1 UYoshuwa wabiza isizwe sakwaRubhen nesakwaGadi kunye nesiqingatha sesakwaManase sasempuma,
2 wathi: “Nikufezile konke enakuyalelwa sisicaka *sikaNdikhoyo uMosis, nayithobela yonke imiyalelo yam.
3 Unanamhla aniwashiyanga enyanyeni amawenu, koko ninyamekele ukuthobela umthetho kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.
4 Ngoku ke uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu uwaphumzile amawenu, njengoko wathembisayo. Ke ngoko godukani niye kumhlaba ongowenu ongakwicala elingasempumalanga yeJordan, lowo nawunikwa nguMosis isicaka sikaNdikhoyo.
5 Kambe maze ninyaniseke ngokupheleleyo ekuwuthobeleni umyalelo nomthetho eniwuwiselwe nguMosis isicaka sikaNdikhoyo, othi: ‘Mthande uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho; mthobele ezintweni zonke, uyigcine imiyalelo yakhe, unamathele kuye, umkhonze ngomxhelo wonke nangomoya wakho wonke.’ ”
6 Emva koko ke uYoshuwa wabasikelela wabandulula bagoduka.
7 Kaloku uMosis wayabele isiqingatha sesizwe sakwaManase umhlaba eBhashan, kanti ke yena uYoshuwa wabela esinye isiqingatha sesizwe sakwaManase umhlaba ongasentshona kweJordan kunye namawabo.UYoshuwa wabandulula wabasikelela wathi:
8 “Ngoku nigoduka nizizityebi, ninemfuyo eninzi, nesiliva, negolide, ubhedu, nentsimbi, nemfumba yezambatho. Ze niwabele amawenu kumaxhoba eniwafumene ezintshabeni.”
9 AmaRubhen namaGadi nesiqingatha samaManase bagoduka. Amanye amaSirayeli bawashiya apho eShilo kwelamaKanana, basinga kwelakowabo eGiliyadi, ababeyifumene ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo kuMosis.
10 Zathi zakufika eGeliloti ngaseJordan eKanana izizwe zakwaRubhen nakwaGadi noManase osempuma, zakha into enkulu yeqonga lamadini apho phezu komlambo.
11 AmaSirayeli eva kusithiwa: “Khangelani uRubhen noGadi nesiqingatha sikaManase bakhe iqonga lamadini emdeni welaseKanana nganeno apha eGeliloti phezu komlambo iJordan!”
12 Yakuvakala loo nto lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli lahlangana eShilo, lizilungiselela ukuhlasela izizwe ezingaphesheya, empumalanga yeJordan.
13 AmaSirayeli athuma umbingeleli uPineyasi unyana kaElazare kwaRubhen nakwaGadi nakwaManase ongaphesheya eGiliyadi.
14 UPineyasi wahamba neshumi lamadoda aziinkokheli zezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli. La madoda ayeziintloko zezindlu.
15 Baya kufika eGiliyadi kwaRubhen, kwaGadi, nakwaManase ongasempuma, bafika bathi:
16 “Sithetha nje, sithetha egameni lebandla likaNdikhoyo liphela. Niyenzeleni into embi kangaka ngokungathembeki kuThixo kaSirayeli? Yini na ukuba nityeke kuNdikhoyo ngokuzakhela iqonga lamadini, nivukelane naye ngoku?
17 Khange bube sisifundo na ubugwenxa obenzeke ePehore Kaloku uNdikhoyo wabetha ibandla xa lilonke ngobhubhani. Ngaba unanamhla anikahlanjululwa na kobo bugwenxa,
18 le nto nityekayo ekumlandeleni uNdikhoyo? Xa namhlanje nimvukela uNdikhoyo, ngomso kosa eliqumbele lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli.
