Joshuwa 24

₁Joshuwa wase uhlanganisa tonkhe tive taka-Israyeli eShekhemu. Wabita tonkhe tibondza, nebaholi, nebehluleli kanye netiphatsimandla taka-Israyeli, batetfula bona matfupha embikwaNkulunkulu.

₂Joshuwa wakhuluma kuso sonkhe lesive, watsi: “Naku-ke lokushiwo nguSimakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, utsi: ‘Kadzeni, bokhokho benu, kanye naThera, uyise wa-Abrahama naNahori, babehlala ngesheya kweMfula, bakhonta labanye bonkulunkulu. ₃Kodvwa ngase ngitsatsa uyihlo Abrahama kulelo live lelingesheya kweMfula, ngamhola kulo lonkhe laseKhenani, ngamupha titukulwane letinyenti. Ngamupha Isaka, ₄Isaka ngamupha Jakobe na-Esawu. Lelive letintsaba, iSeyiri, ngalabela Esawu, kodvwa Jakobe kanye nemadvodzana akhe bewuka baya eGibhithe.

₅“ ‘Ngabe sengitfuma boMosi na-Aroni, ngashaya emaGibhithe ngaloko lengakwenta lapho, nganikhipha nine. ₆Ngatsi kube boyihlomkhulu ngibakhiphe eGibhithe, nefika elwandle, nemaGibhithe abacosha ngetincola nangemabutfo labegibele emahhashi, aze efika eLwandle Lolubovu. ₇Kodvwa bakhala kuSimakadze, bacela lusito, wabe sewufaka bumnyama emkhatsini wenu nemaGibhithe. Wayekelela lwandle etikwawo, lwase luyabasibekela. Nani natibonela ngemehlo loko lengakwenta kumaGibhithe.

“ ‘Nahlala ehlane sikhatsi lesidze. ₈Nganiletsa eveni lema-Amori labehlala emphumalanga neJordane. Alwa nani, kodvwa ngawanikela esandleni senu. Ngawabhubhisa aphela embikwenu, navele nalidla lelo live lawo. ₉Ngesikhatsi Bhalaki, umsa waSiphori, inkhosi yemaMowabi, alungiselela kulwa nema-Israyeli, watfumela livi kuBhalamu, umsa waBheyori, kutsi anicalekise. ₁₀Kodvwa angizange ngimlalele Bhalamu, ngako wanibusisa waphindzelela, ngabe sengiyanikhulula esandleni saBhalaki.

₁₁“ ‘Nabe senewela iJordane, nefika eJerikho, bantfu baseJerikho balwa nani, njengobe enta njalo nema-Amori, nemaPheresi, nemaKhenani, nemaHethi, nemaGirigashi, nemaHivi, nemaJebhusi; kodvwa ngabanikela esandleni senu. ₁₂Ngatfumela bomanyovu ngembili kwenu, lababadvungulula, nine nisengakefiki, kanjalo futsi nemakhosi ema-Amori lamabili. Loko anizange nikwente ngenkemba nangebutjoki benu. ₁₃Ngako nganipha live leningazange nilihluphekele, kanye nemadolobha leningazange seniwakhe; nihlala kuwo, nidle kuleto tivini nemincumo leningazange nikuhlanyele.’

₁₄“Ngako yesabani Simakadze nimkhonte ngekwetsembeka konkhe. Balahleni bonkulunkulu bebakhontwa bokhokho benu ngesheya kweMfula, naseGibhithe, nikhonte Simakadze. ₁₅Kodvwa nangabe kukhonta Simakadze kubonakala kungatsandzeki kini, ngako khetsani lamuhla kutsi nitawukhonta bani, nome bonkulunkulu lababekhontwa bokhokho benu ngesheya kweMfula, nome bonkulunkulu bema-Amori, akulelive lese nakhe kulo. Kodvwa mine nendlu yami sitawukhonta Simakadze.”

