1 UMose waya ukukhuluma lawa mazwi kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli,
2 wathi kubo: “Ngineminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili namuhla; angisenamandla okuphuma nokungena; uJehova ushilo kimi ukuthi: ‘Awuyikuliwela leli Jordani.’
3 Kepha uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuwela phambi kwakho, achithe lezi zizwe phambi kwakho, uzidle; uJoshuwa uyakuwela phambi kwakho njengokukhuluma kukaJehova.
4 UJehova uyakwenza kuzo njengokwenza kwakhe kuSihoni naku-Ogi amakhosi ama-Amori nakulo izwe lakubo ababulalayo.
5 UJehova uyakuzinikela phambi kwenu, nenze kuzo njengemiyalo yonke enginiyale ngayo.
6 Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningashaywa luvalo ngabo, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho nguyena ohamba nawe; akayikukuyeka, akushiye.”
7 UMose wambiza uJoshuwa, wathi kuye emehlweni abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli: “Qina, ume isibindi, ngokuba uyakuhamba nalaba bantu, uye ezweni uJehova afunga koyise ukubanika lona; wena uyakwenza ukuba balidle ifa lalo.
8 UJehova nguye ohamba phambi kwakho; uyakuba nawe; akayikukuyeka, akushiye; ungesabi, ungabi nangebhe.”
9 UMose waloba lowo mthetho, wabanika wona abapristi, amadodana kaLevi, ababethwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova namalunga onke akwa-Israyeli.
10 UMose wabayala wathi: “Ngasekugcineni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa njalo, ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo somnyaka woyekelo ngomkhosi wamadokodo,
11 lapho wonke u-Israyeli efike ukubonakala phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho endaweni ayakuyikhetha, wofunda lo mthetho phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke ezindlebeni zakhe.
12 Butha abantu, amadoda, nabesifazane, nabantwana, nomfokazi wakho ophakathi kwamasango akho ukuba bezwe, bafunde, bamesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, baqaphele ukuwenza onke amazwi alo mthetho,
13 nokuba abantwana babo abangawaziyo bezwe, bafunde ukumesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu isikhathi sonke sokuhlala kwenu ezweni eniwela iJordani ukuba ningene kulo ukulidla.”
14 UJehova wathi kuMose: “Bheka, izinsuku zakho sezisondele zokuba ufe; mbize uJoshuwa, nime etendeni lokuhlangana ukuba ngimyale.” OMose noJoshuwa base behamba, bema etendeni lokuhlangana.
15 UJehova wabonakala etendeni esensikeni yefu, insika yema ngasemnyango wetende.
16 UJehova wathi kuMose: “Bheka, wolala koyihlo; laba bantu bayakusuka, baye ukuphinga nawonkulunkulu babezizwe abasezweni abaya kulo ukuba bahlale phakathi kwabo, bangishiye, basaphule isivumelwano engisenzile nabo.
17 Intukuthelo yami iyakubavuthela ngalolo suku, ngibashiye, ngifihle ubuso bami kubo; bayakudliwa, behlelwe ngokubi nezinhlupheko eziningi, baze bathi ngalolo suku: ‘Lokhu okubi akusehlelanga yini ngokuba uNkulunkulu wethu engekho phakathi kwethu na?’
18 Mina ngiyakufihla nokufihla ubuso bami ngalolo suku ngenxa yakho konke okubi abayakube bekwenzile, lokhu bephendukele kwabanye onkulunkulu.
19 “Ngalokho zilobeleni leli hubo, ulifundise abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ulibeke emilonyeni yabo ukuba leli hubo libe ngufakazi wami ukumelana nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
20 Ngokuba lapho sengibangenisile ezweni engalifungela oyise, elivame ubisi nezinyosi, badle, basuthe, bakhuluphale, bayakuphendukela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonze, bangidelele, basaphule isivumelwano sami.
21 Kuyakuthi lapho sebehlelwe ngokubi nezinhlupheko eziningi, leli hubo lifakaze phambi kwabo njengofakazi, ngokuba aliyikukhohlakala emilonyeni yenzalo yabo, lokhu ngiyazi imicabango yabo abayicabangayo namanje, ngingakabangenisi ezweni engalifungela bona.”
22 UMose wayeseloba leli hubo ngalona lolo suku, walifundisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
23 Wamyala uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, wathi: “Qina, ume isibindi, ngokuba wena uyakubangenisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezweni engalifungela bona; mina ngiyakuba nawe.”
24 Kwathi lapho uMose eseqedile ukuloba amazwi alo mthetho encwadini aze aphela,
25 uMose wawayala amaLevi ayethwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, wathi:
26 “Thathani le ncwadi yomthetho, niyibeke ngaseceleni komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, ibe khona, ibe ngufakazi, imelane nani.
27 Ngokuba mina ngiyakwazi ukwambuka kwakho nentamo yakho elukhuni; bheka, ngisekhona nani namuhla niyahlubuka uJehova; kuyakuba kakhulu kangakanani emva kokufa kwami na?
28 Ngibuthele onke amalunga ezizwe zenu nezinduna zenu ukuba ngikhulume lawa mazwi ezindlebeni zazo, ngifakazise izulu nomhlaba ngazo.
29 Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi emva kokufa kwami niyakona nokona, niphambuke endleleni enginiyale ngayo, ububi bunehlele ngezinsuku ezizayo, ngokuba niyakwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nimthukuthelise ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu.”
30 UMose wayesekhuluma ezindlebeni zebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli amazwi ehubo lakhe, aze aphela.