19 Xa umhlaba wenu ugqwalisekile, ngani ningaweli iJordan nje, niye apho simiyo *isibingelelo sikaNdikhoyo ezweni lakhe, nize kuma apha phakathi kwethu? Yekani ukumvukela uNdikhoyo nize nathi nisifake kolo vukelo lwenu ngokwenza qonga limbi lingelilo likaNdikhoyo uThixo wethu.
20 Ngaba senikulibele ukungathembeki kuka-Akana unyana kaZera, owathatha amaxhoba amakatshatyalaliswe, kwaza ngenxa yeso senzo kohlwaywa lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli? UAkana akazange afe yedwa ngenxa yesono sakhe.”
21 Oonyana bakaRubhen, noonyana bakaGadi, nesiqingatha sikaManase, benjenje ukuphendula iintloko zezizwe zakwaSirayeli:
22 “Oyena unguThixo nguNdikhoyo! Ewe, oyena unguThixo nguye uNdikhoyo! Nguye owaziyo ukuba sikwenzeleni na oku, yaye nani sifuna nazi. Ukuba oku sikwenze ngokungathembeki kuNdikhoyo, okanye ngokumvukela, masingasindi ekufeni namhlanje.
23 Yaye ukuba ngeli qonga sityekile ekumlandeleni uNdikhoyo ngokwenzela kulo amadini ethu atshiswayo, nawokudla, nawobudlelane, makasuke asigwebe yena ngenkqu.
24 Hayi bo! Elaa qonga silenze ngenxa yexhala lokuba kwixesha elizayo abantwana benu basenokuthi kubantwana bethu: ‘Uyintoni kuni kakade uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli?
25 Akanto yakwenza nani maRubhen namaGadi; wasahlula nani ngokwenza iJordan umda.’ Loo nto ke ingabangela ukuba abantwana bethu bayeke ukunqula uNdikhoyo.
26 Kungoko ke satshoyo ukuthi: ‘Masakhe iqonga, kodwa kungabi ngenjongo yakunikela madini naminikelo kulo.’
27 Hayi, sisitsho nje besisenzela thina nani, nezizukulwana ezizayo, ubungqina bokuba ngenene uNdikhoyo simnqula esibingelelweni sakhe ngamadini atshiswayo, nawobudlelane, nangeminikelo. Besisenzela ukuba abantwana benu bangaze bathi kwabethu: ‘Aninasabelo nina nanto yakwenza kuNdikhoyo.’
28 Thina besiba abantwana bethu babeya kuthi xa ithe yehla into enjalo: ‘Naliya iqonga elifana nqwa neliya likaNdikhoyo lakhiwa ngoobawo. Ewe kambe, asililo lamadini neminikelo, lona lilingqina kumawethu nakumawenu.’
29 Asingeke ke thina sivukele uNdikhoyo okanye sityeke kuye ngokwakha iqonga lamadini neminikelo elilelinye. ElikaNdikhoyo uThixo wethu lona limi esibingelelweni sakhe.”
30 OoPineyasi neentloko zakwaSirayeli kunye nezezindlu, banela bakuba beyivile impendulo yamaRubhen namaGadi kunye neyesiqingatha samaManase.
31 Umbingeleli uPineyasi, unyana kaElazare, wathi kuwo: “Ngoku siyazi ukuba uNdikhoyo uphakathi kwethu; animvukelanga. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli ephela asindile kumsindo wakhe.”
32 UPineyasi ke neentloko zamaSirayeli bemka kwaRubhen nakwaGadi eGiliyadi, babuyela eKanana, baya kwenza ingxelo kumaSirayeli.
33 Aneliseka yiloo ngxelo amaSirayeli, atsho abonga uThixo; akabi sathetha ngakuhlasela awutshabalalise umhlaba wamaRubhen namaGadi.
34 Baza ke abantu bakwaRubhen nakwaGadi balibiza elo qonga ngokuthi: “Lingqina kuthi sonke ukuba uNdikhoyo unguThixo.” Baza ke bathi ukulibiza liNgqina.