1 UYoshuwa wenza imbizo yazo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli eShekem. Wabiza onke amadoda amakhulu, iintloko zezindlu, abalamli, kunye nabanye abangamagosa akwaSirayeli, bonke baya kuthi nqwadalala *ngasesibingelelweni *sikaNdikhoyo.
2 Wabhekisa kubo bonke abantu uYoshuwa wenjenje: “Utsho uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Kudala kanye ooyihlo-mkhulu uTera kunye noonyana bakhe uAbraham noNahore babemi ngaphesheya komlambo iEfrati, benqula *thixo bambi.
3 Uyihlo-mkhulu uAbraham ndamkhupha apho ngaphesheya kwe-Efrati, walityhutyha lonke elaseKanana. Ndampha abantwana abaninzi. Ndamnika uIsake;
4 uIsake yena ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu. UEsawu ndamnika ilizwe leentaba lase-Edom. Yena uYakobi noonyana bakhe behla baya eJiputa.
5-6 Ndathuma uMosis noAron, amaJiputa ndawehlisela izibetho. Niyayazi into endawenza yona. Ndaza ke emva koko ndanikhupha eJiputa, naza nina naza kutsho kuLwandle oluBomvu. AmaJiputa akhupha iinqwelo zamahashe nomkhosi okhwele amahashe ukusukela ooyihlo, asinga kuLwandle oluBomvu.
7 Kodwa bathi bakukhala ooyihlo, ndafaka ithunzi lobumnyama phakathi kwamaSirayeli namaJiputa. Ndawagubungela ngamanzi olwandle, eyela amaJiputa – niyayazi loo nto.“ ‘Nahlala entlango ithuba elide.
8 Ndaza mna ndanizisa kumhlaba wama-Amori awayemi ngasempumalanga yeJordan. Alwa nani, kodwa mna ndawanikela ezandleni zenu. Nawuthatha umhlaba wawo, ndakuba mna ndiwatshabalalisile.
9 Ukumkani uBhalaki wakwaMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, waqubisana namaSirayeli edabini. Wathumelela uBhalam, unyana kaBhehore, ukuba abizwe eze anishwabulele,
10 kodwa andizange ndivume ukumphulaphula uBhalam. Ndaweni yaloo nto wamana ukunithamsanqelisa, ndaba ke ndinihlangule kuBhalaki.
11 Nawela iJordan, naya eJeriko. Abemi balapho balwa nani, njengoko enjenjalo ama-Amori, namaPerezi, namaKanana, amaHiti, amaGirgashi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi, kodwa ndabanikela ezandleni zenu.
12 Ndabathumela ngoonomeva abo balwa nani. Yiyo loo nto eyachitha iikumkani zama-Amori zombini – asilokrele nalutolo lwenu.
13 Ndaninika umhlaba eningazanga nawusebenza nezixeko eningazanga nazakha. Ngoku nihlala apho nitye isivuno semidiliya eningayilimanga, neminquma eningazanga nabulaleka yiyo.’
14 “UNdikhoyo mhloneleni, nimnqule ngentembeko ninyanisekile. Yahlukanani *nezithixo zookhokho benu ngexesha bengaphesheya kwe-Efrati naseJiputa, nikhonze uNdikhoyo yedwa.
15 Ke ukuba kubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uNdikhoyo, khethani ngoku, ukuba nokhonza bani na nina, phakathi koothixo baseMesopotami booyihlo noothixo bama-Amori enimi kumhlaba wawo. Kodwa mna kunye nomzi wam, siya kukhonza uNdikhoyo.”
16 Aphendula amaSirayeli athi: “Thina asisoze sahlukane noNdikhoyo sikhonze thixo bambi.
17 NguNdikhoyo uThixo wethu owasikhulula thina nookhokho eJiputa ebukhobokeni. Siyayazi imiqondiso emikhulu awayenzayo. Wasilondoloza konke apho sihamba khona, wasikhusela xa besicanda phakathi kweentlanga.
18 UNdikhoyo wasigxothela zonke iintlanga, nditsho kunye nama-Amori awayemi apha. Ngoko ke nathi sokhonza uNdikhoyo; nguye uThixo wethu.”
19 UYoshuwa wathetha namaSirayeli wenjenje: “Aninako ukumkhonza uNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo nguThixo owahlukileyo; unguThixo onekhwele. Akasayi kukuxolela ukumvukela kwenu nokumona kwenu,
20 yaye ukuba niyamfulathela nikhonze izithixo zasemzini, wonijikela anihlisele ububi. Wonitshabalalisa niphele, ngoku kanye ebekade eniphethe kakuhle.”
21 Abantu bathi kuYoshuwa: “Hayi bo! Thina siza kukhonza uNdikhoyo.”
22 Wathi ke uYoshuwa: “Ningamangqina enu ngokwenu ke ukuba nina nizikhethele ukukhonza uNdikhoyo.”“Ewe, singamangqina,” batsho abantu.
23 “Yahlukanani ke nazo ezo zithixo zasemzini ninazo,” watsho uYoshuwa, “nize ke nizinikele ngomxhelo wonke kuNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.”
24 Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa: “Thina sokhonza uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu, siphulaphule ilizwi lakhe.”
25 Ngaloo mini, belapho eShekem, uYoshuwa wabenzela umnqophiso abantu, wabanika imimiselo nemithetho amabayithobele.
26 Wayibhala yonke loo nto uYoshuwa encwadini yomthetho kaThixo. Waza emva koko wathatha ilitye elikhulu, walimisa phantsi komthi wom-oki ngakuloo ndawo wayenqulelwa kuyo uNdikhoyo.
27 Wathi ebantwini bonke: “Niyabona, eli litye loba lelobungqina, kuba liwevile onke amazwi uNdikhoyo awabhekise kuthi. Lilo ke eloba lingqina xa nimkhanyela uThixo wenu.”
28 Emva koko ke wabandulula abantu uYoshuwa, umntu ngamnye wabuyela emhlabeni olilifa lakhe.
29 Wabhubha ke emva koko uYoshuwa, unyana kaNune, isicaka *sikaNdikhoyo, eminyaka ilikhulu lineshumi.
30 Wafihlelwa eTimnata-sera, emhlabeni olilifa lakhe, kweleentaba kwaEfrayim, kumantla entaba iGahashe.
31 AmaSirayeli ahlala ekhonza uNdikhoyo lo gama wayesaphila uYoshuwa. Akungabikho ahlala esenjenjalo nangalo gama ayesekho amadoda amakhulu awayenamava ngeziganeko ezikhulu ezenziwa nguNdikhoyo.
32 Amathambo kaJosefu awayeze nawo eJiputa amaSirayeli, awangcwaba kumhlaba owathengwa nguYakobi eShekem koonyana bakaHamore uyise kaShekem ngekhulu leesiliva. Lo mhlaba waba lilifa lenzala kaJosefu.
33 Wabhubha noElazare, unyana ka-Aron, waza wangcwatyelwa eGibheya kweleentaba kwaEfrayim, emhlabeni owabelwa uPineyasi unyana wakhe.