UJoshuwa 6 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukuchithwa kweJeriko

¹ IJeriko lalivaliwe lanxitshwa ngenxa yabakoIsrayeli, kungaphumi muntu, kungangeni muntu.

² INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Khangela, nginikele ezandleni zakho iJeriko kanye lenkosi yalo.

³ Lizawubhoda umuzi, wonke amadoda empi awubhode kanye. Lizakwenza njalo okwensuku eziyisithupha.

⁴ Abapristi abayisikhombisa bazaphatha impondo zenqama eziyisikhombisa, bahambe phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano; kuthi ngosuku lwesikhombisa liwubhode umuzi kasikhombisa, abapristi bekhalisa impondo.

⁵ Lapho bekhalisa kakhulu impondo zenqama, lingawezwa amazwi azo, abantu kabamemeze kakhulu, umduli womuzi uzadilikela phansi; abantu bazangena, kube yilowo lalowo aqonde phambili nje.

⁶ Ngakho uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wabiza abapristi wathi kibo: Thwalani umtshokotsho wesivumelwano, kuthi abapristi abayisikhombisa bahambe phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi bephethe impondo zenqama eziyisikhombisa.

⁷ Wasesithi ebantwini: Hambanike liwuzingelezele umuzi, lamadoda ahlomileyo ahambe phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi.

⁸ Njengokutsho kukaJoshuwa ebantwini, abapristi abayisikhombisa bephethe impondo zenqama phambi kweNkosi bahamba bezikhalisa, belandelwa ngumtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi.

⁹ Amadoda ahlomileyo ahamba phambi kwabapristi ababekhalisa impondo, lesigaba sasemuva salandela umtshokotsho, lezimpondo zikhala njalonjalo.

¹⁰ Kodwa uJoshuwa wathi ebantwini: Lingamemezi, loba lizwakalise ilizwi lenu; kungaphumi lizwi emilonyeni yenu kuze kube lusuku engizalitshela ngalo ukuba limemeze; beselimemezake.

¹¹ Wasesithi umtshokotsho weNkosi kawubhode umuzi, wahamba kanye; basebebuyela ezihonqweni, balala khona.

¹² UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, labapristi bathwala umtshokotsho weNkosi.

¹³ Abapristi abayisikhombisa bephethe impondo zenqama eziyisikhombisa phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi bahamba njalo bekhalisa impondo, lamadoda ahlomileyo ehamba phambi kwabo, lesigaba sasemuva salandela umtshokotsho weNkosi, lempondo zikhala njalonjalo.

¹⁴ Ngosuku lwesibili bawuzingelezela umuzi kanye, babuyela ezihonqweni. Benza njalo insuku eziyisithupha.

¹⁵ Ngosuku lwesikhombisa bavuka ekuseni kakhulu emadabukakusa, bawubhoda umuzi kasikhombisa ngendlela efananayo. Kwaba ngalolosuku kuphela abawubhodayo umuzi kasikhombisa.

¹⁶ Ngesikhathi sesikhombisa, nxa abapristi sebekhalisile impondo, uJoshuwa wathi ebantwini: Memezani, ngoba iNkosi ilinikile umuzi.

¹⁷ Umuzi lakho konke okukuwo kunikwe iNkosi ukuba kubhujiswe; nguRahabi iwule kuphela labo bonke alabo endlini yakhe abazasila, ngoba wafihla izithunywa esazithumayo.

¹⁸ Kodwa lina lingathathi izinto ezinikelwe ukubhujiswa, funa kuthi lapho selizinikele lithathe izinto ezinikelweyo, lenze izihonqo zakoIsrayeli zibe yinto yokubhujiswa, lehlisele uhlupho phezu kwazo.

¹⁹ Kodwa sonke isiliva legolide, lezitsha zethusi lezensimbi zingcwele eNkosini, kuzasiwa endlini yeNkosi yenotho.

²⁰ Ngakho abantu basebememeza, kwakhaliswa lempondo. Kwathi abantu besizwa ukukhala kwempondo bamemeza kakhulu, umduli wadilikela phansi, labantu bangena phakathi komuzi, yilowo lalowo eqonda phambili nje, bawuthumba umuzi.

²¹ Babhubhisa konke okwakukiwo, abesilisa labesifazana, abatsha labadala, lezinkabi lezimvu labobabhemi, bakuqeda ngomkhonto.

²² UJoshuwa wasesithi kulawomadoda amabili ayeyile ukuhlola ilizwe: Hambani liye endlini yewule, likhuphe kuyo lowowesifazana labo bonke abakiyo njengokufunga kwenu kuye.

²³ Lezozinsizwa ezazizinhloli zangena zakhupha uRahabi loyise lonina labanewabo labo bonke abakibo; zakhupha zonke izihlobo zakhe, zazibeka ngaphandle kwezihonqo zakoIsrayeli.

²⁴ Zawutshisa umuzi ngomlilo lakho konke okwakukiwo; isiliva kuphela legolide lezitsha zethusi lezensimbi abazifaka endlini yeNkosi yenotho.

²⁵ Kodwa uRahabi iwule, labo bonke abakibo, uJoshuwa wabayekela baphila; ngoba uRahabi wafihla izithunywa uJoshuwa ayezithume ukuhlola iJeriko; yena wahlala koIsrayeli kuze kube lamhla.

²⁶ UJoshuwa waqalekisa iJeriko wathi: Kaqalekiswe phambi kweNkosi lowomuntu osuka akhe lumuzi iJeriko. Ekwakheni kwakhe isisekelo salo uzalahlekelwa lizibulo lakhe, lasekumiseni kwakhe amasango alo alahlekelwe ngomncinyane wakhe.

²⁷ INkosi yayilaye uJoshuwa, lodumo lwakhe lwanda elizweni.