1 Kwathi lapho u-Adoni Sedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema esezwile ukuthi uJoshuwa uthathile i-Ayi, waliqeda nya njengalokho ebenzile kulo iJeriko nenkosi yalo, wayenze njalo kulo i-Ayi nenkosi yalo nokuthi abakhileyo eGibeyoni benzile ukuthula no-Israyeli, baba phakathi kwabo,
2 besaba kakhulu, ngokuba iGibeyoni lalingumuzi omkhulu njengomunye wemizi yamakhosi nangokuba lalilikhulu kune-Ayi, onke amadoda alo engamaqhawe.
3 Ngalokho u-Adoni Sedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema wathumela kuHohamu inkosi yaseHebroni, nakuPiramu inkosi yaseJarimuthi, nakuJafiya inkosi yaseLakishi, nakuDebiri inkosi yase-Egiloni, wathi:
4 “Khuphukelani kimi, ningisize sichithe iGibeyoni, ngokuba lenzile ukuthula noJoshuwa nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”
5 Ngalokho amakhosi ayisihlanu ama-Amori, inkosi yaseJerusalema, nenkosi yaseHebroni, nenkosi yaseJarimuthi, nenkosi yaseLakishi, nenkosi yase-Egiloni, ahlangana, akhuphuka, wona nawo onke amabandla awo, amisa malungana neGibeyoni, alwa nalo.
6 Amadoda aseGibeyoni athumela kuJoshuwa ekamu* laseGiligali, athi: “Ungayekethisi isandla sakho ezincekwini zakho; shesha ukhuphukele kithi usisindise, usisize, ngokuba onke amakhosi ama-Amori akhile ezintabeni asihlanganyele.”
7 UJoshuwa wayesekhuphuka eGiligali, yena nabo bonke abantu bempi kanye naye, nawo onke amaqhawe anamandla.
8 UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungabesabi, ngokuba ngibanikele ezandleni zakho; akuyikubakho muntu wabo ongema phambi kwakho.”
9 UJoshuwa wabafikela ngokuzumayo; wakhuphuka eGiligali ubusuku bonke.
10 UJehova wabangquzula ngaphambi kuka-Israyeli, wabaceka ngokuceka okukhulu ngaseGibeyoni, wabaxosha ngendlela ekhuphukela eBeti Horoni, wababulala kwaze kwaba se-Azeka naseMakheda.
11 Kwathi besabalekela u-Israyeli behla eBeti Horoni, uJehova wawisa phezu kwabo amatshe amakhulu, ehla ezulwini, baze bafika e-Azeka, bafa; babe baningi abafa ngesichotho kunababulawa ngu-Israyeli ngenkemba.
12 UJoshuwa wayesekhuluma kuJehova mhla uJehova enikela ama-Amori phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wathi ebusweni babakwa-Israyeli:“Langa, yima eGibeyoni,nawe nyanga, esigodini sase-Ajaloni.”
13 Lase lima ilanga, nenyanga yahlala,abantu baze baziphindisela ezitheni zabo.Akulotshiwe yini lokho eNcwadini Yolungileyo na? Ilanga lema phakathi nomkhathi, alisheshanga ukushona kungathi usuku lonke.
14 Aluzange lube khona usuku olunjengalo ngaphambi kwalo noma ngasemva kwalo lokuba uJehova alilalele izwi lomuntu, ngokuba uJehova wamlwela u-Israyeli.
15 UJoshuwa wabuyela ekamu* laseGiligali, bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye.
16 Lawo makhosi omahlanu abaleka, acasha emhumeni waseMakheda.
17 Kwabikwa kuJoshuwa ukuthi: “Lawo makhosi omahlanu afunyanisiwe ecashile emhumeni waseMakheda.”
18 UJoshuwa wathi: “Gingqelani amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume, nibeke amadoda ngakuwo ukuba awalinde;
19 kepha ningemi nina; xoshani izitha zenu, nibulale ezingasemuva, ningazivumeli ukuba zingene emizini yazo, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzinikele esandleni senu.”
