1 UJoshuwa wabutha zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli eShekemi, wabiza amalunga akwa-Israyeli, nezinhloko zakhe, nabahluleli bakhe, nezinduna zakhe, bema phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
2 UJoshuwa wathi kubantu bonke: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Oyihlo bahlala endulo ngaphesheya koMfula,* uThera uyise ka-Abrahama noyise kaNahori, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
3 Ngamthatha uyihlo u-Abrahama ngaphesheya koMfula,* ngamhambisa ezweni lonke laseKhanani, ngayandisa inzalo yakhe, ngamupha u-Isaka.
4 Ngamupha u-Isaka oJakobe no-Esawu; ngamnika u-Esawu intaba yaseSeyiri ukuba ayidle; uJakobe nabantwana bakhe behlela eGibithe.
5 “ ‘Ngathuma oMose no-Aroni, ngahlupha iGibithe ngalokho engakwenza phakathi kwalo; ngasemuva nganikhipha.
6 Ngakhipha oyihlo eGibithe; nafika elwandle; abaseGibithe babaxosha oyihlo ngezinqola nangabamahhashi, baze bafika eLwandle Olubomvu.
7 Lapho bekhala kuJehova, wabeka ubumnyama phakathi kwenu nabaseGibithe, waluhambisa ulwandle phezu kwabo, wabasibekela; amehlo enu abona engakwenzayo eGibithe; nahlala ehlane izinsuku eziningi.
8 “ ‘Nganingenisa ezweni lama-Amori ahlala ngaphesheya kweJordani, alwa nani; ngawanikela esandleni senu, nadla izwe lawo; ngawachitha phambi kwenu.
9 Kwase kuvuka uBalaki indodana kaSipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, walwa no-Israyeli; wathuma wabiza uBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ukuba aniqalekise,
10 kepha angithandanga ukumlalela uBileyamu, kodwa kakhulu wanibusisa, nganophula esandleni sakhe.
11 “ ‘Nase niwela iJordani, nafika eJeriko; amadoda aseJeriko alwa nani, nama-Amori, namaPherizi, namaKhanani, namaHeti, namaGirigashi, namaHivi, namaJebusi, ngawanikela esandleni senu.
12 Ngathuma iminyovu phambi kwenu eyawaxosha phambi kwenu amakhosi omabili ama-Amori, kungengankemba yakho noma ngomnsalo wakho.
13 Nganinika izwe eningakhandlekanga kulo, nemizi eningayakhanga nihlala nokho kuyo; niyadla ezivinini naseminqumeni eningakutshalanga.’
14 “Manje yesabani uJehova, nimkhonze ngobuqotho nangeqiniso, nisuse onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo phesheya koMfula* naseGibithe, nimkhonze uJehova.
15 Uma kukubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uJehova, khethani namuhla ukuthi ngubani eniyakumkhonza, noma onkulunkulu ababakhonzayo oyihlo besengaphesheya koMfula,* noma onkulunkulu bama-Amori enihlala ezweni lawo; kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uJehova.”
16 Abantu baphendula bathi: “Makube kude nathi ukumshiya uJehova ukuba sikhonze abanye onkulunkulu,
17 ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu nguye owasikhuphula thina nawobaba ezweni laseGibithe, indlu yobugqila, nowazenza lezo zibonakaliso emehlweni ethu, wasilondoloza endleleni yonke esahamba ngayo, naphakathi kwabo bonke abantu esadlula phakathi kwabo.
18 UJehova waxosha phambi kwethu bonke abantu, nama-Amori futhi ayehlala ezweni; ngalokho nathi siyakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu wethu.”
19 UJoshuwa wathi kubantu: “Aninakumkhonza uJehova, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ongcwele; unguNkulunkulu onomhawu, akayikuthethelela iziphambeko zenu nezono zenu.
20 Uma nimshiya uJehova, nikhonze onkulunkulu babezizwe, uyakuphenduka, anenzele okubi, aniqede esenenzele okuhle.”
21 Kepha abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “Qha, ngokuba siyakumkhonza uJehova.”
22 Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubantu: “Nina ningofakazi benu bokuthi nizikhethele uJehova ukuba nimkhonze yena.”Bathi: “Singofakazi.”
23 Wathi: “Susani manje onkulunkulu babezizwe abaphakathi kwenu, nithobele izinhliziyo zenu kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.”
24 Abantu bathi kuJoshuwa: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu siyakumkhonza, sililalele izwi lakhe.”
25 UJoshuwa wayesenza isivumelwano nabantu ngalolo suku, wabamisela isimiso nomthetho eShekemi.
26 UJoshuwa waloba lawo mazwi encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, wathatha itshe elikhulu, walimisa lapho phansi kwe-oki* elingasendlini engcwele kaJehova.
27 Wayesethi uJoshuwa kubo abantu bonke: “Bhekani, leli tshe liyakuba ngufakazi ngathi, ngokuba lizwile onke amazwi kaJehova awakhuluma kithi; ngalokho liyakuba ngufakazi ngani, funa nimphike uNkulunkulu wenu.”
28 UJoshuwa wayesebamukisa abantu, yilowo nalowo waya efeni lakhe.
29 Kwathi emva kwalezo zinto uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaJehova, wafa eneminyaka eyikhulu neshumi.
30 Bammbela emkhawulweni wefa lakhe eThimnati Sera elisezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ngasenyakatho kwentaba yakwaGahashi.
31 U-Israyeli wamkhonza uJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJoshuwa nazo zonke izinsuku zamalunga ayekhona izinsuku ezithile emva kukaJoshuwa, ayeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaJehova ayeyenzele u-Israyeli.
32 Amathambo kaJosefa akhushulwa eGibithe ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bawembela eShekemi esiqeshini sezwe asithengayo uJakobe kumadodana kaHamori uyise kaShekemi ngamakesita* ayikhulu, laba ifa labantwana bakwaJosefa.
33 U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni wafa; bammbela egqumeni likaFinehasi indodana yakhe, abenikiwe lona ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi.