1 UAdoni-zedeki ukumkani waseJerusalem weva ukuba uYoshuwa wayithimba iAyi wayitshabalalisa, waza nekumkani yalapho wayibulala kanye njengoko wayenzile naseJeriko nakukumkani walapho. Weva nokuba amaGibheyon anqophisene namaSirayeli, yaye ngoku ahlalisana nawo ngoxolo.
2 Abemi baseJerusalem yabaxhalisa kakhulu le meko, kuba kaloku iGibheyon yayisisixeko esibalulekileyo esilingana nezinye ezingamaziko olawulo. IGibheyon le yayingaphezulu kweAyi, nomkhosi wakhona unamagorha amadoda.
3 Ngoko ke ukumkani uAdoni-zedeki wathumela izigidimi kukumkani uHoham waseHebron, nakukumkani uPiram waseYamuti, nakukumkani uYafiya waseLakishe, nakukumkani uDebhiri wase-Eglon, esithi:
4 “Khanize kundincedisa siyihlasele iGibheyon, kuba amaGibheyon enze uxolo noYoshuwa namaSirayeli.”
5 Zasuka ke ezi kumkani zintlanu zama-Amori – eyaseJerusalem neyaseHebron, eyaseYamuti neyaseLakishe kunye neyase-Eglon – zahlanganyela iGibheyon, zayihlasela.
6 Amadoda aseGibheyon athumela isigidimi kuYoshuwa esikhululweni eGiligali, esithi: “Nceda ungasiyekeli thina zicaka zakho. Khawuleza uze kusinceda usisindise, kuba iinkosi zonke zama-Amori asezintabeni zisihlanganyele; ziyasihlasela.”
7 Wesuka kwangoko eGiligali uYoshuwa namagorha onke omkhosi wakhe.
8 Waza *uNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa: “Uze ungaboyiki. Sendibanikele esandleni sakho. Akukho nanye kwezo kumkani enokumelana nawe.”
9 UYoshuwa nomkhosi wakhe wahamba ubusuku bonke ukusuka eGiligali besiya eGibheyon, bafika bawaqubula ama-Amori.
10 UNdikhoyo wawenza adideka ama-Amori ukufika komkhosi wamaSirayeli. AmaSirayeli abaswantsulisa eGibheyon, abasukela ukunyuka inkalo yaseBhete-horon ukubheka eAzeka naseMakeda.
11 Ngeli xesha babaleka amaSirayeli ukuhla ithambeka, uNdikhoyo wabatyhumfuza ngesichotho konke ukwenjenjeya ukuya eAzeka. Abaninzi bafa sisichotho ngaphezu kokubulawa ngamaSirayeli.
12 Ngaloo mhla uNdikhoyo amaSirayeli wawoyisela ngawo ama-Amori uYoshuwa wabhekisa kuNdikhoyo phambi kwawo onke amaSirayeli, wathi:“ ‘Langa, yima phezu kweGibheyon.Wena nyanga, yima phezu kwentili iAyalon.’
13 Lema bhunxe ilanga,nenyanga nayo ayahamba,kwada kwaba aloyisile utshaba amaSirayeli.”Oku kwenzeka njengoko kuxeliwe kwiNcwadi kaYashare. Ilanga lema bhunxe embindini wesibhakabhaka, alakhawuleza ukutshona isithuba esingangemini iphela.
14 Akuzange kubekho umhla onjalo ngaphambili. Nangasemva koko awuzange ubekho konke umhla awathi uNdikhoyo waliphulaphula ilizwi lomntu. Wawalwela ke khona uNdikhoyo amaSirayeli!
15 Emva kwedabi uYoshuwa nomkhosi wakhe babuyela esikhululweni eGiligali.
16 Ookumkani bama-Amori baphuncula bobahlanu, baya kuzimela emqolombeni eMakeda.
17 Babhaqwa, waza waxelelwa apho bakhoyo uYoshuwa.
18 Wathi: “Qengqelani amatye amakhulu, nivale ngawo umlomo womqolomba, nize nishiye amadoda okulinda.
19 Ke nina ze ningahlali apho, koko lusukeleni utshaba, ningaluvumeli lubalekele ezixekweni zalo. Kaloku *uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu selebanikele ezandleni zenu.”
20 Umkhosi kaYoshuwa waluswantsulisa utshaba, kambe abambalwa babaleka bade baya kungena ezixekweni ezinqatyisiweyo zakomawabo, basinda.
21 Abuya onke amadoda omkhosi kaYoshuwa, ehamba ngoxolo, aya esikhululweni esasiseMakeda, kungekho nto inokuwaphazamisa.
22 UYoshuwa wathi: “Wuvuleni umqolomba, nizizise kum zontlanu ezo kumkani.”
23 Wavulwa ke umqolomba, zaza zasiwa kuYoshuwa iikumkani zaseJerusalem, eHebron, eYamuti, eLakishe, nase-Elon.
24 UYoshuwa wawabiza ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli, wathi kubaphathi-mkhosi: “Yizani apha nizinyathele entanyeni ezi kumkani.” Benjenjalo,
25 wathi ke uYoshuwa: “Nize ningoyiki ninkwantye! Yomelelani nikhaliphe! Yiyo le into aza kuyenza uNdikhoyo kuzo zonke iintshaba zenu enilwa nazo.”
26 UYoshuwa wazixabela ke ezo zikumkani, wathi mazixhonywe emithini emihlanu. Zajinga apho ke kwada kwaba ngorhatya.
27 Kwathi ngongcwalazi uYoshuwa wayalela ukuba zithulwe izidumbu zazo. Zaphoswa kwakuloo mqolomba bezizimele kuwo, kwavalwa ngamatye amakhulu apho. Aselapho unanamhla.
28 Kwangaloo mini uYoshuwa wahlasela iMakeda, wayithimba kwakunye nekumkani valapho. Kwabulawa wonke ubani kweso sixeko, akwasala namnye. Kwikumkani yaseMakeda wenza kwalaa nto wayeyenze kukumkani waseJeriko.
29 Ukusuka kwabo eMakeda uYoshuwa nawo onke amaSirayeli badlulela eLibhena, nayo bayihlasela.
30 Nalapho *uNdikhoyo wasinikela isixeko nokumkani waso ezandleni zamaSirayeli. Abulala wonke ubani apho, akashiya mntu. Nalapho kukumkani uYoshuwa wenza eso saseJeriko.
31 Basuka eLibhena ooYoshuwa, baya eLakishe, bayingqinga, bayihlasela.
32 UNdikhoyo wayinikezela iLakishe ezandleni zamaSirayeli, waza uYoshuwa wangena kuyo ngosuku lwesibini. Isixeko nabo bonke abakuso wasitshabalalisa njengoko wênjenjalo eLibhena.
33 Kweza ukumkani uHoram waseGezere, ezokunceda amaLakishe, wachithwa kunye nomkhosi wakhe, babulawa bonke, akwasala nempunde le.
34 UYoshuwa nomkhosi wakhe basuka eLakishe baya e-Eglon, bafika bayingqinga, bayihlasela.
35 Bayoyisa kwangaloo mini, babulala wonke umntu apho, baxelisa eLakishe.
36 UYoshuwa namaSirayeli onke bemka eLakishe, baya eHebron, bafika bayihlasela
37 bayoyisa kwangaloo mini. Babulala ukumkani walapho, nabantu bonke beso sixeko, kwakunye nabeelali ezimelene naso. Wathi masitshatyalaliswe eso sixeko uYoshuwa, kanye njenge-Eglon. Akuzange kusinde mntu apho.
38 Baphethuka apho, babheka eDebhiri. Bafika bayihlasela,
39 bayoyisa, kunye nokumkani wayo, neelali ezimelene nayo. Kwatshatyalaliswa ukumkani naye wonke umntu owayelapho, akwasala namnye. Nalapho wenza kwaesaseLibhena nesaseHebron.
40 UYoshuwa wabatshabalalisa bonke abemi belo zwe. Abantu ababemi kweleentaba, emathambekeni ngasempumalanga, kumazants' eentaba zasentshona, kwakunye nabo babemi kwimimandla yentlango ngasemazantsi, neekumkani zabo bonke. Wayethatha phambi konyawo atshayele yonke into ephefumlayo, ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.
41 Waloyisa ukusukela eKadeshe-bhaneya emazantsi, kuse eGaza ngaselwandle, nawo wonke ummandla waseGeshon, kuse eGibheyon emantla.
42 Le mimandla yonke uYoshuwa wayoyisa ephume umkhosi isihlandlo sasinye, kuba kaloku wayesilwelwa nguNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.
43 Babuyela kwasesikhululweni eGiligali ooYoshuwa nomkhosi wakhe.