1 Isithunywa *sikaNdikhoyo saphuma eGiligali, saya eBhokim, saza sathi: “Ndanikhupha kwelaseJiputa, ndanizisa kweli lizwe ndabathembisa ngalo ooyihlo-mkhulu ngesifungo. Ndathi: ‘Andisoze ndiwaphule umnqophiso wam nani.
2 Ke nina ze ningaze nenze mnqophiso nabemi beli lizwe. Kufuneka niwadilize amaqonga abo amadini.’ Kambe ke anenzanga ngokwelizwi endalithethayo kuni. Yintoni le niyenzileyo?
3 Ngoko ke ndiyanazisa ukuba andiyi kuzigxotha ezi zizwe. Zona ke ziya kuba ngumgibe kuni, nirhintyelwe yindlela ezinqula ngayo *oothixo bazo.”
4 Sakuthetha la mazwi ke isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo, onke amaSirayeli asitsho isikhalo.
5 Ngenxa yaloo nto ke igama laloo ndawo kuthiwa yiBhokim. Khona apho uNdikhoyo amenzela amadini amaSirayeli.
6 Ke kaloku uYoshuwa amaSirayeli wawandulula. Indlu nganye yaya kuthatha esayo isabelo somhlaba esililifa layo.
7 Ngalo lonke ixesha esadla ubomi uYoshuwa, amaSirayeli ambusa amnqula *uNdikhoyo. Nasekufeni kwakhe aqhubela phambili amnqula lo gama esaphila amadoda amakhulu awayeyibone ngamehlo imimangaliso awayeyenzele amaSirayeli uNdikhoyo.
8 UYoshuwa, unyana kaNune, isicaka sikaNdikhoyo, wabhubha xa enekhulu elineshumi leminyaka ezelwe.
9 Wangcwatywa kumhlaba olilifa lakhe eTimnata-heres kweleentaba kwaEfrayim, ngasentla kwentaba iGahashe.
10 Sakuba sitshonile sonke eso sizukulwana, kwavela sizukulwana simbi, singamaziyo uNdikhoyo, ngokunjalo naloo misebenzi yakhe wayeyenzela amaSirayeli.
11 Ke amaSirayeli amona *uNdikhoyo ngokunqula ooBhali,
12 asuka amfulathela uNdikhoyo, uThixo wooyise-mkhulu, uThixo owawakhupha kwelaseJiputa. Asuka abusa *thixo bambi kwizithixo zabantu ababewangqingile. UNdikhoyo amcaphukisa ngokusuka akhahlele abuse ezo zithixo.
13 Amfulathela uNdikhoyo, asuka akhonza ooBhali nooAshtarte.
14 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo waba nomsindo, amaSirayeli wawayekela ngeentshaba, zawahlasela ziwaphanga. Wazivulela macala onke, zawongamela, ada akaba nako ukuzikhusela.
15 Ayesithi xa ephumile aya edabini, uNdikhoyo awayekele, ngokomlomo wakhe. Kwathi ke kwakuba nje amaSirayeli abandezeleka kunene.
16 Noko ke uNdikhoyo amaSirayeli wawanika iinkokheli ezawasindisayo kwabo babewahlasela bewaphanga.
17 Kambe ke wona amaSirayeli zange azikhathalele ezo nkokheli. Ewe kaloku, uSirayeli suka waqhogana nathixo bambi endaweni kaNdikhoyo. Ooyise bona babeyithobele imiyalelo kaNdikhoyo, kodwa sona isizukulwana esitsha sisuke saphuma kwelo khondo.
18 UNdikhoyo ke wayesithi xa enika amaSirayeli inkokheli ayixhase iwahlangule amaSirayeli ezintshabeni ngalo lonke ithuba lokudla kwayo ubomi. UNdikhoyo wayeba nenceba, kuba ayenesingqala egogoza phantsi kweengcinezelo.
19 Kodwa ke kwakusithi yakubhubha inkokheli leyo, amaSirayeli abuyele kwesezolo, abe nesimo esilumezayo kunesooyise. Ayebusa anqule thixo bambi, engavumi ukwahlukana neenkani zawo, alumleke kwezo ndlela zawo zigwenxa.
20 UNdikhoyo ke wayesuka abe nomsindo, athi: “Esi sizwe siwaphule umnqophiso endayalela ooyise-mkhulu ukuba siwuthobele. Ngoko ke, ngenxa yokuba singandithobeli,
21 nam andiyi kuba sazigxotha ezi zizwe zashiyekayo ukufa kukaYoshuwa.
22 Ndiya kuwalinga ngazo amaSirayeli, ndibone ukuba akayi kuhamba ngeendlela zam na, andithobele njengooyise-mkhulu.”
23 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo izizwe ezasalayo waziyeka apho kwelo lizwe. Kaloku uNdikhoyo ezi zizwe akazigxothanga ngokukhawuleza ngokuzinikela esandleni sikaYoshuwa.