Ubuqili babaseGibeyoni
1Kwathi lapho onke amakhosi ayengaphesheya kweJordani, ezintabeni, nasemathafeni, nasogwini lonke loLwandle oluKhulu olubhekene neLebanoni, amaHeti, nama-Amori, namaKhanani, namaPherizi, namaHivi, namaJebusi, esezwa lokho,
2abuthana ndawonye ukuba alwe noJoshuwa noIsrayeli nganhliziyonye.
3Kepha bathi ukuba abakhileyo eGibeyoni bezwa lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile kulo iJeriko neAyi,
4nabo benza ubuqili, bahamba bazenzisa kwangathi bayizithunywa, babeka amasaka agugileyo ezimbongolweni zabo, nezimvaba zewayini ezigugileyo neziklebhukileyo, ebesezithungiwe,
5nezicathulo ezigugileyo eziciciyelweyo zisezinyaweni zabo, bembethe nezingubo ezigugileyo; isinkwa sonke somphako wabo sasomile, sikhuntile.
6Baya kuJoshuwa ekamu* laseGiligali, bathi kuye nakumadoda akwaIsrayeli: Sivela ezweni elikude; ngalokho manenze manje isivumelwano nathi.
7Amadoda akwaIsrayeli athi kumaHivi: Mhlawumbe nakhile phakathi kwethu; singenza kanjani isivumelwano nani na?
8Bathi kuJoshuwa: Siyizinceku zakho. UJoshuwa wathi kubo: Ningobani, futhi nivelaphi na?
9Bathi kuye: Izinceku zakho zivela ezweni elikude kakhulu ngenxa yegama likaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokuba siluzwile udumo lwakhe, nakho konke akwenzayo eGibithe,
10nakho konke akwenza kuwo amakhosi omabili ama-Amori ayengaphesheya kweJordani, uSihoni inkosi yaseHeshiboni no-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani, eyayiseAshitaroti.
11Amalunga ethu nabo bonke abakhileyo ezweni lakithi bakhuluma kithi, bathi: Phathani ezandleni zenu umphako wendlela, niye nibahlangabeze, nithi kubo: Siyizinceku zenu; manenze manje isivumelwano nathi.
12Lesisinkwa somphako wethu sasithatha sisashisa ezindlini zethu ngosuku esaphuma ngalo ukuba siye kini; kepha manje, bhekani, sesomile, sikhuntile;
13lezizimvaba zewayini esazigcwalisa zazizintsha; bhekani, seziklebhukile; lezizingubo zethu nezicathulo zethu sezigugile ngenxa yendlela ende kakhulu.
14Amadoda ayesethatha emphakweni wabo engabuzanga umlomo kaJehova.
15UJoshuwa wabethembisa ukuthula, wenza isivumelwano nabo ukuba baphile; izikhulu zenhlangano zafunga kubo.
16Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezintathu sebesenzile isivumelwano nabo, bezwa ukuthi bangabakhelwane babo nokuthi bahlala phakathi kwabo.
17Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli base besuka, bafika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu; imizi yabo yayiyiGibeyoni, neKefira, neBeroti, neKiriyati-Jeharimi.
18Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ababachithanga, ngokuba izikhulu zenhlangano zazifungile kubo uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli. Yonke inhlangano yakhonona ngezikhulu.
19Zonke izikhulu zase zithi kuyo yonke inhlangano: Sifungile kubo uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; ngalokho asinakubathinta manje.
20Siyakwenza lokho kubo, sibayeke baphile, funa sehlelwe lulaka ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kubo.
21Izikhulu zase zithi kubo: Mabayekwe baphile; baba-ngabagawuli bemithi nabakhi bamanzi kuyo yonke inhlangano njengalokho izikhulu zazibatshelile.
22UJoshuwa wababiza, wakhuluma kubo, wathi: Nisikhohliseleni ngokuthi: Sikude kakhulu nani, lokhu nakhile phakathi kwethu, na?
23Ngalokho seniqalekisiwe, akuyikunqamuka ukuvela kini izigqila, abagawuli bemithi nabakhi bamanzi kuyo indlu kaNkulunkulu wami.
24Bamphendula uJoshuwa, bathi: Kungokuba izinceku zakho zatshelwa nokutshelwa ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho wayala inceku yakhe uMose ukuba aninike izwe lonke, achithe bonke abakhileyo ezweni phambi kwenu; ngalokho sesaba kakhulu ngokuphila kwethu ngenxa yenu, sakwenza lokho.
25Bheka, manje sesisesandleni sakho; okuhle nokulungile emehlweni akho ukuba ukwenze kithi, kwenze.
26Wayesenze njalo kubo, wabophula esandleni sabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, baze bangababulali.
27UJoshuwa wabenza ngalolosuku abagawuli bemithi nabakhi bamanzi kuyo inhlangano nakulo ialtare likaJehova kuze kube-namuhla endaweni abeyakuyikhetha.
