UYOSHUWA 23

₁Lakuba ligqithile ithuba elide *uNdikhoyo uwaphumzile amaSirayeli ezintshabeni zawo ezaziwangqongile; noYoshuwa ngoku wayeselemdala aluphele. ₂UYoshuwa wawabiza onke amaSirayeli, amadoda amakhulu, iintloko zezindlu, abalamli, kunye nabanye abangamagosa, wathi kubo: “Sendaluphele; ndigugile mna ngoku. ₃Niyibonile yonke into ayenzileyo ngenxa yenu uNdikhoyo kuzo zonke iintlanga zalapha. UNdikhoyo uThixo wenu ubesoloko enilwela kaloku. ₄Khumbulani ukuba isizwe ngasinye kuni ndisabele umhlaba waso kumhlaba weentlanga endizitshabalalisileyo, kwanezo zisaseleyo phakathi kweJordan nolwandle ngasentshonalanga. ₅UNdikhoyo uThixo wenu nguye ngenkqu owozigxotha phambi kwenu; wovulela nina indawo. Ke ngoko lo mhlaba ngowenu njengoko kanye wathembisayo. ₆Ngoko ke yomelelani, ninyamekele nithobele yonke into ebhalwe kwincwadi yomthetho kaMosis, ningashiyi nendawo le. ₇Nize ningazibandakanyi naba bantu basaseleyo apha, ningabizi namagama *oothixo babo, okanye nisebenzise amagama oothixo babo xa nifunga, ningabanquli abo thixo nikhahlele kubo. ₈Ndaweni yaloo nto nina namathelani kuNdikhoyo, nenze njengoko senenzile unanamhla. ₉UNdikhoyo unigxothele izizwe ezikhulu nezinamandla ekungeneni kwenu, akwabikho bani unako ukumelana nani edabini. ₁₀Nditsho nomntu omnye kuni angachitha-chitha iwaka eyedwa, kuba kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu uyanilwela njengoko wathembisayo. ₁₁Ze nigcise ke ngenxa yobomi benu, uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu nimthande, ₁₂kuba kaloku xa nithe natyeka kuye nazibandakanya nezi ntlanga ziseleyo apha, nendiselana nazo, ₁₃ze nazi kakuhle ukuba uNdikhoyo akakubuy' azigxothe, anivulele indawo. Ndaweni yaloo nto ziya kusuka zibe ngathi zizabatha nezigu zokunigcayisela, zibe ngathi zizabhokhwe zokunitywatyusha, nameva asemehlweni, nide niphele nithi shwaka kulo mhlaba ulungileyo niwunikwe nguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.

₁₄“Ngoku ke sendiza kufa. Nazi mhlophe ezintliziyweni zenu nasemiphefumlweni yenu ukuba akukho nanye into ayithembisileyo angayenzanga uNdikhoyo; ewe, akukho nanye into ayithethileyo angayiphumelelisanga. ₁₅Kanti kwalo Ndikhoyo unenzela izinto ezintle kangaka uyakwazi ukubuya azise ububi anitshabalalise nithi shwaka kulo mhlaba ulungileyo aninike wona. ₁₆Ewe, xa niwutyeshelayo umnqophiso athe maze niwugcine uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, nisuke nina nikhonze ninqule izithixo, wovutha umsindo wakhe, anitshabalalise ngephanyazo, niphele kuthi tu kulo mhlaba ulungileyo aninike wona.”