Ukuchithwa kwe-Ayi
1UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi, ungabi naluvalo; suka nabo bonke abantu bempi, ukhuphuke uye e-Ayi; bheka, nginikele esandleni sakho inkosi yase-Ayi, nabantu bayo, nomuzi wayo, nezwe layo; 2uyakwenza kulo i-Ayi nenkosi yalo njengalokho wenza kulo iJeriko nenkosi yalo; impango yalo kuphela nezinkomo zalo niyakuziphangela khona. Wuqamekele umuzi emva kwawo.”
3UJoshuwa wasuka kanye nabo bonke abantu bempi ukuba akhuphukele e-Ayi; uJoshuwa wakhetha amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu amaqhawe anamandla, wawathuma ebusuku. 4Wawayala ngokuthi: “Bhekani, niyakuwuqamekela umuzi, emva komuzi, ningayi kude kakhulu nomuzi, nihlale nilungele nonke. 5Mina nabantu bonke abanami siyakusondela emzini; kuyakuthi lapho bephuma ukusihlasela njengakuqala, sibaleke phambi kwabo. 6Bayakuphuma, basilandele, size sibasuse emzini, ngokuba bayakusho ukuthi: ‘Babaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala,’ bese sibaleka phambi kwabo; 7niyakusuka ekuqamekeleni, niwudle umuzi, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uyakuwunikela esandleni senu. 8Kuyakuthi lapho seniwuthathile umuzi, nithungele umuzi ngomlilo, nenze njengezwi likaJehova; bhekani, senginiyalile.”
9UJoshuwa wayesebathuma, baya ukuyoqamekela, bahlala phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga kwase-Ayi; uJoshuwa walala lobo busuku phakathi kwabantu.
10UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabutha abantu, wakhuphuka, yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli, phambi kwabantu, waya e-Ayi. 11Bonke abantu bempi ayenabo bakhuphuka, basondela, baya phambi komuzi, bamisa ngasenyakatho kwase-Ayi; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwakhe ne-Ayi. 12Wathatha amadoda kungathi izinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, wawaqamekelisa phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga komuzi. 13Sebehleliwe abantu, lonke ibandla elalingasenyakatho komuzi nabaqamekeleyo babo ababengasentshonalanga komuzi, uJoshuwa waya ngalobo busuku phakathi kwesigodi.
14Kwathi inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokho, ashesha avuka ekuseni amadoda omuzi, aphuma ukuhlasela u-Israyeli, yona nabantu bayo, endaweni enqunyiweyo ngaphambi kwehlane; yayingazi nokho ukuthi babekhona abayiqamekeleyo ngasemva komuzi. 15UJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benza kungathi bahluliwe phambi kwabo, babaleka ngendlela eya ehlane. 16Bonke abantu basemzini babizwa ukuba babaxoshe; bamxosha uJoshuwa, basuswa emzini. 17Akusalanga muntu e-Ayi naseBethele ongaphumanga ukubaxosha abakwa-Israyeli, bawushiya umuzi ugengelezile, babaxosha abakwa-Israyeli.
18UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Yelulela umkhonto osesandleni sakho ngase-Ayi, ngokuba ngiyakulinikela esandleni sakho.” UJoshuwa welulela-ke umkhonto osesandleni sakhe ngasemzini. 19Abaqamekeleyo bashesha basuka endaweni yabo, bagijima lapho eselula isandla sakhe, bangena emzini, bawuthatha; bawuthungela ngomlilo masinyane.
20Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ebheka emva kwabo, abona, bheka, umusi womuzi wenyukela ngasezulwini; ayengenamandla ukubaleka ngalapha noma ngalapha, lapho abantu ababebalekele ngasehlane sebephendukela ababaxoshayo. 21Ngokuba nxa uJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi abaqamekeleyo bawuthathile umuzi nokuthi umusi womuzi wenyuka, base bebuyela emuva, bawabulala amadoda ase-Ayi. 22Labo abanye baphuma emzini ukuba babahlasele baze babe phakathi kuka-Israyeli, abanye ngalapha, abanye ngalapha, bababulala, kwaze kwangasala muntu owaphunyuka, wabaleka. 23Inkosi yase-Ayi bayibamba isaphila, bayiyisa kuJoshuwa.
24Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli eseqedile ukubulala bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi endle ehlane, lapho ebebaxoshele khona, bese bewe bonke ngosiko lwenkemba baze baqedwa, bonke abakwa-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba. 25Bonke abawa ngalolo suku, abesilisa nabesifazane, babeyizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, abantu bonke base-Ayi. 26UJoshuwa akabuyisanga isandla sakhe awelula ngaso umkhonto, engakaqothuli bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi. 27Izinkomo kuphela nempango yalowo muzi u-Israyeli waziphangela khona, njengezwi likaJehova amyala ngalo uJoshuwa.
28UJoshuwa wayeselishisa i-Ayi, walenza laba yiduma lenxiwa kuze kube phakade; liyincithakalo kuze kube namuhla. 29Inkosi yase-Ayi wayiphanyeka emthini kwaze kwahlwa; ukushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wabayala ukuba behlise isidumbu sayo emthini, basintshinga ngasesikhaleni sesango lomuzi, wamisa phezu kwaso inqwaba enkulu yamatshe ekhona nanamuhla.
I-altare entabeni yase-Ebali
30Khona uJoshuwa wamakhela uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli i-altare entabeni yase-Ebali, 31njengalokho uMose inceku kaJehova wayala abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, njengokulotshiweyo encwadini yomthetho kaMose, i-altare lamatshe angabaziwe, angaphakanyiselwanga muntu insimbi; banikela phezu kwalo ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova, banikela ngeminikelo yokuthula. 32Waloba khona ematsheni impinda yomthetho kaMose ayilobayo phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. 33Bonke abakwa-Israyeli namalunga abo, nezinduna zabo, nabahluleli babo babemi ngalapha nangalapha komphongolo phambi kwabapristi bamaLevi abathwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, abafokazi nabokuzalwa ekhaya, inxenye yabo ibhekene nentaba yaseGerizimu, inxenye yabo ibhekene nentaba yase-Ebali, njengalokho uMose inceku kaJehova ebeyalile, ukuba babusise abantu bakwa-Israyeli kuqala.
34Ngasemuva wafunda onke amazwi omthetho, isibusiso nesiqalekiso, njengakho konke okulotshiwe encwadini yomthetho. 35Akwabakho zwi kukho konke akuyalayo uMose, angalifundanga uJoshuwa phambi kwebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli, nabesifazane, nabantwana, nabafokazi ababehamba phakathi kwabo.
