Umyolelo kaYoshuwa nokuhlaziywa komnqophiso
1UYoshuwa wenza imbizo yazo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli eShekem. Wabiza onke amadoda amakhulu, iintloko zezindlu, abalamli, kunye nabanye abangamagosa akwaSirayeli, bonke baya kuthi nqwadalala *ngasesibingelelweni *sikaNdikhoyo. 2Wabhekisa kubo bonke abantu uYoshuwa wenjenje: “Utsho uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Kudala kanye ooyihlo-mkhulu uTera kunye noonyana bakhe uAbraham noNahore babemi ngaphesheya komlambo iEfrati, benqula *thixo bambi. 3Uyihlo-mkhulu uAbraham ndamkhupha apho ngaphesheya kwe-Efrati, walityhutyha lonke elaseKanana. Ndampha abantwana abaninzi. Ndamnika uIsake; 4uIsake yena ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu. UEsawu ndamnika ilizwe leentaba lase-Edom. Yena uYakobi noonyana bakhe behla baya eJiputa. 5-6Ndathuma uMosis noAron, amaJiputa ndawehlisela izibetho. Niyayazi into endawenza yona. Ndaza ke emva koko ndanikhupha eJiputa, naza nina naza kutsho kuLwandle oluBomvu. AmaJiputa akhupha iinqwelo zamahashe nomkhosi okhwele amahashe ukusukela ooyihlo, asinga kuLwandle oluBomvu. 7Kodwa bathi bakukhala ooyihlo, ndafaka ithunzi lobumnyama phakathi kwamaSirayeli namaJiputa. Ndawagubungela ngamanzi olwandle, eyela amaJiputa – niyayazi loo nto.
“ ‘Nahlala entlango ithuba elide. 8Ndaza mna ndanizisa kumhlaba wama-Amori awayemi ngasempumalanga yeJordan. Alwa nani, kodwa mna ndawanikela ezandleni zenu. Nawuthatha umhlaba wawo, ndakuba mna ndiwatshabalalisile. 9Ukumkani uBhalaki wakwaMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, waqubisana namaSirayeli edabini. Wathumelela uBhalam, unyana kaBhehore, ukuba abizwe eze anishwabulele, 10kodwa andizange ndivume ukumphulaphula uBhalam. Ndaweni yaloo nto wamana ukunithamsanqelisa, ndaba ke ndinihlangule kuBhalaki. 11Nawela iJordan, naya eJeriko. Abemi balapho balwa nani, njengoko enjenjalo ama-Amori, namaPerezi, namaKanana, amaHiti, amaGirgashi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi, kodwa ndabanikela ezandleni zenu. 12Ndabathumela ngoonomeva abo balwa nani. Yiyo loo nto eyachitha iikumkani zama-Amori zombini – asilokrele nalutolo lwenu. 13Ndaninika umhlaba eningazanga nawusebenza nezixeko eningazanga nazakha. Ngoku nihlala apho nitye isivuno semidiliya eningayilimanga, neminquma eningazanga nabulaleka yiyo.’
14“UNdikhoyo mhloneleni, nimnqule ngentembeko ninyanisekile. Yahlukanani *nezithixo zookhokho benu ngexesha bengaphesheya kwe-Efrati naseJiputa, nikhonze uNdikhoyo yedwa. 15Ke ukuba kubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uNdikhoyo, khethani ngoku, ukuba nokhonza bani na nina, phakathi koothixo baseMesopotami booyihlo noothixo bama-Amori enimi kumhlaba wawo. Kodwa mna kunye nomzi wam, siya kukhonza uNdikhoyo.”
16Aphendula amaSirayeli athi: “Thina asisoze sahlukane noNdikhoyo sikhonze thixo bambi. 17NguNdikhoyo uThixo wethu owasikhulula thina nookhokho eJiputa ebukhobokeni. Siyayazi imiqondiso emikhulu awayenzayo. Wasilondoloza konke apho sihamba khona, wasikhusela xa besicanda phakathi kweentlanga. 18UNdikhoyo wasigxothela zonke iintlanga, nditsho kunye nama-Amori awayemi apha. Ngoko ke nathi sokhonza uNdikhoyo; nguye uThixo wethu.”
19UYoshuwa wathetha namaSirayeli wenjenje: “Aninako ukumkhonza uNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo nguThixo owahlukileyo; unguThixo onekhwele. Akasayi kukuxolela ukumvukela kwenu nokumona kwenu, 20yaye ukuba niyamfulathela nikhonze izithixo zasemzini, wonijikela anihlisele ububi. Wonitshabalalisa niphele, ngoku kanye ebekade eniphethe kakuhle.”
21Abantu bathi kuYoshuwa: “Hayi bo! Thina siza kukhonza uNdikhoyo.”
22Wathi ke uYoshuwa: “Ningamangqina enu ngokwenu ke ukuba nina nizikhethele ukukhonza uNdikhoyo.”
“Ewe, singamangqina,” batsho abantu.
23“Yahlukanani ke nazo ezo zithixo zasemzini ninazo,” watsho uYoshuwa, “nize ke nizinikele ngomxhelo wonke kuNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.”
24Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa: “Thina sokhonza uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu, siphulaphule ilizwi lakhe.”
25Ngaloo mini, belapho eShekem, uYoshuwa wabenzela umnqophiso abantu, wabanika imimiselo nemithetho amabayithobele. 26Wayibhala yonke loo nto uYoshuwa encwadini yomthetho kaThixo. Waza emva koko wathatha ilitye elikhulu, walimisa phantsi komthi wom-oki ngakuloo ndawo wayenqulelwa kuyo uNdikhoyo. 27Wathi ebantwini bonke: “Niyabona, eli litye loba lelobungqina, kuba liwevile onke amazwi uNdikhoyo awabhekise kuthi. Lilo ke eloba lingqina xa nimkhanyela uThixo wenu.” 28Emva koko ke wabandulula abantu uYoshuwa, umntu ngamnye wabuyela emhlabeni olilifa lakhe.
