UJoshuwa 6

₁Amasango eJerikho ayevaliwe ngaphakathi nangaphandle ngenxa yabantu bakwa-Israyeli; kwakungaphumi futhi kungangeni muntu.

₂USimakade wathi kuJoshuwa: “Bheka, ngilinikele kuwe iJerikho, lona kanye nenkosi yalo namaqhawe alo anamandla. ₃Niyakuhamba niwuzungeze kanye umuzi. Uyakukwenza lokhu izinsuku eziyisithupha, ₄nabaphristi abayisikhombisa bephethe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama, behamba phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa uyakuwuzungeza umuzi kuze kube kasikhombisa, abaphristi bebetha amacilongo. ₅Kuyothi lapho beshaya uphondo lwenqama isikhathi eside, lapho nje nikuzwa ukukhala kwecilongo, bonke abantu bayakumemeza ngesaho esikhulu, udonga lomuzi luyakudilika bese bonke abantu begasela phakathi.”

₆Ngakho-ke uJoshuwa, indodana kaNuni, wabiza abaphristi, wathi kubo: “Thathani umphongolo wesivumelwano bese abaphristi abayisikhombisa baphathe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama phambi komphongolo kaSimakade.”

₇Wathi kubantu: “Phikelelani phambili, niwuzungeze umuzi; amadoda ahlomile mawedlule phambi komphongolo kaSimakade.”

₈Njengoba uJoshuwa ayebayalile abantu, abaphristi abayisikhombisa bephethe amacilongo ayisikhombisa ezimpondo zezinqama bahamba phambi kukaSimakade befutha amacilongo abo, nomphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade ulandela ngemuva kwabo. ₉Amadoda ahlomile ahamba phambi kwabaphristi ababeshaya amacilongo. Amanye ahamba ngemuva elandela umphongolo, abashaya amacilongo bawashaya kabaze baphumula. ₁₀UJoshuwa wabayala abantu, wathi: “Aniyukukhuza saga, aniyukumemeza, futhi aniyukusho lutho kuze kube lusuku engiyonitshela ngalo ukuba nikhuze isaga. Lapho-ke niyakumemeza nikhamuluke.”

₁₁Umphongolo kaSimakade wazungeza umuzi, wawuzungeza kanye, base bebuyela enkanjini yabo, balala lobo busuku lapho babekanise khona.

₁₂UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, abaphristi bathatha umphongolo kaSimakade. ₁₃Abaphristi abayisikhombisa ababephethe amacilongo ezimpondo zezinqama ayisikhombisa, bedlula phambi komphongolo kaSimakade beshaya amacilongo. Amadoda ahlomile ahamba phambi kwabo, amanye alandela umphongolo kaSimakade, kwathi abashaya amacilongo bawashaya bengaphumuli. ₁₄Ngosuku lwesibili bahamba bawuzungeza umuzi kanye, base bebuyela enkanjini. Bakwenza lokho izinsuku eziyisithupha.

₁₅Ngosuku lwesikhombisa bavuka ekuseni kusempondozankomo bahamba bawuzungeza umuzi ngendlela efanayo, kwaze kwaba kasikhombisa. Kwakungalolo lusuku kuphela lapho bahamba bawuzungeza kasikhombisa umuzi. ₁₆Lapho sekungokwesikhombisa, abaphristi sebewashayile amacilongo, uJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Memezani kakhulu, ngokuba uSimakade uwunikele kini lo muzi. ₁₇Umuzi nakho konke okukuwo kuyakunikelwa kuSimakade, ubhujiswe, nguRahabi isifebe kuphela nabo bonke abanaye endlini yakhe abayosinda, ngokuba wathukusa izinhloli zethu esasizithumele. ₁₈Nize ningazithinti izinto ezimiselwe ukucekelwa phansi, nize ningazinxaneli nithathe zonke izinto ezimiselwe ukubhujiswa bese nenza inkambu ka-Israyeli into yokubhujiswa, nilethe ukuhlupheka phezu kwayo. ₁₉Kepha lonke isiliva, igolide, izitsha zethusi nezensimbi kungcwele kuSimakade, kuyakuyiswa endlini yengcebo kaSimakade.”

₂₀Abantu bamemeza kakhulu, kwakhala amacilongo. Kwathi ukuba abantu bezwe ukukhala kwamacilongo, bamemeza kakhulu, lwawa udonga, ngakho-ke abantu bawuthelekela, bawudla umuzi. ₂₁Baphokophelela ukubhubhisa ngenkemba konke okwakulowo muzi, abesilisa nabesifazane, abancane nabadala, izinkomo nezimvu, nezimbongolo.

₂₂UJoshuwa wathi kulawo madoda amabili ayekade ehlole izwe: “Ngenani endlini yesifebe, nimkhiphe owesifazane kuyo nabo bonke abakwabo, njengalokhu nafunga kuye.”

₂₃Izinsizwa ezazikade ziyizinhloli zangena zamkhipha uRahabi, noyise, nonina, nabafowabo, nabo bonke ayenabo. Zawukhipha wonke umndeni wakhe, zababeka ngaphandle kwenkambu yakwa-Israyeli.

₂₄Bawushisa ngomlilo wonke umuzi, nakho konke okwakukuwo, ngaphandle kwesiliva negolide nezimpahla zethusi nezensimbi okwafakwa endlini yengcebo kaSimakade. ₂₅UJoshuwa wamsindisa uRahabi, isifebe, nabendlu kayise, nabo bonke ayenabo. Selokhu bahlala kwa-Israyeli kuze kube namuhla ngokuba wafihla izithunywa uJoshuwa ayezithume ukuyohlola iJerikho.

₂₆Ngaleso sikhathi uJoshuwa wenza lesi sifungo wathi: “Makaqalekiswe phambi kukaSimakade lowo oyozama ukwakha lo muzi iJerikho. Obeka isisekelo salo uyakulahlekelwa yizibulo lakhe, ovuselela amasango alo uyakulahlekelwa yindodana yokugcina.”

₂₇USimakade wayenaye uJoshuwa, udumo lwakhe lwagcwala ezweni lonke.