1 Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli beqa ngokuqalekisiweyo, lokhu u-Akani kaKarmi kaZabidi kaZera, owesizwe sakwaJuda, ethatha kukho okuqalekisiweyo; intukuthelo kaJehova yabavuthela abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
2 UJoshuwa wathuma amadoda, asuka eJeriko aya e-Ayi eliseceleni kweBeti Aveni ngasempumalanga kwaseBethele, wakhuluma kuwo, wathi: “Khuphukani, nilihlole izwe.” Amadoda akhuphuka ahlola i-Ayi.
3 Abuyela kuJoshuwa, athi kuye: “Mabangakhuphuki bonke abantu; makuhambe amadoda kungathi izinkulungwane ezimbili noma ezintathu, alichithe i-Ayi; ungabakhathazi bonke abantu ngokuya khona, ngokuba bayingcosana nje.”
4 Kwase kukhuphukela khona abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, kepha babaleka phambi kwamadoda ase-Ayi.
5 Amadoda ase-Ayi abulala abantu abangamashumi amathathu nesithupha, abaxosha esuka phambi kwesango aze afika eShebarimi, ababulala emthambekeni; izinhliziyo zabantu zaphela amandla, zaba njengamanzi.
6 UJoshuwa waziklebhula izingubo zakhe, wawa ngobuso emhlabathini phambi komphongolo kaJehova kwaze kwahlwa, yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli; bathela uthuli emakhanda abo.
7 UJoshuwa wathi: “Maye, Nkosi Nkulunkulu! Ubaweliseleni iJordani nakanye laba bantu ukuba usinikele esandleni sama-Amori, usibhubhise, na? Sengathi nga saneliswa ukuhlala ngaphesheya kweJordani!
8 O Nkosi, ngiyakuthini, lapha abakwa-Israyeli sebefulathele izitha zabo na?
9 Ngokuba amaKhanani nabo bonke abakhileyo ezweni bayakukuzwa, basihaqe, banqume igama lethu emhlabeni; uyakwenzela ntoni igama lakho elikhulu na?”
10 UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Sukuma; uweleni kanje ngobuso bakho na?
11 U-Israyeli wonile, yebo, beqile isivumelwano sami engabayala ngaso, yebo, bathathile nakukho okuqalekisiweyo, futhi bebile, baqambile amanga, bakubeka kweyabo impahla.
12 Ngalokho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abanakuma phambi kwezitha zabo, bayafulathela izitha zabo, ngokuba sebeqalekisiwe; angisayikuba nani, uma ningachithi okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
13 “Suka ungcwelise abantu, uthi: ‘Zingcweliseleni ingomuso, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli usho kanje, uthi: Kukhona okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwakho, Israyeli; awunakuma phambi kwezitha zakho, ningakakususi okuqalekisiweyo phakathi kwenu.
14 “ ‘Kusasa niyakusondezwa ngezizwe zakini; kuyakuthi isizwe asithathayo uJehova sisondele ngemindeni; umndeni awuthathayo uJehova uyakusondela ngezindlu; indlu ayithathayo uJehova iyakusondela ngabantu.
15 Kuyakuthi othathwayo enokuqalekisiweyo ashiswe ngomlilo, yena nakho konke anakho, ngokuba eqile isivumelwano sikaJehova nangokuba esebenzile ubuwula kwa-Israyeli.’ ”
16 UJoshuwa wayesevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wasondeza u-Israyeli ngezizwe zakubo; isizwe sakwaJuda sathathwa.
17 Wayesesondeza imindeni yakwaJuda; wathatha umndeni wakwaZera, wawusondeza umndeni wakwaZera ngabantu, kwathathwa uZabidi.
18 Wayisondeza indlu yakhe ngabantu; u-Akani kaKarmi kaZabidi kaZera, owesizwe sakwaJuda, wathathwa.
19 UJoshuwa wayesethi ku-Akani: “Ndodana yami, ake umnike uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli inkazimulo, uvume kuye, ungitshele okwenzileyo, ungangifihleli.”
20 U-Akani wamphendula uJoshuwa, wathi: “Kuyiqiniso, ngonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngenza ukuthi nokuthi.
21 Ngabona empangweni ingubo enhle yaseShineyari, namashekeli* angamakhulu amabili esiliva, nesigaxa segolide esinesisindo esingamashekeli angamashumi ayisihlanu, ngakufisa, ngakuthatha; bheka, kuthukusiwe emhlabathini phakathi kwetende lami, nesiliva liphansi kwakho.”
22 UJoshuwa wayesethuma izithunywa, zagijimela etendeni; bheka kwakuthukusiwe etendeni lakhe, isiliva liphansi.
23 Zakukhipha phakathi kwetende, zakuyisa kuJoshuwa nakubo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bakubeka phansi phambi kukaJehova.
24 UJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye bamthatha u-Akani indodana kaZera, nesiliva, nengubo, nesigaxa segolide, namadodana akhe, namadodakazi akhe, nezinkabi zakhe, nezimbongolo zakhe, nezimvu zakhe, netende lakhe, nakho konke anakho, bakukhuphulela esigodini sase-Akori.
25 UJoshuwa wayesethi: “Usihlupheleni na? UJehova uzakukuhlupha namuhla.” Bonke abakwa-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe; babashisa ngomlilo, babakhanda ngamatshe.
26 Bamisa phezu kwakhe inqwaba yamatshe; isekhona nanamuhla; uJehova waphenduka entukuthelweni yake enkulu. Ngalokho igama laleyo ndawo laqanjwa ngokuthi isigodi sase-Akori kuze kube namuhla.