UJoshuwa 8 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukuchithwa kweAyi

¹ INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Ungesabi, utshaywe luvalo; thatha wonke amadoda okulwa, usuke uye eAyi; nginikele esandleni sakho inkosi yaseAyi, labantu bayo, lomuzi wayo, lelizwe layo.

² Uzakwenza eAyi lasenkosini yalo lokho owakwenza eJeriko lasenkosini yalo. Kodwa lizazithathela inkomo lenye impango elingayithatha. Liwucathamele umuzi ngemuva.

³ UJoshuwa wasesuka lawo wonke amadoda empi ukuba baye eAyi; wakhetha amaqhawe alamandla ayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, wawathuma ebusuku.

⁴ Wathi kuwo: Lizawucathamela umuzi ngemuva; lingabi khatshana lawo, lihlale lihlomile lonke;

⁵ minake labo bonke abantu abalami sizasondela emzini, kuthi lapho bephuma ukulwa lathi njengakuqala sibaleke phambi kwabo,

⁶ bona bazaxotshana lathi size sibasuse emzini, ngoba bazakuthi: Bayasibalekela njengakuqala. Sizabaleka phambi kwabo.

⁷ Beselisukake ekucathameni kwenu, liwuthumbe umuzi; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu izakuwunikela ezandleni zenu.

⁸ Nxa seliwuthumbile umuzi, liwutshise ngomlilo, njengokutsho kweNkosi. Khangelani, sengililayile.

⁹ UJoshuwa wasebakhupha, baya endaweni yokucathama, bacatsha phakathi kweBetheli leAyi, ngasentshonalanga kweAyi, kodwa uJoshuwa walala phakathi kwabantu ngalobobusuku.

¹⁰ UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabuthanisa abantu, waphuma labadala bakoIsrayeli ngaphambi kwabantu, waya eAyi.

¹¹ Wonke amadoda okulwa ayelaye ahamba, basondela emzini, bamisa ngasenyakatho kweAyi, kwakukhona isihotsha phakathi kwabo leAyi.

¹² Wathatha amadoda azinkulungwane ezintathu, wabacathamisa phakathi kweBetheli leAyi ngasentshonalanga komuzi.

¹³ Ngakhoke impi yamisa ngasenyakatho komuzi, isigaba sayo sasemuva saba ngasentshonalanga, uJoshuwa yena wehlela esihotsheni ngalobobusuku.

¹⁴ Kwathi inkosi yaseAyi ikubona lokhu, yona labo bonke abantu bomuzi wayo baphuma masinyane bayakulwa loIsrayeli; kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kukhona abayicathameleyo ngasentshonalanga komuzi.

¹⁵ UJoshuwa labo bonke abakoIsrayeli benza kungathi bayehlulwa, babaleka baqonda enkangala.

¹⁶ Kwasekubizwa bonke abantu ababephakathi komuzi ukuxotshana labo; nxa bexotshana loJoshuwa badonselwa khatshana lomuzi.

¹⁷ Kakusalanga loyedwa eAyi ongaphumanga ukuxotshana loIsrayeli; bawutshiya ukhamisile umuzi, baxotshana loIsrayeli.

¹⁸ INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Khomba eAyi ngomkhonto owuphetheyo, ngoba ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho. UJoshuwa wasewukhomba umuzi ngomkhonto ayewuphethe.

¹⁹ Abacathemeyo basebevumbuluka masinyane endaweni yabo; uJoshuwa esand’ukukhomba ngesandla sakhe, bagijima bangena phakathi komuzi, bawuthumba, bawutshisa ngomlilo masinyane.

²⁰ Kwathi lapho amadoda aseAyi enyemukula abona umuzi ususitsha, ehluleka ukuba azabalekela ngaphi, ngoba abakoIsrayeli ababebalekele enkangala baphendukela ababaxotshayo.

²¹ Kwathi uJoshuwa laye wonke uIsrayeli bebona ukuthi abacathemeyo sebewuthumbile umuzi lokuthi umuzi ususitsha, basebephenduka bebulala amadoda aseAyi.

²² Labo ababephumile ukulwa loIsrayeli basebephakathi, abakoIsrayeli baba nxa zombili, bababulala, kakwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyuka wabaleka.

²³ Kodwa inkosi yaseAyi bayithumba, bayisa kuJoshuwa.

²⁴ Kwathi lapho abakoIsrayeli sebeqedile ukubulala abaseAyi emagcekeni lasenkangala lapho babebaxotshele khona, bababulala bonke nya ngomkhonto, basebephendukela eAyi, balihlasela.

²⁵ Bonke abafayo mhlalokho abesilisa labesifazana babezinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, bonke abantu baseAyi.

²⁶ UJoshuwa kasehlisanga isandla sakhe ayekhombe ngaso ngomkhonto baze bafa baphela abaseAyi.

²⁷ Zinkomo kuphela lempahla yomuzi uIsrayeli abakuthumbayo, njengelizwi leNkosi eyalitsho kuJoshuwa.

²⁸ UJoshuwa waselitshisa iAyi, walenza izinqwaba zonxiwa njengoba linjalo kuze kube lamuhla.

²⁹ Inkosi yaseAyi wayiphanyeka esihlahleni kwaze kwahlwa. Ekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuba bethule isidumbu sayo esihlahleni, basiphosele esangweni lomuzi, babuthelele inqwaba enkulu yamatshe phezu kwaso esekhona lalamhla.

Umlayo ufundwa nguJoshuwa entabeni yaseEbali

³⁰ UJoshuwa waseyakhela iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ialtare entabeni yaseEbali.

³¹ Ialtare lalingelamatshe angabazwanga ngento yensimbi njengomlayo kaMose inceku yeNkosi kwabakoIsrayeli osogwalweni lomlayo kaMose. Banikela eNkosini iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yokuthula.

³² Waloba ematsheni phambi kwabakoIsrayeli amazwi omlayo uMose ayewalobile.

³³ Bonke abakoIsrayeli, abadala lezinduna labahluleli, bema ngapha langapha komtshokotsho, bekhangelene labapristi abangamaLevi abathwala umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, bonke abakoIsrayeli abokuzalwa labezizweni. Ingxenye yabo yema ikhangelene lentaba yaseGerizimi lengxenye ikhangelene lentaba yaseEbali, njengokulaya kokuqala kukaMose inceku yeNkosi ukuba kubusiswe abakoIsrayeli.

³⁴ Emva kwalokho wasewafunda wonke amazwi omlayo, awokubusisa lawokuqalekisa, njengakho konke okulotshiweyo ogwalweni lomlayo.

³⁵ Kakukho lelilodwa ilizwi uMose alilayayo angalifundanga uJoshuwa phambi kwebandla lakoIsrayeli kanye labesifazana labantwana labezizweni abahlala phakathi kwabo.