₁₆Bantfu baphendvula batsi: “Akube khashane natsi kuhlubuka Simakadze, bese sikhonta labanye bonkulunkulu! ₁₇Ngobe nguSimakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu lowasikhipha, tsine nabokhokho betfu, eveni laseGibhithe, endlini yebugcili. Nguye lowenta leto tibonakaliso letinkhulu emehlweni etfu sibuka. Wasilondvolota kuyo yonkhe indlela yetfu nakuto tonkhe tive lesasihamba sidzabula emkhatsini wato. ₁₈Simakadze watidvungulula watikhipha tonkhe leto tive embikwetfu, ngisho nema-Amori labehlala kulelive. Natsi futsi sitamkhonta Simakadze, ngobe nguNkulunkulu wetfu.”

₁₉Joshuwa wakhuluma kulabantfu, watsi: “Ningeke nikhone kukhonta Simakadze. Nkulunkulu ungcwele; unguNkulunkulu lonesikhwele. Angeke akutsetselele kumhlubuka kwenu netono tenu. ₂₀Nanihlubuka Simakadze bese nikhonta bonkulunkulu betive, utawujika aniletsele inhlekelele etikwenu, anente niphele, nome bekamuhle kini.”

₂₁Kodvwa bantfu bakhuluma kuJoshuwa, batsi: “Cha! Tsine sitawukhonta Simakadze.”

₂₂Joshuwa wabe sewukhuluma utsi: “Nine nibofakazi bekutilahla nine matfupha ngekutsi nitikhetsele kukhonta Simakadze.”

Bamphendvula batsi: “Yebo, sibofakazi.”

₂₃Joshuwa wakhuluma kubo, watsi: “Manje sale senibalahla labonkulunkulu betive labasemkhatsini wenu bese ninikela tinhlitiyo tenu kuSimakadze, Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli.”

₂₄Bantfu bakhuluma kuJoshuwa, batsi: “Sitawukhonta Simakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu, silalele yena.”

₂₅Ngalelo langa Joshuwa bantfu wabentela sivumelwane, khona lapho eShekhemu wase ubabhalela timiso nemitsetfo. ₂₆Joshuwa letintfo watibhala encwadzini yemtsetfo waNkulunkulu. Wabe sewutsatsa litje lelikhulu walimisa khona lapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi edvute nendzawo lengcwele yaSimakadze.

₂₇Wakhuluma kubantfu, watsi: “Bukani la! Lelitje litawuba ngufakazi wekumelana natsi. Liwevile onkhe lamavi lakhulunywe nguSimakadze kitsi. Litawuba ngufakazi wekunilahla ngelicala, nangabe aniketsembeki kuNkulunkulu wenu.”

₂₈Joshuwa wase uyabancandzekisa bonkhe labantfu, kwaba ngulowo nalowo waya eveni lakhe.

₂₉Emvakwaloko Joshuwa, umsa waNuni, inceku yaSimakadze, wafa asaneminyaka leli-110 budzala. ₃₀Bamngcwaba eveni lekulifa lakhe, eThimnathi Sera eveni letintsaba kulaka-Efrayimu, enyakatfo neNtsaba iGashi.

₃₁Baka-Israyeli bakhonta Simakadze kuso sonkhe sikhatsi sekuphila kwaJoshuwa kanye nebaholi labasala emvakwakhe labakubona konkhe loko Simakadze lakwentela sive sema-Israyeli.

₃₂Ematsambo aJosefa, ema-Israyeli laphuma nawo eGibhithe, angcwatjwa eShekhemu, kulelo tsafa lelive Jakobe lalitsenga ngetinhlavu tesiliva letilikhulu, kumadvodzana aHamori, uyise waShekhemu. Lendzawo yaba lifa letitukulwane takaJosefa.

₃₃Eleyazare, umsa wa-Aroni, wafa wangcwatjwa eGibeya, live lelalabelwe umsa wakhe, Finehasi, eveni letintsaba kulaka-Efrayimu.