1 Amasango eJeriko ayevalwe mba ukuze amaSirayeli angabi nako ukungena. Kwakungekho mntu uphumayo nongenayo kweso sixeko.
2 *UNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa: “IJeriko ndiyinikela kuwe, kunye nokumkani wayo, kwakunye namagorha ayo.
3 Wena ke kunye nomkhosi wakho kufuneka niyijikeleze kanye ngemini iintsuku zibe ntandathu.
4 Kufuneka ababingeleli babe sixhenxe, elowo ephethe isigodlo, bahambe ngaphambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso. Ngosuku lwesixhenxe kufuneka wena nomkhosi wakho nisijikeleze kasixhenxe isixeko, ababingeleli bona bavuthele izigodlo.
5 Kuya kuthi ke xa bevuthela isandi eside ababingeleli, nihlabe umkhosi, nimemeze, zidilike iindonga zeJeriko. Wandule ke ukungena macal' onke ngaphakathi kwesixeko wonke umkhosi.”
6 UYoshuwa wababiza ababingeleli, wathi kubo: “Thathani ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, baze abasixhenxe kuni bahambe ngaphambi kwayo, bephethe izigodlo.”
7 Waza ke wayalela umkhosi wakhe ukuba ujikeleze isixeko, amanye amadoda axhobileyo ahambe ngaphambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo.
8 Kwathi uYoshuwa esathetha njalo beza phambili abo babingeleli basixhenxe bephethe izigodlo ezisixhenxe, bazivuthela, baza balandelwa yityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo.
9 Ibutho lamadoda axhobileyo lahamba phambi kwabababingeleli ababevuthela izigodlo, elinye ibutho lalandela ityesi yomnqophiso. Wonke loo gama izigodlo bezihlokoma.
10 UYoshuwa wawayalela amadoda akhe wathi: “Ze ningahlabi mkhosi, ningakhwazi. Ewe, ze ningakhe nilinge niyivule imilomo yenu, ide ibe lolo suku niya kuyalelwa ndim.”
11 Loo madoda ke ajikeleza isixeko kwakanye, ehamba netyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, aza abuyela esikhululweni, alala.
12 Ngengomso uYoshuwa wavuka kwangentseni, nababingeleli baphinda bayithwala ityesi yomnqophiso njengezolo.
13 Kwahamba amadoda axhobileyo ngaphambili, kwalandela ababingeleli abavuthela izigodlo abasixhenxe, kweza ababingeleli abathwele ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, kwaza ekugqibeleni yangamadoda axhobileyo.
14 Ngolu suku lwesibini basijikeleza kanye isixeko, baza babuyela kwasesikhululweni. Loo nto bayenza iintsuku zantandathu.
15 Ngosuku lwesixhenxe bavuka kwangomsobomvu, baza basijikeleza kasixhenxe isixeko, kwanjengalaa ndlela babenze ngayo. Ewe, ngale imini baphindelela kwada kwasixhenxe ukusijikeleza.
16 Ngesihlandlo sesixhenxe, xa ababingeleli babevuthela izigodlo, uYoshuwa wathi kumadoda akhe: “Ze nihlabe umkhosi, nimemeze, kuba uNdikhoyo usinikile esi sixeko!
17 Isixeko, nayo yonke into ekuso, kufuneka zitshatyalaliswe mpela, zibe ngumnikelo kuNdikhoyo ngomlilo. NguRahabhi ihenyukazi yedwa kunye nabantu bakowabo amabasindiswe, kuba yena wazifihla iintlola zethu.
18 Ze ningathathi nto ekufuneka itshatyalaliswe; xa nenjenjalo nozibizela intshabalalo ngokunokwenu, nihlisele amaSirayeli ishwangusha xa ewonke.
19 Yonke into eyenziwe ngesiliva, negolide, nobhedu, okanye ngentsimbi, mayahlulelwe uNdikhoyo. Kufuneka ifakwe koovimba bakaNdikhoyo.”
20 Bazivuthela izigodlo ababingeleli. Athi akuziva amadoda, ahlaba umkhosi ememeza, zadilika iindonga! Wasuka umkhosi waya ngqo esixekweni, wafika wasithimba.
21 Asenza umnikelo kuNdikhoyo isixeko, afaka ikrele umntu wonke, abulala amadoda nabafazi, abatsha nabadala. Abulala iinkomo, iigusha, kunye needonki.
22 UYoshuwa wathi la madoda mabini ayeziintlola makaye kwaRahabhi, eze naye nabantu bakowabo, njengoko ayethembisile.
23 Aya ke, abuya naye uRahabhi, kunye noyise, nonina, nabantakwabo, kunye nabo bonke abantu bakowabo. Bathatha wonke loo mzi uphela, babahlalisa ngakwisikhululo samaSirayeli.
24 Bantumeka umlilo kweso sixeko, satsha nqu, kunye nento yonke eyayilapho. Igolide, nesiliva, nezinto zobhedu, nentsimbi, bazithatha bazisa koovimba bakaNdikhoyo.
25 Kodwa uYoshuwa wabasindisa ooRahabhi nabantu bakowabo, yaye uRahabhi usekho kwaSirayeli unanamhla, kuba wafihla iintlola ezazithunyelwe eJeriko nguYoshuwa.
26 UYoshuwa wafunga wathi:“Uqalekisiwe nguNdikhoyo umntu ovusa esi sixeko saseJeriko.Akubeka isiseko saso woswelekelwa lizibulo lakhe.Akuvusa amasango aso woswelekelwa nguntondo wakhe.”
27 UNdikhoyo waba noYoshuwa, lwavakala kulo lonke udumo lwakhe.