1 Ke kaloku wathi *uNdikhoyo kuYoshuwa: “Uze ungoyiki, ungankwantyi. Thatha wonke umkhosi wakho, uhlasele iAyi. Ukumkani waseAyi, kunye nabantu bakhe, nesixeko sakhe, kunye nalo mhlaba wakhe, ndimnikele ezandleni zakho.
2 Nalapha eAyi uze wenze laa nto wawuyenze eJeriko nakukumkani wakhona. Kodwa ngoku amaxhoba eenkomo kunye nezinye izinto nize nizithathele zona. Nize nizilungiselele ukuyiqubula loo dolophu, nibe nabalaleli ngapha kwayo.”
3 UYoshuwa waxhabashela ukuya eAyi kunye nomkhosi wakhe. Wakhetha amawaka amashumi mathathu awona angamakhalipha kumadoda omkhosi, wawakhupha ngobusuku
4 nalo myalelo: “Phulaphulani! Zimelani ngapha kwesixeko, ningabi kude, nihlale nichophe phezu kwezikrweqe.
5 Mna kunye namadoda ahamba nam sosivelela ngaphambili isixeko. Xa amadoda aseAyi asihlangabezayo thina siya kujika sibaleke njengokwesihlandlo sokuqala.
6 Wona ke osisukela de athi qelele esixekweni, eba siyabaleka njengakuqala. Besasisukela njalo ke
7 nina niya kuphuma kuloo ndawo benizimele kuyo, nihlasele isixeko, nisithimbe. UNdikhoyo uThixo wenu wosinikela ezandleni zenu.
8 Nakuba nisithimbile eso sixeko, ze nisintumeke umlilo ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo. Ze nenjenjalo; ndiyaniyalela!”
9 Wawandulula ke loo madoda uYoshuwa, ahamba aya kulinda ezimele ngasentshonalanga yeAyi, phakathi kweAyi neBhetele. Yena uYoshuwa wasala apho babekhulule khona ngobo busuku.
10 Wavuka ekuseni uYoshuwa, wahlanganisa elakhe iqela lomkhosi. Wenjenjeya ewukhokelela eAyi kunye neenkokheli zawo.
11 Lo mkhosi wahamba ujonge ngqo eAyi, wafika wagxumeka iintente zawo emantla esixeko, ahlulwe naso yintili.
12 Ngelo xesha uYoshuwa wayeselethathe amawaka amahlanu amadoda, wawafihla ngakwintshonalanga yesixeko, phakathi kweAyi neBhetele.
13 Amiswa ngeendawo zawo ke loo madoda, elungele idabi, iintente zawo zimi ngasemantla esixeko, amanye amadoda ezifihlile ngasentshonalanga. Ngobo busuku uYoshuwa wangena kuloo ntili.
14 Akabanga saphozisa maseko ukumkani waseAyi akuwubona ekuseni umkhosi kaYoshuwa. Wesuka kwangoko, wawuhlangabeza kunye namadoda akhe kuloo ntili ikhangelene nentlango, engaqondi phofu ukuba kukho amadoda alaleleyo ngaphaya kwesixeko.
15 UYoshuwa namadoda omkhosi wakhe yena wanga uyabaleka, wabheka ngasentlango.
16 Kwahlatywa umkhosi, aphuma onke amadoda aseAyi, awusukela umkhosi kaYoshuwa. Lo gama asukelayo wawuya usithi tyishi umgama ophakathi kwawo nesixeko.
17 Akwasala nanye indoda eBhetele naseAyi engawasukelanga amaSirayeli, yaza iAyi yasala ingenabani wakuyikhusela.
18 UNdikhoyo wathi kuYoshuwa: “Khomba eAyi ngomkhonto wakho, kuba ndiyinikezela kuwe loo dolophu.” Wenjenjalo uYoshuwa.
19 Uthe nje akusiphakamisa isandla, laa mkhosi wakhe wawuzimela wesuka iindulumbane wangena esixekweni, wasintumeka umlilo.
20 Athe akubheka amadoda aseAyi abona kufunquza intshinyela yomsi ngasesibhakabhakeni. Akazange abe nakubalekela ndawo, kuba amaSirayeli awayezenza ngathi ayabaleka ajika angena kuwo.
21 Kaloku wathi uYoshuwa neqela lakhe bakuqonda ukuba isixeko sithinjiwe liqela elalizimele, yaye sasisele silidangatye ngumlilo, bajika bawahlasela amadoda aseAyi.
22 AmaSirayeli awayethimbe isixeko afika aza kunceda edabini. Aba ke amadoda aseAyi angqingwe macal' onke ngamaSirayeli, abulawa onke. Akubangakho mntu usindayo, kungazange kuphuncule bani,
23 ngaphandle kokumkani waseAyi yedwa. Kanti ke naye wabanjwa wasiwa kuYoshuwa.
24 AmaSirayeli, akuba ewabulele onke loo madoda ayeleqwe ngawo emasimini nasentlango, abuyela kwaseAyi, afika abulala yonke into engumntu apho.
25 Ngaloo mini kwabulawa yonke into engumntu eAyi, kwafa ishumi elinambini lamawaka lamadoda nabafazi.
26 UYoshuwa wayesoloko umkhonto wakhe ewukhombe eAyi, akasithoba kwada kwaba kufe umntu wonke apho.
27 AmaSirayeli azithathela imfuyo kwanamanye amaxhoba njengoko uNdikhoyo wawayalelayo ngomlomo kaYoshuwa.
28 UYoshuwa wayintumeka umlilo iAyi, yasala ingamabhodlo. Iseyiloo nto unanamhla oku.
29 Ukumkani waseAyi yena waxhonywa emthini, wayekwa apho kwada kwarhatyela. Kwathi ngorhatya wathi uYoshuwa isidumbu sikakumkani masithulwe siye kulahlwa emasangweni esixeko. Kwafunjwa phezu kwaso ingqumba yamatye asekho apho unanamhla.
30 Emva koko ke uYoshuwa wenzela *uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, iqonga lamadini phezu kwentaba iEbhali,
31 elenze njengoko uMosis, isicaka sikaNdikhoyo, wayeyalele. Walenza ngamatye angaqingqwanga, ngokomyalelo osencwadini yomthetho kaMosis. Kwelo qonga kwakusenziwa amadini atshiswayo kunye nawobudlelane.
32 UYoshuwa wawakhuphela umthetho kaMosis, ewukrola ematyeni, amaSirayeli ejongile.
33 AmaSirayeli onke, amadoda amakhulu, amagosa, nabalamli, kwakunye nabangeneleli, bema bephahle ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, bejongene nababingeleli bomlibo ka-Aron ababeyithwele. Elinye iqela lalimi ngakwintaba iGerezim, elinye limi ngakwintaba iEbhali. Kaloku uMosis, isicaka sikaNdikhoyo, wayethe maze benjenje lakufika ithuba lokubhengeza amathamsanqa uNdikhoyo awanika abantu bakhe amaSirayeli.
34 Kwesi sithuba ke uYoshuwa wabafundela umthetho uphela, nditsho iintsikelelo neziqalekiso njengoko zibhaliwe encwadini yomthetho.
35 UYoshuwa ke wayifundela elo bandla liphela imiyalelo kaMosis, engashiyanga nesuntswana eli. Ayekho namakhosikazi, nabantwana, kwakunye nabangeneleli abemi phakathi kwamaSirayeli.