UJoshuwa 24 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Inkulumo yokucina kaJoshuwa

¹ UJoshuwa wasebuthanisa eShekema zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, wabiza abadala lezinhloko zemizi labahluleli lezinduna zakoIsrayeli, bema phambi kukaNkulunkulu.

² UJoshuwa wathi kubo bonke abantu: INkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Endulo okhokho benu babehlala ngaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi, uTera uyise kaAbrahama lokaNahori, babekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.

³ Ngasengithatha ukhokho wenu uAbrahama ngaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi, ngamhola kulo lonke ilizwe laseKanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe yaba nengi. Ngamnika uIsaka,

⁴ uIsaka ngamnika uJakobe loEsawu. Ngamnika uEsawu izintaba zaseSeyiri ukuba zibe ngezakhe, kodwa uJakobe labantwana bakhe baya eGibithe.

⁵ Ngathuma uMose loAroni, ngabatshaya abaseGibithe ngezinhlupheko engabehlisela zona; emva kwalokho ngalikhupha phakathi kwabo.

⁶ Ngabakhupha okhokho benu eGibithe, abaseGibithe baxotshana labo ngenqola zokulwa langamabhiza baze bayafika oLwandle oluBomvu.

⁷ Kwathi lapho bekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yehlisela umnyama phakathi kwabo labaseGibithe, yaletha ulwandle phezu kwabaseGibithe, lwabasibekela. Lakubona lokho engakwenza eGibithe, lahlala enkangala isikhathi eside.

⁸ Ngasengililetha elizweni lamaAmori ayehlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani; wona alwa lani, ngawanikela ezandleni zenu, lathumba ilizwe lawo, ngawachitha phambi kwenu.

⁹ UBalaki indodana kaZipori inkosi yaseMowabi wavuka ukulwa loIsrayeli, wathumela ilizwi ukubiza uBalami indodana kaBeyori ukuba aliqalekise,

¹⁰ kodwa kangimlalelanga uBalami; ngakho yena walibusisa, ngalikhulula esandleni sikaBalaki.

¹¹ Lachapha iJordani, lafika eJeriko, abaseJeriko balwa lani, kanye lamaAmori lamaPerizi lamaKanani lamaHethi lamaGirigashi lamaHivi lamaJebusi, ngawanikela ezandleni zenu.

¹² Ngathumela olonyovu phambi kwenu abaxotsha phambi kwenu amakhosi amabili amaAmori; lokho kwakungesiwo umsebenzi wemikhonto lemitshoko yenu.

¹³ Ngalinika ilizwe elingalisebenzanga, lemizi elingayakhanga, lihlala kiyo. Lidla izithelo zezivini lezezivande zamaoliva elingakuhlanyelanga.

¹⁴ Ngakhoke yesabeni iNkosi, liyikhonze ngobuqotho langeqiniso, lisuse onkulunkulu okhokho benu ababakhonza ngaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi laseGibithe, likhonze iNkosi.

¹⁵ Uba lingafuni ukuyikhonza iNkosi, khethani lamhla lowo elizamkhonza, onkulunkulu abakhonzwa ngokhokho benu elizweni elingaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi, loba onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Mina lendlu yami sizayikhonza iNkosi.

¹⁶ Basebephendula abantu besithi: Kakube khatshana lathi ukuba sitshiye iNkosi, sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu.

¹⁷ Ngoba kuyiyo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu eyasikhuphayo thina labokhokho elizweni laseGibithe, endaweni yobugqili, yenza lezizimangaliso ezinkulu phambi kwethu, yasilondoloza kuyo yonke indawo esahamba kiyo, laphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esidlule kibo.

¹⁸ Yaxotsha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, lamaAmori ayehlala kulelilizwe. Ngakhoke lathi sizayikhonza iNkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu wethu.

¹⁹ UJoshuwa wathi ebantwini: Lina lingeyikhonze iNkosi ngoba inguNkulunkulu ongcwele, loNkulunkulu olomona. Kayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu lezono zenu.

²⁰ Uba liyitshiya iNkosi likhonze onkulunkulu bezizweni, izaphenduka ilenzele okubi, iliqede, ngemva kokulenzela okuhle.

²¹ Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: Atshi! kodwa sizayikhonza iNkosi.

²² UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Lizazifakazela lina ukuthi liyikhethile iNkosi ukuba liyikhonze. Basebesithi: Singofakazi.

²³ Wathi: Khuphanike onkulunkulu bezizweni abaphakathi kwenu, liphendulele inhliziyo zenu eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.

²⁴ Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu sizayikhonza, sililalele ilizwi layo.

²⁵ Ngakhoke uJoshuwa wasebenzela abantu isivumelwano ngalolosuku, wababekela izimiso lemithetho eShekema.

²⁶ UJoshuwa waloba lawomazwi ogwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu; wathatha ilitshe elikhulu, walibeka khonapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu ngasendlini yeNkosi.

²⁷ Wasesithi ebantwini bonke: Khangelani, lelilitshe lizakuba ngufakazi ngathi, ngoba liwezwile wonke amazwi iNkosi eyawakhuluma kithi; ngakhoke lizakuba ngufakazi ngani funa limkhohlise uNkulunkulu wenu.

²⁸ UJoshuwa wasebayekela abantu ukuba bahambe, baye endaweni zabo.

Ukufa kukaJoshuwa lokukaEleyazare

²⁹ Ngemva kwalezizinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku yeNkosi, wafa eleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.

³⁰ Bamngcwabela endaweni yakhe eTiminathi‐Sera entabeni zakoEfrayimi ngasenyakatho kwentaba iGashi.

³¹ UIsrayeli wayikhonza iNkosi zonke insuku zikaJoshuwa lazo zonke insuku zabadala abasalayo, ababewazi wonke umsebenzi iNkosi eyawenzela uIsrayeli.

³² Amathambo kaJosefa abakoIsrayeli abaphuma lawo eGibithe angcwatshelwa eShekema, esiqintini uJakobe asithenga kubantwana bakaHamori uyise kaShekema ngenhlamvu zemali ezilikhulu; saba yilifa labantwana bakaJosefa.

³³ UEleyazare indodana kaAroni laye wafa; bamngcwabela eGibeya, emzini wendodana yakhe uFiniyasi ayewuphiwe ezintabeni zakoEfrayimi.