UJoshuwa 6

₁IJeriko lalivalile amasango alo ngenxa yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; kwakungaphumi muntu, kungangeni muntu.

₂UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Bheka, nginikele esandleni sakho iJeriko, nenkosi yalo, namaqhawe anamandla. ₃Niyakuhaqa umuzi, onke amadoda empi, niwuzungeze umuzi kanye. Uyakwenze njalo izinsuku eziyisithupha. ₄Abapristi abayisikhombisa bayakuthwala amacilongo ayisikhombisa ejubili* phambi komphongolo; ngosuku lwesikhombisa niyakuwuzungeza umuzi kasikhombisa, abapristi babethe amacilongo. ₅Kuyakuthi lapho bekhalisa kade uphondo lwejubili* nalapho nilizwa izwi lecilongo, bonke abantu bakhamuluke ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, ugange lomuzi luwele phansi endaweni yalo, abantu bakhuphuke, yilowo nalowo aqonde phambili nje.”

₆UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni wabiza abapristi, wathi kubo: “Phakamisani umphongolo wesivumelwano, abapristi abayisikhombisa bathwale amacilongo ayisikhombisa ejubili* phambi komphongolo kaJehova.” ₇Kubantu wathi: “Dlulani, niwuzungeze umuzi, abahlomileyo badlule phambi komphongolo kaJehova.”

₈Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esekhulumile kubantu, abapristi abayisikhombisa bethwele amacilongo ayisikhombisa ejubili* phambi kukaJehova badlula, babetha amacilongo, umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova wabalandela. ₉Abahlomileyo bahamba phambi kwabapristi ababetha amacilongo, nesigaba sasemuva sawulandela umphongolo, bebetha amacilongo besahamba. ₁₀UJoshuwa wayala abantu, wathi: “Aniyikukhamuluka; ningalizwakalisi izwi lenu, kungaphumi gama emlonyeni wenu, kuze kufike usuku engiyakuthi ngalo kini: ‘Khamulukani!’ Bese nikhamuluka.” ₁₁Wayesenza ukuba umphongolo kaJehova uzungeze umuzi, wawuhaqa kanye; base befika ekamu,* balala ubusuku ekamu.

₁₂UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, abapristi bathatha umphongolo kaJehova. ₁₃Abapristi abayisikhombisa, bethwele amacilongo ayisikhombisa ejubili* phambi komphongolo kaJehova, bahamba njalo bewabetha amacilongo; abahlomileyo bahamba phambi kwabo, nesigaba sasemuva sawulandela umphongolo kaJehova, bebetha amacilongo besahamba. ₁₄Ngosuku lwesibili bawuzungeza umuzi kanye, babuyela ekamu;* benze njalo izinsuku eziyisithupha.

₁₅Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bavuka ukuntwela kokusa, bawuzungeza umuzi ngandlelanye kasikhombisa; ngalolo suku kuphela bawuzungeza umuzi kasikhombisa. ₁₆Kwathi ngokwesikhombisa abapristi sebebethile amacilongo, uJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Khamulukani, ngokuba uJehova uninikile umuzi. ₁₇Umuzi uyakwahlukaniselwa uJehova, wona nakho konke okukuwo; uRahabi isifebe kuphela uyakusinda, yena nabo bonke abakuye endlini, ngokuba wazithukusa izithunywa esazithumayo. ₁₈Kodwa zigcineni nina kukho okuqalekisiweyo, funa lapho senikuqalekisile nithathe kukho okuqalekisiweyo, nilenze ikamu* libe ngeliqalekisiweyo, nilihluphe. ₁₉Kepha lonke isiliva, negolide, nezitsha zethusi nezensimbi kungcwele kuJehova; kuyakungena endlini yengcebo kaJehova.”

₂₀Abantu base bekhamuluka, amacilongo abethwa; kwathi lapho abantu bezwe ukukhala kwecilongo, abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, ugange lwawela phansi endaweni yalo, abantu benyukela emzini, yilowo nalowo waqonda phambili nje, bawuthatha umuzi. ₂₁Baqalekisa konke okusemzini, isilisa nesifazane, abasha nabadala, nezinkabi, nezimvu, nezimbongolo, ngosiko lwenkemba.

₂₂UJoshuwa wathi kulawo madoda amabili ayelihlolile izwe: “Ngenani endlini yesifebe, nikhiphe kuyo owesifazane nabo bonke anabo, njengalokho namfungela.” ₂₃Izinsizwa ezaziyizinhloli zangena, zamkhipha uRahabi, noyise, nonina, nabafowabo, nabo bonke anabo, zakhipha bonke abomuzi wakhe, zababeka ngaphandle kwekamu* lakwa-Israyeli.

₂₄Bawushisa umuzi ngomlilo, nakho konke okukuwo; isiliva kuphela, negolide, nezitsha zethusi nezensimbi bakufaka endlini yengcebo endlini kaJehova. ₂₅Kepha uRahabi isifebe, nabendlu kayise, nabo bonke anabo, uJoshuwa wabasindisa; uhlala phakathi kuka-Israyeli kuze kube namuhla, lokhu wathukusa izithunywa uJoshuwa azithuma ukuba zihlole iJeriko.

₂₆UJoshuwa wabafungisa ngaleso sikhathi, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe phambi kukaJehova umuntu osuka akhe lo muzi waseJeriko; uyakubeka isisekelo sawo ngokulahlekelwa yizibulo lakhe, amise amasango awo ngokulahlekelwa ngomncinyane wakhe.”

₂₇UJehova wayenaye uJoshuwa; udumo lwakhe lwalukhona ezweni lonke.