Ialtare ngaseJordani
1UJoshuwa wababiza abakwaRubeni, nabakwaGadi, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase,
2wathi kubo: Nigcinile konke uMose inceku kaJehova aniyala ngakho, nalalela izwi lami kukho konke enganiyala ngakho;
3anishiyanga abafowenu lezizinsuku eziningi kuze kube-namuhla, kepha nigcinile imfanelo yomyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.
4Manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ubanikile abafowenu ukuphumula njengalokho ebekhuluma kubo; ngalokho buyani, niye ematendeni enu ezweni lefa lenu aninika lona uMose inceku kaJehova ngaphesheya kweJordani.
5Qaphelisisani kuphela ukwenza imiyalo nomthetho aniyala ngakho uMose inceku kaJehova ukuba nimthande uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, nihambe kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, nigcine imiyalo yakhe, ninamathele kuye, nimkhonze ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu nangawo wonke umphefumulo wenu.
6UJoshuwa wayesebabusisa, wabamukisa; baya ematendeni abo.
7Inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase uMose wayeyabele izwe eBashani, kepha inxenye uJoshuwa wayinika izwe phakathi kwabafowabo phesheya kweJordani ngasentshonalanga. Lapho uJoshuwa esebamukisa ukuba baye ematendeni abo, wababusisa, wakhuluma kubo, wathi:
8Buyelani ematendeni enu nemfuyo eningi: izinkomo eziningi kakhulu, nesiliva, negolide, nethusi, nensimbi, nezingubo eziningi, nabelane impango yezitha zenu nabafowenu.
9Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase babuya, bamuka kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli eShilo eliyizwe laseKhanani ukuba baye ezweni lakwaGileyadi, izwe lefa labo, ababelwa lona njengesiyalezo sikaJehova ngesandla sikaMose;
10sebefiké eziyingeni zamatshe ngaseJordani ezisezweni laseKhanani abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakha khona ialtare ngaseJordani, liyialtare elikhulu ukubonakala kwalo.
11Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bezwa kuthiwa: Bhekani, abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase bakhile ialtare malungana nezwe laseKhanani eziyingeni zamatshe ngaseJordani ngaphesheya kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.
12Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli sebezwile lokho, yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwaIsrayeli yabuthana ngaseShilo ukuba ikhuphuke ilwe nabo.
13Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bathuma kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakuyo inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi uFinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi,
14nezikhulu eziyishumi kanye naye, isikhulu sibe-sinye ngendlu kayise ezizweni zonke zakwaIsrayeli, yileso naleso siyinhloko yendlu kayise phakathi kwemindeni yakwaIsrayeli.
15Bafika kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakuyo inxenye yesizwe sakwaManase ezweni lakwaGileyadi, bakhuluma kubo, bathi:
16Isho kanje yonke inhlangano kaJehova, ithi: Isiphambeko sini enisenzile kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ukuba nibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova ngokuzakhela ialtare, nihlubuke namuhla uJehova.
17Ububi basePeyori buncane yini kithi esingakazihlambululi kubo kuze kube-namuhla, noma inhlangano kaJehova yehlelwa yisifo,
18ukuba nibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova na? Kuzakuthi uma nihlubuka namuhla uJehova, athukuthelele yonke inhlangano kaIsrayeli kusasa.
19Kepha uma izwe lefa lenu lingcolile, welani, niye ezweni lefa likaJehova, lapho lihlala khona itabernakele* likaJehova, nibe-nefa phakathi kwethu; kepha ningahlubuki uJehova, ningahlubuki futhi kithi ngokuzakhela ialtare ngaphandle kwealtare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
20UAkani indodana kaZera akenzanga yini isiphambeko kukho okuqalekisiweyo, yonke inhlangano yakwaIsrayeli yehlelwa yintukuthelo na? Futhi akafanga yedwa lowomuntu ebubini bakhe.
21Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase baphendula, bakhuluma kuzo izinhloko zemindeni yakwaIsrayeli, bathi:
22UNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, yebo, uNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uyakwazi, noIsrayeli futhi uyakukwazi ukuthi uma kwakungokuhlubuka noma kungokuphambuka kuJehova, ungasisindisi namuhla
23ngokuthi sizakhele ialtare, sabuya ekumlandeleni uJehova; futhi uma kwakungukuba sinikele phezu kwalo ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yempuphu, nokuba sinikele ngemihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula phezu kwalo, uJehova uqobo makakubize.
24Qha, impela senzile lokho ngokunakekela nangesizathu, sathi: Ngesikhathi esizayo abantwana benu bangakhuluma kubantwana bethu ngokuthi: Ninamsebenzi muni noJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli na?
25UJehova wenzile iJordani umkhawulo phakathi kwethu nani, nina-bantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi; aninasabelo kuJehova; abantwana benu bese bebuyisela emuva abantwana bethu ukuba bangabe besamesaba uJehova.
26Sase sithi-ke: Masenze silakhe ialtare, lingabi-ngelomnikelo wokushiswa nelomhlatshelo,
27kepha libe-ngufakazi phakathi kwethu nani naphakathi kwezizukulwane zethu emva kwethu, ukuze senze inkonzo kaJehova phambi kwakhe ngeminikelo yethu yokushiswa, nangemihlatshelo yethu, nangeminikelo yethu yokuthula, ukuba abantwana benu bangasho kubantwana bethu ngesikhathi esizayo ukuthi: Aninasabelo kuJehova.
28Sathi-ke: Kuyakuthi lapho besho kanjalo kithi nakuzo izizukulwane zethu ngesikhathi esizayo, sisho ukuthi: Bhekani isifanekiso sealtare likaJehova abalenzayo obaba, lingabi-ngeleminikelo yokushiswa nelemihlatshelo; lingufakazi phakathi kwethu nani.
29Makube-kude nathi ukuba sihlubuke uJehova, sibuye namuhla ekumlandeleni uJehova ngokwakha ialtare leminikelo yokushiswa, neleminikelo yempuphu, nelemihlatshelo, ngaphandle kwealtare likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu eliphambi kwetabernakele* lakhe.
30Kuthé uFinehasi umpristi, nezikhulu zenhlangano, izinhloko zemindeni yakwaIsrayeli ezazinaye sezizwile amazwi akhulunywa ngabantwana bakwaRubeni, nangabantwana bakwaGadi, nangabantwana bakwaManase, kwaba-kuhle emehlweni abo.
31UFinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi wathi kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi nakubantwana bakwaManase: Namuhla siyazi ukuthi uJehova uphakathi kwethu, ngokuba anenzanga lesisiphambeko kuJehova; manje senophulile abantwana bakwaIsrayeli esandleni sikaJehova.
32UFinehasi indodana kaEleyazare umpristi nezikhulu babuya kubantwana bakwaRubeni nakubantwana bakwaGadi ezweni lakwaGileyadi, bebuyela ezweni laseKhanani kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli, bababuyisela izwi.
33Leyonto yabanhle emehlweni abantwana bakwaIsrayeli; abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bambonga uNkulunkulu, ababe besasho ukuthi bayakukhuphuka babahlasele, bachithe izwe ababehlala kulo abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi.
34Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi balibiza ialtare ngokuthi: Lingufakazi phakathi kwethu wokuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu.
