1 Lakuba luwele lwaphelela uhlanga lwamaSirayeli, *uNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa:
2 “Tyumba amadoda abe lishumi elinambini, ibe nye kwisizwe ngasinye.
3 Yithi makathathe ishumi elinambini lamatye kulaa ndawo bekume zinzi kuyo ababingeleli esazulwini seJordan, awathwale loo matye, aze awabeke apho kuya kuba kukhululwe khona ngokuhlwa namhlanje.”
4 UYoshuwa wawabiza loo madoda alishumi elinambini awatyumbileyo kwisizwe ngasinye,
5 wathi: “Ngenani emlanjeni iJordan, nigqithe kwityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo uNdikhoyo, ize indoda nganye ixwaye ilitye eliza kumela isizwe ngasinye samaSirayeli.”
6 Watsho esithi: “La matye ngumqondiso kumaSirayeli ngazo zonke iziganeko zikaNdikhoyo. Xa bebuza ngomso abantwana benu besithi: ‘Ngawantoni na la matye?’
7 nobaxelela ukuba ngamhla ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo yayiwela umlambo, ema amanzi, ahlanganiselana eJordan. La matye ohlala esisikhumbuzo kumaSirayeli sesiganeko esehla kule ndawo.”
8 AmaSirayeli enza ngokomyalelo kaYoshuwa. Awakhetha amatye alishumi elinambini emlanjeni iJordan ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo kuYoshuwa, lalinye kwisizwe ngasinye, awasa kulaa ndawo kwakuza kukhululwa kuyo ngaloo mhla.
9 UYoshuwa yena wabeka amanye amatye alishumi elinambini kulaa ndawo kwakumi kuyo ababingeleli ababethwele ityesi yomnqophiso, phakathi emlanjeni iJordan. (Aselapho unanamhla loo matye.)
10 Ababingeleli bema njalo emlanjeni iJordan kwada kwagqitywa yonke into ekwakuthiwe kuYoshuwa mayenziwe ngabantu. Zizinto ezaziyalelwe nguMosis zonke ezo.Abantu bakhawuleza ukuwela umlambo.
11 Bakuba bewele bonke, ityesi yomnqophiso yawezwa ngababingeleli, abantu bejongile.
12 Amadoda esizwe sakwaRubhen nesakwaGadi, kunye nenxalenye yesizwe sakwaManase, awela kuqala kunabo bonke abantu, exhobile, njengoko wayetshilo kuwo uMosis.
13 Kwawela amashumi mane amawaka amadoda axhobele idabi, aya kutsho kwezo ntili zeJeriko, ekhatshwa nguNdikhoyo.
14 Into eyenziwa nguNdikhoyo ngalo mhla yatsho amaSirayeli amhlonela uYoshuwa. Amhlonela bonke ubomi bakhe njengoko amhlonelayo uMosis.
15 UNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa:
16 “Xelela ababingeleli abathwele ityesi yomnqophiso ukuba baphume emlanjeni.”
17 Wenjenjalo ke uYoshuwa,
18 bathi bakuba bewelile, wabuya wazala, waphuphuma kwakhona umlambo.
19 AmaSirayeli ayiwela iJordan ngomhla weshumi kwinyanga yokuqala, afika amisa iintente eGiligali engasempumalanga yeJeriko.
20 UYoshuwa wawamisa apho eGiligali laa matye alishumi linambini ayethathwe eJordan.
21 Wathi kumaSirayeli: “Xa bathe abantwana benu babuza kuni, boyise, besithi: ‘Ngawantoni na la matye?’
22 ze nibabalisele nithi: ‘AmaSirayeli ayiwela le Jordan ehamba emhlabeni owomileyo.’
23 Kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu wawanqumamisa amanzi eJordan, khon' ukuze niwele umlambo womile, kanye ngalaa ndlela womisa ngayo amanzi oLwandle oluBomvu khon' ukuze siwele.
24 Loo nto ke iya kwenza ukuba bonke abemi belizwe bawaqonde amandla kaNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, nani nimoyike ngalo lonke ixesha.”