Joshua (24/24)    

1. UJoshuwa wasebuthanisa zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli eShekema, wabiza abadala bakoIsrayeli lenhloko zabo labahluleli babo lenduna zabo, bazimisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
2. UJoshuwa wasesithi kubo bonke abantu: Itsho njalo i Nkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Endulo oyihlo babehlala ngaphetsheya komfula, uTera uyise kaAbrahama loyise kaNahori, babekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
3. Ngasengimthatha uyihlo uAbrahama ngimsusa ngaphetsheya komfula, ngamhambisa wadabula elizweni lonke leKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamnika uIsaka.
4. LakuIsaka nganika uJakobe loEsawu. LakuEsawu nganika intaba yeSeyiri ukudla ilifa layo, kodwa uJakobe labantwana bakhe behlela eGibhithe.
5. Ngasengithuma uMozisi loAroni, ngatshaya iGibhithe, njengalokho engakwenzayo phakathi kwayo; lemva kwalokho ngalikhupha.
6. Ngasengibakhupha oyihlo eGibhithe, lafika elwandle, amaGibhithe asexotshana lani ngenqola langamabhiza aze afika eLwandle oluBomvu.
7. Kwathi bekhala e Nkosi ni, yabeka umnyama phakathi kwenu lamaGibhithe, yaletha ulwandle phezu kwabo, yabasibekela. Lamehlo enu abona engakwenza eGibhithe. Lahlala enkangala insuku ezinengi.
8. Ngasengililetha elizweni lamaAmori ayehlala ngaphetsheya kweJordani, asesilwa lani, ngawanikela esandleni senu, lalidla ilifa lelizwe lawo, ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
9. UBalaki indodana kaZipori inkosi yakoMowabi wasesukuma walwa loIsrayeli, wathuma wabiza uBalami indodana kaBeyori ukuthi aliqalekise.
10. Kodwa kangithandanga ukulalela uBalami; ngakho walibusisa lokulibusisa, ngasengilikhulula esandleni sakhe.
11. Lachapha iJordani, lafika eJeriko, izakhamizi zeJeriko zalwa zimelene lani, amaAmori, lamaPerizi, lamaKhanani, lamaHethi, lamaGirigashi, amaHivi, lamaJebusi; ngawanikela esandleni senu.
12. Ngathuma olonyovu phambi kwenu abawaxotsha phambi kwenu, amakhosi amabili amaAmori; hatshi ngenkemba yakho njalo hatshi ngedandili lakho.
13. Ngasengilinika ilizwe elingalisebenzelanga, lemizi elingayakhanga, lihlala kiyo. Lidla okwezivini lezivande zemihlwathi elingakuhlanyelanga.
14. Khathesi-ke yesabeni i Nkosi, liyikhonze ngobuqotho langeqiniso, lisuse onkulunkulu oyihlo ababakhonza ngaphetsheya komfula leGibhithe, njalo likhonze i Nkosi.
15. Uba-ke kukubi emehlweni enu ukuyikhonza i Nkosi, zikhetheleni lamuhla lowo elizamkhonza; kumbe onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo ababengaphetsheya komfula, loba onkulunkulu bamaAmori elihlala elizweni lawo. Kodwa mina lendlu yami sizayikhonza i Nkosi.
16. Basebephendula abantu besithi: Kakube khatshana lathi ukuthi sitshiye i Nkosi, sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu.
17. Ngoba i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wethu iyiyo eyasenyusayo labobaba sivela elizweni leGibhithe, endlini yobugqili, eyenza phambi kwamehlo ethu lezizibonakaliso ezinkulu, yasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba kiyo, laphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esedlule phakathi kwabo.
18. I Nkosi yasixotsha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, lamaAmori ayehlala elizweni. Thina lathi sizayikhonza i Nkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu wethu.
19. UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Kalilakuyikhonza i Nkosi, ngoba inguNkulunkulu ongcwele, inguNkulunkulu olobukhwele. Kayiyikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu lezono zenu.
20. Uba liyitshiya i Nkosi likhonze onkulunkulu abezizwe, izaphenduka yenze okubi kini, iliqede, emva kokuthi ilenzele okuhle.
21. Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: Hatshi, kodwa sizayikhonza i Nkosi.
22. UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini: Lingabafakazi ngani ukuthi lina lizikhethele i Nkosi ukuyikhonza. Basebesithi: Si ngabafakazi.
23. Khathesi-ke, susani onkulunkulu abezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, lithobele inhliziyo yenu e Nkosi ni, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
24. Abantu basebesithi kuJoshuwa: I Nkosi uNkulunkulu wethu sizayikhonza, lelizwi layo sililalele.
25. Ngakho uJoshuwa wasebenzela abantu isivumelwano ngalolosuku, wababekela isimiso lesimiselo eShekema.
26. UJoshuwa wasebhala lawomazwi egwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu; wathatha ilitshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi elingasendlini engcwele ye Nkosi.
27. UJoshuwa wasesithi ebantwini bonke: Khangelani, lelilitshe lizakuba yibufakazi ngathi, ngoba liwezwile wonke amazwi e Nkosi eyawakhuluma kithi; ngakho lizakuba yibufakazi ngani, hlezi lenze inkohliso kuNkulunkulu wenu.
28. UJoshuwa wasebayekela abantu ukuthi bahambe, ngulowo lalowo waya elifeni lakhe.
29. Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku ye Nkosi, wafa eleminyaka elikhulu letshumi.
30. Basebemngcwabela emngceleni welifa lakhe eThiminathi-Sera esentabeni yakoEfrayimi enyakatho kwentaba iGahashi.
31. Njalo uIsrayeli wayikhonza i Nkosi zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa lazo zonke izinsuku zabadala abelula insuku emva kukaJoshuwa, njalo ababewazi wonke umsebenzi we Nkosi eyawenzela uIsrayeli.
32. Lamathambo kaJosefa abantwana bakoIsrayeli ababenyuke lawo bevela eGibhithe bawangcwaba eShekema, esiqintini sensimu uJakobe asithenga kubantwana bakaHamori uyise kaShekema ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezilikhulu; saba-ke yilifa labantwana bakoJosefa.
33. UEleyazare indodana kaAroni wasesifa, bamngcwaba eqaqeni lukaPhinehasi indodana yakhe, ayeluphiwe entabeni yakoEfrayimi.

  Joshua (24/24)