20 Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli sebeqedile ukubaceka ngokuceka okukhulu kakhulu baze baqedwa, insali yabo nokho isingenile emizini ebiyelweyo,
21 bonke abantu babuyela ekamu* kuJoshuwa eMakheda ngokuthula, akwabakho onyakazisa ulimi lwakhe ngomuntu wabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
22 Wayesethi uJoshuwa: “Vulani umlomo womhume, nikhiphele kimi lawo makhosi omahlanu emhumeni.”
23 Benze njalo-ke; bawakhiphela kuye lawo makhosi omahlanu emhumeni: inkosi yaseJerusalema, nenkosi yaseHebroni, nenkosi yaseJarimuthi, nenkosi yaseLakishi, nenkosi yase-Egiloni.
24 Kwathi lapho bekhiphela kuJoshuwa lawo makhosi, uJoshuwa wabiza onke amadoda akwa-Israyeli, wathi ezinduneni zamadoda empi ezazihamba naye: “Sondelani, nibeke izinyawo zenu ezintanyeni zalawa makhosi.” Zasondela-ke, zabeka izinyawo zazo ezintanyeni zawo.
25 UJoshuwa wathi kuzo: “Ningesabi, ningabi naluvalo; qinani, nime isibindi, ngokuba uJehova uyakwenza kanjalo kuzo zonke izitha zenu enilwa nazo.”
26 Ngasemuva uJoshuwa wawagenca, wawabulala, wawaphanyeka emithini eyisihlanu, alenga emithini kwaze kwahlwa.
27 Kwathi ngesikhathi sokushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wayala, bawehlisa emithini, bawaphonsa emhumeni lapho ebecashe khona, babeka amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume; akhona nanamuhla.
28 UJoshuwa wathatha iMakheda ngalolo suku, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nenkosi yalo, wabaqothula nabo bonke abakulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo; wenza-ke kuyo inkosi yaseMakheda njengalokho ebenzile kuyo inkosi yaseJeriko.
29 UJoshuwa wasuka eMakheda nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye, waya eLibina, walwa neLibina;
30 uJehova walinikela nalo nenkosi yalo esandleni sakwa-Israyeli, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba nabo bonke abakulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasala phakathi kwalo; wenza-ke kuyo inkosi yalo njengalokho ebenzile kuyo inkosi yaseJeriko.
31 UJoshuwa wasuka eLibina nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye, waya eLakishi, wamisa malungana nalo, walwa nalo;
32 uJehova wanikela iLakishi esandleni sakwa-Israyeli, walithatha ngosuku lwesibili, walichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nabo bonke ababekulo njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo iLibina.
33 Khona kwakhuphuka uHoramu inkosi yaseGezeri ukuba asize iLakishi; kepha uJoshuwa wambulala nabantu bakhe, akaze amshiyela noyedwa owasalayo.
34 UJoshuwa wasuka eLakishi, bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye, waya e-Egiloni; bamisa malungana nalo, balwa nalo.
35 Balithatha ngalolo suku, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba; nabo bonke ababekulo wabaqothula ngalolo suku njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo iLakishi.
36 UJoshuwa wakhuphuka e-Egiloni, bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye, waya eHebroni, balwa nalo.
37 Balithatha, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba kanye nenkosi yalo, nayo yonke imizi yalo, nabo bonke ababekulo; akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo njengakho konke abekwenzile kulo i-Egiloni, waliqothula nabo bonke abakulo.
38 UJoshuwa wabuyela nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli eDebiri, walwa nalo;
39 walithatha kanye nenkosi yalo nayo yonke imizi yalo, bayichitha ngosiko lwenkemba. Baqothula bonke ababekulo, akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo; njengalokho ebenzile kulo iHebroni, wenze njalo kulo iDebiri nakuyo inkosi yalo, njengalokho ebenzile nakulo iLibina nakuyo inkosi yalo.
40 Wachitha-ke uJoshuwa izwe lonke, izintaba, neNingizimu, namathafa, nemithambeka, namakhosi onke alo; akashiyanga noyedwa owasalayo, kepha waqothula konke okuphefumulayo njengokuyala kukaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
41 UJoshuwa wabachitha kusukela eKadeshi Barineya kuze kufike eGaza, nezwe lonke laseGosheni kuze kufike eGibeyoni.
42 Onke lawo makhosi nezwe lawo uJoshuwa wakuthatha ngasikhathi sinye, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli walwela u-Israyeli.
43 UJoshuwa wabuyela ekamu* laseGiligali, bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye.