alwa nalo.
6Amadoda aseGibeyoni athumela kuJoshuwa ekamu* laseGiligali, athi: Ungayekethisi isandla sakho ezincekwini zakho; shesha ukhuphukele kithi usisindise, usisize, ngokuba onke amakhosi amaAmori akhile ezintabeni asihlanganyele.
7UJoshuwa wayesekhuphuka eGiligali, yena nabo bonke abantu bempi kanye naye, nawo onke amaqhawe anamandla.
8UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: Ungabesabi, ngokuba ngibanikele ezandleni zakho; akuyikubakho-muntu wabo ongema phambi kwakho.
9UJoshuwa wabafikela ngokuzumayo; wakhuphuka eGiligali ubusuku bonke.
10UJehova wabangquzula ngaphambi kukaIsrayeli, wabaceka ngokuceka okukhulu ngaseGibeyoni, wabaxosha ngendlela ekhuphukela eBeti-Horoni, wababulala kwaze kwaba-seAzeka naseMakheda.
11Kwathi besabalekela uIsrayeli behla eBeti-Horoni, uJehova wawisa phezu kwabo amatshe amakhulu, ehla ezulwini, baze bafika eAzeka, bafa; babebaningi abafa ngesichotho kunababulawa nguIsrayeli ngenkemba.
12UJoshuwa wayesekhuluma kuJehova mhla uJehova enikela ama-Amori phambi kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, wathi ebusweni babakwaIsrayeli:
Langa, yima eGibeyoni,
nawe-nyanga, esigodini saseAjaloni.
13Lase lima ilanga, nenyanga yahlala,
abantu baze baziphindisela ezitheni zabo.
Akulotshiwe yini lokho eNcwadini yoLungileyo na? Ilanga lema phakathi nomkhathi, alisheshanga ukushona kungathi usuku lonke.
14Aluzange lube-khona usuku olunjengalo ngaphambi kwalo noma ngasemva kwalo lokuba uJehova alilalele izwi lomuntu, ngokuba uJehova wamlwela uIsrayeli.
15UJoshuwa wabuyela ekamu* laseGiligali, bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye.
16Lawomakhosi omahlanu abaleka, acasha emhumeni waseMakheda.
17Kwabikwa kuJoshuwa ukuthi: Lawomakhosi omahlanu afunyanisiwe ecashile emhumeni waseMakheda.
18UJoshuwa wathi: Gingqelani amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume, nibeke amadoda ngakuwo ukuba awalinde;
19kepha ningemi nina; xoshani izitha zenu, nibulale ezingasemuva, ningazivumeli ukuba zingene emizini yazo, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzinikele esandleni senu.
20Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa nabantwana bakwaIsrayeli sebeqedile ukubaceka ngokuceka okukhulu kakhulu baze baqedwa, insali yabo nokho isingenile emizini ebiyelweyo,
21bonke abantu babuyela ekamu* kuJoshuwa eMakheda ngokuthula, akwabakho onyakazisa ulimi lwakhe ngomuntu wabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.
22Wayesethi uJoshuwa: Vulani umlomo womhume, nikhiphele kimi lawomakhosi omahlanu emhumeni.
23Benze njalo-ke; bawakhiphela kuye lawomakhosi omahlanu emhumeni: inkosi yaseJerusalema, nenkosi yaseHebroni, nenkosi yaseJarimuthi, nenkosi yaseLakishi, nenkosi yase-Egiloni.
24Kwathi lapho bekhiphela kuJoshuwa lawomakhosi, uJoshuwa wabiza onke amadoda akwaIsrayeli, wathi ezinduneni zamadoda empi ezazihamba naye: Sondelani, nibeke izinyawo zenu ezintanyeni zalawamakhosi. Zasondela-ke, zabeka izinyawo zazo ezintanyeni zawo.
25UJoshuwa wathi kuzo: Ningesabi, ningabi-naluvalo; qinani, nime isibindi, ngokuba uJehova uyakwenza kanjalo kuzo zonke izitha zenu enilwa nazo.
26Ngasemuva uJoshuwa wawagenca, wawabulala, wawaphanyeka emithini eyisihlanu, alenga emithini kwaze kwahlwa.
27Kwathi ngesikhathi sokushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wayala, bawehlisa emithini, bawaphonsa emhumeni lapho ebecashé khona, babeka amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume akhona nanamuhla.
Ukunqotshwa kwemizi ngaseningizimu yaseKhanani
28UJoshuwa wathatha iMakheda ngalolosuku, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nenkosi yalo, wabaqothula nabo bonke abakulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo; wenza-ke kuyo inkosi yaseMakheda njengalokho ebenzile kuyo inkosi yaseJeriko.
29UJoshuwa wasuka eMakheda nabo bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye, waya eLibina, walwa neLibina;
30uJehova walinikela nalo nenkosi yalo esandleni sakwaIsrayeli, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba nabo bonke abakulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasala phakathi kwalo; wenza-ke kuyo inkosi yalo njengalokho ebenzile kuyo inkosi yaseJeriko.
31UJoshuwa wasuka eLibina nabo bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye, waya eLakishi, wamisa malungana nalo, walwa nalo;
32uJehova wanikela iLakishi esandleni sakwaIsrayeli, walithatha ngosuku lwesibili, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nabo bonke ababekulo njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo iLibina.
33Khona kwakhuphuka uHoramu inkosi yaseGezeri ukuba asize iLakishi; kepha uJoshuwa wambulala nabantu bakhe, akaze amshiyela noyedwa owasalayo.
34UJoshuwa wasuka eLakishi, bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye, waya e-Egiloni; bamisa malungana nalo, balwa nalo.
35Balithatha ngalolosuku, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba; nabo bonke ababekulo wabaqothula ngalolosuku njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo iLakishi.
36UJoshuwa wakhuphuka e-Egiloni, bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye, waya eHebroni, balwa nalo.
37Balithatha, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nenkosi yalo, nayo yonke imizi yalo, nabo bonke ababekulo; akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo iEgiloni; waliqothula nabo bonke abakulo.
38UJoshuwa wabuyela nabo bonke abakwaIsrayeli eDebiri, walwa nalo;
39walithatha kanye nenkosi yalo nayo yonke imizi yalo, bayichitha ngosiko lwenkemba. Baqothula bonke ababekulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo; njengalokho ebenzile kulo iHebroni, wenze njalo kulo iDebiri nakuyo inkosi yalo, njengalokho ebenzile nakulo iLibina nakuyo inkosi yalo.
40Wachitha-ke uJoshuwa izwe lonke, izintaba, neNingizimu, namathafa, nemithambeka, namakhosi onke alo; akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo, kepha waqothula konke okuphefumulayo njengokuyala kukaJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
41UJoshuwa wabachitha kusukela eKadeshi-Barineya kuze kufike eGaza, nezwe lonke laseGosheni kuze kufike eGibeyoni.
42Onke lawomakhosi nezwe lawo uJoshuwa wakuthatha ngasikhathi sinye, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli walwela uIsrayeli.
43UJoshuwa wabuyela ekamu* laseGiligali, bonke abakwaIsrayeli benaye.
