1 Imbali yokutshatshela kwamaSirayeli yaya kuvakala nakwiikumkani ezazimi ngasentshonalanga kweJordan: kweleentaba, emazantsi eentaba, nasemantla konxweme lolwandle, ukuya kutsho eLebhanon. Ezo ke yayiziikumkani ezazilawula amaHeti, ama-Amori, amaKanana, amaPerezi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi.
2 Zonke zabuthelana ngamxhelo mnye ukuze zilwe noYoshuwa namaSirayeli.
3 Abantu baseGibheyon, ababengamaHivi, bayiva imbali yezigigaba zikaYoshuwa eJeriko naseAyi,
4 baza bagqiba ekubeni mabenze iqhinga. Bathume izigidimi zilayishe ukutya ezimbongolweni ngeengxowa ezigugileyo.
5 Zanxiba amadlavu, neembadada ezikrazukileyo, zathatha isonka esomileyo esingundileyo
6 Zenyuka zaya esikhululweni eGiligali, zafika zathi kuYoshuwa namaSirayeli: “Singabantu abavela kwilizwe elikude. Size kucela kuni imvisiswano yokuhlalisana ngoxolo.”
7 AmaSirayeli athi: “Singathini na ukunqophisana nani? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba nisuka kwalapha kufuphi.”
8 Bathi kuYoshuwa: “Thina sizizicaka zakho.”Wababuza uYoshuwa wathi: “Ningamani, yaye nivela phi?”
9 Bona baphendula bathi: “Mhlekazi, sivela kwelikude; saye sivile ngezigigaba *zikaNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, nangayo yonke into awayenza eJiputa,
10 kwakunye nakwenze kwiikumkani ezimbini zama-Amori ngaphesheya kweJordan, kukumkani uSihon waseHeshbhon kunye nokumkani uOgi waseBhashan owayemi eAshtoreti.
11 Amadoda amakhulu akuthi, kunye nabemi bonke belakowethu, bathi kuthi: ‘Zenzeleni umphako wendlela, nihambe niye kubo, nithi: “Sizizicaka zenu. Visisanani nathi, sihlalisane ngoxolo.” ’
12 Khangela umphako wethu wesonka. Ukunduluka kwethu ekhaya sisiza apha, esi sonka sasiseshushu. Ngoku sesomile, singunde nokungunda.
13 Iimvaba zewayini zazizele, zintsha, ngoku sezikrazukile. Neempahla zethu kunye neembadada zigugile luhambo olude.”
14 Amadoda akwaSirayeli angcamla kumphako waloo madoda, kodwa akakhange abhekise kuNdikhoyo.
15 NoYoshuwa ke wasivuma isicelo sawo soxolo, wanqophisana nawo ngelithi akayi kubulawa. Zafunga iinkokheli zebandla lamaSirayeli, zathi loo mnqophiso aziyi kuwutyeshela.
16 Kwathi kungekadluli neentsuku ezintathu senziwa isivumelwano, eva amaSirayeli ukuba abo bantu yayingabamelwane bawo, behlala kufuphi nawo.
17 Anduluka ke amaSirayeli, athi emva kweentsuku ezintathu agaleleka apho kwakuhlala khona loo madoda. Izixeko zawo yayiyiGibheyon, iKefira, iBheroti, kunye neKiriyati-yarim.
18 Kambe ke amaSirayeli akazange ababulale aba bantu, kuba kaloku iinkokheli zebandla lawo zazibenzele isifungo ngegama likaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. Lonke ibandla lakwaSirayeli lazikhalazela iinkokheli,
19 zaza iinkokheli zathi: “Kaloku safunga ngegama likaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli kwaba bantu. Ke ngoko asinakubenza nto konke.
20 Naku emasikwenze: masingabachukumisi, hleze sihlelwe yingqumbo ngokutyeshela isifungo.
21 Masibayeke baphile ngokwesifungo sethu, kodwa ngabo abaza kusikhelela amanzi, basicandele iinkuni.”
22 UYoshuwa wathi mabeziswe kuye abantu baseGibheyon, wabhekisa kubo wathi: “Nisikhohlisele ntoni nisithi nivela kude nje, kanti nihlala kufuphi?
23 Niqalekisiwe ngenxa yento eniyenzileyo. Niya kuhlala ningamakhoboka, nithuthe amanzi, nicande neenkuni zomzi woThixo wam.”
24 Bathi ukuphendula bona: “Mhlekazi, sibangwe kukuva ukuba kuyinyani ukuba uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu wayalela uMosis ukuba wonke lo mhlaba makawunike nina, batshabalalise bonke abemi bawo, ke ngoko sasoyikela nobomi bethu.
25 Ngoku ke siphantsi kwegunya lakho; yenza loo nto wena ucinga ukuba ilungile.”
26 Nantsi ke into awayenzayo uYoshuwa: wabakhusela, akawavumela ukuba amaSirayeli ababulale,
27 kodwa wathi mababe ngamakhoboka okukha amanzi nokucanda iinkuni zamaSirayeli nezeqonga lamadini kaNdikhoyo. Loo msebenzi basawenza unanamhla kuloo ndawo yalathwe nguNdikhoyo.