1 Waqhubela phambili uMosis ukuthetha nawo onke amaSirayeli,
2 wathi: “Ngoku sendinekhulu mashumi mabini eminyaka. Andisenako ukunikhokela. Kaloku *uNdikhoyo wandazisa ukuba andiyi kuyiwela iJordan.
3 NguNdikhoyo ngokwakhe oza kunikhokela niwele, azivuthulule zitshabalale iintlanga zelaa lizwe, ukuze ke nina ningene nime kulo. Ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo nguYoshuwa oza kunikhokela niwele iJordan.
4 UNdikhoyo uya kuzitshabalalisa ezo ntlanga kwanjengokuba wenzayo kookumkani bama-Amori, uSihon no-Ogi, awabatshabalalisayo kunye nomhlaba wabo.
5 UNdikhoyo uza kuninceda nizoyise. Ngoko ke kufuneka niziphathe kanye ngale ndlela ndiniyalele yona.
6 Qinani nikhaliphe, ningaxhali, ningabi nayo nedyudyu. Kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu ungakuni; soze arhoxe okanye anilahle.”
7 UMosis wabiza uYoshuwa, wathetha naye phambi kwawo onke amaSirayeli, wathi: “Qina ukhaliphe! Kaloku nguwe oza kukhokela aba bantu, uye kubadlisa ilifa labo kwelo lizwe uNdikhoyo wabathembisa ngalo ngesifungo ooyise-mkhulu.
8 NguNdikhoyo ngokwakhe oza kunikhokela, ahambe nani. Soze arhoxe, engasoze anilahle; ngoko ke yomelelani ningoyiki.”
9 Lo mthetho ke uMosis wawubhala, wawunikezela kubabingeleli bakwaLevi ababejongene netyesi yomnqophiso *kaNdikhoyo, ngokunjalo nakumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli.
10 Wabayala wathi: “Njalo xa kuphela unyaka wesixhenxe, kusondela unyaka wokucinywa kwamatyala, lo mthetho mawufundwe kumsitho wamaphempe.
11 Mawufundelwe amaSirayeli xa ewonke mhla eze kunqula uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu kuloo ndawo yalathwe nguye.
12 Makuqokelelwe bonke abantu – amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana, ngokunjalo nabangeneleli abalapho phakathi kwenu – khon' ukuze bawuve, bafunde ukumhlonela uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, bazithobele bazenze ngondileko iimfundiso zalo mthetho.
13 Ngale ndlela ke nabantwana benu abangekawazi lo mthetho baya kuwuva. Ngoko ke baya kufunda ukumthobela bamhlonele uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu ngalo lonke ithuba nihleli kwelo lizwe niza kungena kulo phesheya kweJordan.”
14 *UNdikhoyo wabhekisa kuMosis, wathi: “Ngoku sekumbovu ukuba ufe. Ngoko ke biza uYoshuwa, uye naye *esibingelelweni, khon' ukuze ndimyale.” Ngenene ke uMosis noYoshuwa baya esibingelelweni,
15 waza ke uNdikhoyo wazibonakalisa kubo ngomqulu welifu elisuka lime apho esangweni lesibingelelo.
16 UNdikhoyo wathi kuMosis: “Wena uza kufa ngoku. Wakuba ufile, aba bantu baza kukreqa, bandilahle, banqule *oothixo abanqulwa kwelo lizwe baza kuma kulo ngoku, bawutyeshele umnqophiso endawenza nabo.
17 Yakwenzeka loo nto ndiya kuvutha ngumsindo, ndibalahle, ndibafulathele, batshabalale. Baya kuhlelwa ziinzingo bahlupheke. Ngaloo mini baya kuvakala besithi: ‘Kunje nje nje kungenx' enokuba uThixo wethu engasekho ngakuthi.’
18 Inene, ngaloo mini ndiya kubafulathela ngenxa yabo bonke ububi ababenzileyo ngokubhenela kwabanye oothixo.
19 “Ngoko ke bhala le ngoma, uyifundise amaSirayeli, ayicule, ibe lingqina lomnqophiso wam kunye nawo.
20 Kaloku ndiza kuwangenisa kuloo mhlaba wobisi nobusi ndathembisa ngawo ooyise-mkhulu. Akuxhamla loo ntlala-kahle osuka akreqe, anqule thixo bambi, andidele, awutyeshele umnqophiso wam.
21 Kweso sithuba ke aya kuhlelwa yintlekele nentlupheko. Ke yona le ngoma iya kuba isaculwa sisizukulwana, ibe lingqina elidandalazisa isono samaSirayeli. Andithi na kaloku, kanye ngoku ndingekawangenisi nokuwangenisa kwelo lizwe ndawathembisa ngalo, sendiyibona imikhwa yawo.”
22 Kwangaloo mini ke uMosis wayibhala ingoma leyo, wayifundisa amaSirayeli.
23 UNdikhoyo ke wamyalela wenjenje noYoshuwa unyana kaNune: “Qina ukhaliphe, kuba nguwe oza kukhokela amaSirayeli, uye kuwangenisa kwelo lizwe ndawathembisa ngalo ngesifungo; ibe ke mna ndiza kuba nawe.”
24 Ke kaloku uMosis wawabhala encwadini amazwi alo mthetho, akashiyelela nento le.
25 Akuba egqibile ke wayalela ababingeleli babaLevi ababejongene netyesi yomnqophso kaNdikhoyo, wathi:
26 “Thathani, nantsi ke incwadi yomthetho. Yibekeni ecaleni letyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, khon' ukuze ibe lingqina likaNdikhoyo ngamaSirayeli.
27 Kaloku ndiyanazi ukuba nizizibhoja ezinenkani. Ngexesha lokudla kwam ubomi benivukelana naye uNdikhoyo; nobeka phi na ukumvukela xa ndingasekhoyo?
28 Ngoko ke khanihlanganise amadoda amakhulu ezizwe zakowenu neenduna zenu, ukuze ndiwaxelele ezi zinto. Ndiza kubiza amazulu nehlabathi, ukuze andingqinele.
29 Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba xa ndingasekho niya kuba ziinjubaqa, niphambuke kule ndlela ndiniyalele yona. Kananjalo ke, kumaxesha ezayo, niya kuhlelwa ziintlekele ngenxa yokuba nixhokonxa uNdikhoyo ngobubi bezithixo ezenziwe zizandla zenu.”
30 Ke kaloku uMosis yena wawucengceleza wonke lo mbongo, amaSirayeli wona ephulaphule: