1 Akazange athembeke amaSirayeli kumyalelo *kaNdikhoyo wokuba angathathi nto kufuneka itshatyalalisiwe eJeriko. Umfo owawudelayo loo myalelo nguAkana, unyana kaKarmi, umzukulwana kaZabhedi wakwaZera wesizwe sakwaJuda. Loo nto yawuvuthisa umsindo kaNdikhoyo ngakumaSirayeli.
2 UYoshuwa wathumela amadoda asuka eJeriko esiya eAyi, idolophu eyayingasempumalanga yeBhetele, imelene neBhetaven, ukuba aye kuhlola elo lizwe. Aya ke, ayihlola iAyi,
3 abuya athi kuYoshuwa: “Akukho mfuneko yakusa wonke umkhosi eAyi. Makuye nokuba ngamawaka amabini okanye amathathu amadoda. Noko abantu baseAyi bambalwa.”
4 Hayi ke, kwaphuma amawaka amathathu ukuya kuhlasela iAyi, kodwa asuka aswantsuliswa.
5 Amadoda aseAyi awajika emasangweni edolophu loo madoda, awaleqa ewahlisa induli ukuya kutsho ezixhotyeni, abulala amashumi amathathu anantandathu. AmaSirayeli atyhafa, ankwantya kukoyika.
6 UYoshuwa kunye namadoda amakhulu bazikrazula izambatho zabo, bazikhahlela phantsi ngaphambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, bahlala benjenjalo kwada kwahlwa. Babezigalele nangothuli entloko, bebonakalisa intlungu ababenayo.
7 UYoshuwa wakhala wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Mhlekazi, wawusiwezela ntoni ke kambe eJordan? Wawufuna ukuza kusitshabalalisa ngala ma-Amori? Akwaba sasisuke sahlala ngaphesheya kweJordan kwaba kanye!
8 Ndikhoyo, ndiza kuthini ngoku esuke aswantsuliswa nje amaSirayeli ziintshaba zawo?
9 Akuyiva le nto amaKanana kunye nabemi beli lizwe, baza kuza bonke, basicime igama. Ke wena, uza kuthini ngegama lakho elidume kangaka?”
10 Wathi kuYoshuwa uNdikhoyo: “Yoshuwa, vuka; uqubudele ntoni kuloo ndawo?
11 AmaSirayeli enze isono! Awaphule umnqophiso wam, awugqitha umyalelo ebendiwanike wona, athatha ezinye izinto kwebekufuneka zitshatyalaliswe mpela. Azibile, aza axoka nokuxoka, azifihla phakathi kwezinto zawo.
12 Yiyo ke loo nto engenakumelana notshaba nje amaSirayeli. Ebaleka nje kungenxa yokuba nawo emelwe kukutshabalala! Andikubuya ndibe phakathi kwenu nide nibe nizitshabalalisile izinto ebekufuneka zitshatyalaliswe.
13 “Phakama ke, ubahlambulule abantu. Yithi kubo mabazihlambulule ngenxa yokuya kwenzeka ngomso, kuba mna Ndikhoyo, Thixo wamaSirayeli, ndithi kubo: ‘Phakathi kwenu kukho oko bekumelwe kukunikelwa kum ngokutshatyalaliswa. Anisoze nibe nakumelana notshaba de nahlukane nezo zinto.’
14 “Baxelele ke ukuba ngomso kusasa baza kubizwa ngokwezizwe zabo. Eso sizwe salathiweyo nguNdikhoyo kufuneka size ngaphambili ngokwezindlu zaso, ize indlu eyalathiweyo ize ngaphambili ngokomzi, kuze kumzi owalathiweyo kuphume indoda nganye.
15 Loo ndoda ke yalathiweyo kwaza kwafunyanwa kuyo ezo zinto kufuneka zitshatyalalisiwe, yotshiswa kunye nako konke okukokwayo. Kaloku iwaphule umnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, yenza ubuyatha kwaSirayeli.”
16 Kwangentsasa ngengomso uYoshuwa wawabiza amaSirayeli, izizwe ngezizwe. Isizwe sakwaJuda salathwa nguNdikhoyo.
17 Seza ngaphambili isizwe sakwaJuda ngokwezindlu zaso, kwaza kwalathwa indlu kaZera. Kuloo ndlu kaZera kwathiwa imizi yayo mayize ngaphambili,
18 kwaza kwalathwa umzi kaZabhedi. Eza ngaphambili amadoda aloo mzi, kwaza kwalathwa uAkana unyana kaKarmi umzukulwana kaZabhedi wakwaZera wesizwe sakwaJuda.
19 Wathi kuye uYoshuwa: “Mfo wam, mzukise uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli, uzityande igila kuye, uyivume into oyenzileyo, ungandifihleli.”
20 Wathi uAkana: “Kuyinene ukuba ndimonile uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. Yiyo ke le into endayenzayo:
21 phakathi kwamaxhoba ndabona umnweba omhle owenziwe eBhabheli, nesiliva ebunzima buziikhilogram ezimbini, kunye necwecwe legolide elibunzima bungaphezu kwesiqingatha sekhilogram. Ndazinqwenela, ndazithatha ke. Naziya zombelwe phaya endlwini yam, isiliva yona ingaphantsi.”
22 UYoshuwa wathi makuye amadoda apho. Akhawuleza ke, aza azifumana zombelwe apho ngenene ezo zinto, isiliva ingaphantsi yona.
23 Bazithatha bazisa kuYoshuwa nakumaSirayeli ephela, baza bazandlala phambi koNdikhoyo.
24 UYoshuwa, ekunye namaSirayeli, bamthatha uAkana, kunye naloo siliva, naloo golide, naloo mnweba, nditsho nkqu noonyana neentombi zakhe, imfuyo yakhe, nentente yakhe, konke okwakhe, babasa kwintili yeAkore.
25 Wathi uYoshuwa: “Kutheni usifake enkathazweni nje? Nawe ke ngoku uNdikhoyo uza kukuhlisela inkathazo.” Umntu wonke wamxuluba ngamatye uAkana. Nosapho lwakhe nalo baluxuluba ngamatye, balutshisa kunye nako konke okwakhe.
26 Bafumba amatye phezu kwakhe – aselapho unanamhla. Yathiywa njalo ke loo ndawo, kwathiwa yintili yeAkore.Yathomalala ke nengqumbo kaNdikhoyo.