24 – AmaSirayeli awela iJordan

₁Ngengomso uYoshuwa namaSirayeli ephela bavuka xa kumpondo zankomo, banduluka eShitim, baya kuma phezu kweJordan lo gama balinde ukuwela. ₂Emva kweentsuku ezintathu iinduna zajikeleza esikhululweni, ₃ziyalela abantu zisithi: “Xa nibona ityesi yomnqophiso *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu kunye nababingeleli abangabaLevi abayithweleyo, ze niphakame, niphume, nilandele. ₄Kaloku niza kuhamba ngendlela eningazange niyihambe ngaphambili; kuya kufuneka ke nilandele ababingeleli. Kodwa kufuneka ningasondeli kwityesi yomnqophiso. Ze kubekho umgama omalunga nekhilomitha enye phakathi kwayo nani.”

₅UYoshuwa ke wathi ebantwini: “Zihlambululeni, kuba ngomso uNdikhoyo uza kwenza imimangaliso phakathi kwenu.” ₆Waza wabhekisa kubabingeleli wathi: “Thwalani ityesi yomnqophiso niwele, baze abantu balandele.” Benjenjalo ke ababingeleli.

₇Wathi uNdikhoyo kuYoshuwa: “Into endiza kuyenza namhlanje iya kukwenza utsho uhlonipheke kumaSirayeli, aqonde ukuba ndinawe nanjengoMosis. ₈Yithi kubabingeleli abathwele ityesi yomnqophiso ze bathi bakufika emlanjeni iJordan, bangene beme enyeleni.”

₉UYoshuwa wabiza amaSirayeli wathi: “Sondelani nize kuva amazwi athethwe nguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu. ₁₀Noqonda ngale nto ukuba uThixo ophilayo ukho phakathi kwenu: nguye oya kuwaswantsulisa amaKanana, amaHeti, amaHivi, amaPerezi namaGirgashi, ama-Amori kunye namaJebhusi. ₁₁Niyabona, ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, iNkosi yehlabathi liphela, yiyo enandulelayo ukuwela iJordan. ₁₂Khethani ishumi elinambini lamadoda kwizizwe zakwaSirayeli, ibe nye kwisizwe ngasinye. ₁₃Bakuthi cakatha emanzini ababingeleli abathwele ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, iNkosi yehlabathi liphela, umlambo iJordan uya kuma, ahlanganiselane ndawonye amanzi avela ngentla.”

_14-15Yayilixesha lokuvuna, umlambo uzele, uphuphuma.

Ukunduluka kwamaSirayeli ukuya kuwela iJordan, ababingeleli babewakhokele, bethwele ityesi yomnqophiso. Kuthe nje ukuba bathi cakatha emlanjeni, ₁₆ema amanzi avela ngentla, ahlanganiselana ada aya kutsho eAdam, idolophu emelene neZaretan. Amanzi ahlayo ukusinga kuLwandle oluFileyo anqamka, baza ke abantu bawelela kufuphi neJeriko. ₁₇Lo gama abantu bakwaSirayeli bawelayo behamba kumhlaba owomileyo, ababingeleli ababethwele ityesi yomnqophiso babemi zinzi kumhlaba owomileyo apho esizikithini somlambo iJordan, bada bawela baphelela abantu.

₁Lakuba luwele lwaphelela uhlanga lwamaSirayeli, *uNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa: ₂“Tyumba amadoda abe lishumi elinambini, ibe nye kwisizwe ngasinye. ₃Yithi makathathe ishumi elinambini lamatye kulaa ndawo bekume zinzi kuyo ababingeleli esazulwini seJordan, awathwale loo matye, aze awabeke apho kuya kuba kukhululwe khona ngokuhlwa namhlanje.”

₄UYoshuwa wawabiza loo madoda alishumi elinambini awatyumbileyo kwisizwe ngasinye, ₅wathi: “Ngenani emlanjeni iJordan, nigqithe kwityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo uNdikhoyo, ize indoda nganye ixwaye ilitye eliza kumela isizwe ngasinye samaSirayeli.” ₆Watsho esithi: “La matye ngumqondiso kumaSirayeli ngazo zonke iziganeko zikaNdikhoyo. Xa bebuza ngomso abantwana benu besithi: ‘Ngawantoni na la matye?’ ₇nobaxelela ukuba ngamhla ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo yayiwela umlambo, ema amanzi, ahlanganiselana eJordan. La matye ohlala esisikhumbuzo kumaSirayeli sesiganeko esehla kule ndawo.”

₈AmaSirayeli enza ngokomyalelo kaYoshuwa. Awakhetha amatye alishumi elinambini emlanjeni iJordan ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo kuYoshuwa, lalinye kwisizwe ngasinye, awasa kulaa ndawo kwakuza kukhululwa kuyo ngaloo mhla. ₉UYoshuwa yena wabeka amanye amatye alishumi elinambini kulaa ndawo kwakumi kuyo ababingeleli ababethwele ityesi yomnqophiso, phakathi emlanjeni iJordan. (Aselapho unanamhla loo matye.) ₁₀Ababingeleli bema njalo emlanjeni iJordan kwada kwagqitywa yonke into ekwakuthiwe kuYoshuwa mayenziwe ngabantu. Zizinto ezaziyalelwe nguMosis zonke ezo.

Abantu bakhawuleza ukuwela umlambo. ₁₁Bakuba bewele bonke, ityesi yomnqophiso yawezwa ngababingeleli, abantu bejongile. ₁₂Amadoda esizwe sakwaRubhen nesakwaGadi, kunye nenxalenye yesizwe sakwaManase, awela kuqala kunabo bonke abantu, exhobile, njengoko wayetshilo kuwo uMosis. ₁₃Kwawela amashumi mane amawaka amadoda axhobele idabi, aya kutsho kwezo ntili zeJeriko, ekhatshwa nguNdikhoyo. ₁₄Into eyenziwa nguNdikhoyo ngalo mhla yatsho amaSirayeli amhlonela uYoshuwa. Amhlonela bonke ubomi bakhe njengoko amhlonelayo uMosis.

₁₅UNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa: ₁₆“Xelela ababingeleli abathwele ityesi yomnqophiso ukuba baphume emlanjeni.” ₁₇Wenjenjalo ke uYoshuwa, ₁₈bathi bakuba bewelile, wabuya wazala, waphuphuma kwakhona umlambo.

₁₉AmaSirayeli ayiwela iJordan ngomhla weshumi kwinyanga yokuqala, afika amisa iintente eGiligali engasempumalanga yeJeriko. ₂₀UYoshuwa wawamisa apho eGiligali laa matye alishumi linambini ayethathwe eJordan. ₂₁Wathi kumaSirayeli: “Xa bathe abantwana benu babuza kuni, boyise, besithi: ‘Ngawantoni na la matye?’ ₂₂ze nibabalisele nithi: ‘AmaSirayeli ayiwela le Jordan ehamba emhlabeni owomileyo.’ ₂₃Kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu wawanqumamisa amanzi eJordan, khon' ukuze niwele umlambo womile, kanye ngalaa ndlela womisa ngayo amanzi oLwandle oluBomvu khon' ukuze siwele. ₂₄Loo nto ke iya kwenza ukuba bonke abemi belizwe bawaqonde amandla kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, nani nimoyike ngalo lonke ixesha.”