UJoshuwa 9 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ubuqili babaseGibeyoni

¹ Kwathi lapho wonke amakhosi ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, ezintabeni, laseShefela, lasokhunjini loLwandle olukhulu, kusiya eLebanoni, amaHethi lamaAmori lamaPerizi lamaHivi lamaJebusi esizwa ngalokhu,

² abuthana ndawonye ukulwa loJoshuwa labakoIsrayeli.

³ Kwathi abaseGibeyoni sebezwile lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile eJeriko leAyi,

⁴ benza ubuqili; basuka belomphako, bathwalisa obabhemi babo amasaka amadala lemigodla yewayini emidala ebekelweyo,

⁵ bafaka enyaweni zabo amanyathelo abekelweyo, lezigqoko ababezigqokile sezigugile, lezinkwa zokudla zasezomile sezikhuntile.

⁶ Baya kuJoshuwa ezihonqweni eGiligali, bathi kuye labakoIsrayeli: Sivela elizweni elikhatshana, ngakhoke yenzani isivumelwano lathi.

⁷ Kodwa abakoIsrayeli bathi kumaHivi: Mhlawumbe lihlala phakathi kwethu; singenza kanjani isivumelwano lani na?

⁸ Athi kuJoshuwa: Siyizinceku zakho. UJoshuwa wathi kiwo: Lingobani? Livela ngaphi?

⁹ Athi kuye: Inceku zakho zivela elizweni elikhatshana, ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; ngoba sizwile ngayo langakho konke eyakwenza eGibithe,

¹⁰ leyakwenza emakhosini amabili amaAmori ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, uSihoni inkosi yaseHeshiboni, loOgi inkosi yaseBashani eyayihlala eAshitarothi.

¹¹ Abadala bethu labo bonke abakhileyo elizweni lakithi bathe kithi: Thathani umphako lihambe, liyehlangana labo, lithi kibo: Siyizinceku zenu; yenzani lathi isivumelwano.

¹² Nansi isinkwa sethu; sasisatshisa sisithatha ezindlini zethu ukuba sibe ngumphako wethu mhla sisukayo sisiza kini; kodwa khathesi sesomile sakhunta.

¹³ Limigodla yewayini yayimitsha lapho siyigcwalisa; kodwa isidabukile. Lalezizigqoko lamanyathelo ethu sekugugiswe luhambo olude.

¹⁴ Ngakho abadala bawuthatha bawuzwa umphako, bengabuzanga eNkosini.

¹⁵ UJoshuwa wasethembisa ukuthula, wenza labo isivumelwano sokubayekela baphile, labadala bebandla bafunga kibo.

¹⁶ Kwathi emva kwensuku ezintathu abakoIsrayeli sebenzile isivumelwano labo, bezwa ukuba bangabomakhelwana babo, bahlala phakathi kwabo.

¹⁷ AbakoIsrayeli basebebalandela bafika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu. Imizi yabo yayiyile, iGibeyoni leKefira leBerothi leKiriyathi‐Jeyarimi.

¹⁸ AbakoIsrayeli kabababulalanga ngoba abadala bebandla babefungile kibo ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; kodwa ibandla lonke labasola abadala.

¹⁹ Bonke abadala bathi ebandleni: Sifungile kibo ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngalokhoke singeke sibenze lutho.

²⁰ Sizakwenza lokhu kibo sibayekele baphile, funa ulaka lwehlela phezu kwethu ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kibo.

²¹ Abadala bathi futhi: Bayekeleni baphile, ukuze balithezele inkuni balikhele amanzi ibandla lonke.

²² UJoshuwa wasebabiza abaseGibeyoni, wathi kibo: Lisikhohliseleni na? Lasitshela ukuthi lihlala khatshana lathi, kanti lina lihlala eduze lathi.

²³ Ngakhoke liqalekisiwe, abanye benu bazakuba yizigqili zokuthezela inkuni lokukhela amanzi indlu kaNkulunkulu wami.

²⁴ Bamphendula uJoshuwa bathi: Thina zinceku zakho satshelwa ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho yalaya uMose inceku yayo ukulinika ilizwe lonke lokuba libulale bonke abakhileyo kilo. Ngakho ngenxa yenu saba lovalo kakhulu ngokuphila kwethu, yikho senze lokho.

²⁵ Khathesike sesingaphansi kwamandla akho, yenza lokho okubona kulungile kufanele ukuba ukwenze kithi.

²⁶ Ngakho wasesenza lokho, wabophula ezandleni zabakoIsrayeli, kabababulalanga.

²⁷ Kodwa uJoshuwa wabenza ukuba balithezele inkuni balikhele amanzi ibandla kanye lealtare leNkosi; bakwenza lokho kuze kube lamhla endaweni iNkosi eyayikhethayo.