1 UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungesabi, ungabi naluvalo; suka nabo bonke abantu bempi, ukhuphuke uye e-Ayi; bheka, nginikele esandleni sakho inkosi yase-Ayi, nabantu bayo, nomuzi wayo, nezwe layo;
2 uyakwenza kulo i-Ayi nenkosi yalo njengalokho wenza kulo iJeriko nenkosi yalo; impango yalo kuphela nezinkomo zalo niyakuziphangela khona. Wuqamekele umuzi emva kwawo.”
3 UJoshuwa wasuka kanye nabo bonke abantu bempi ukuba akhuphukele e-Ayi; uJoshuwa wakhetha amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu amaqhawe anamandla, wawathuma ebusuku.
4 Wawayala ngokuthi: “Bhekani, niyakuwuqamekela umuzi, emva komuzi, ningayi kude kakhulu nomuzi, nihlale nilungele nonke.
5 Mina nabantu bonke abanami siyakusondela emzini; kuyakuthi lapho bephuma ukusihlasela njengakuqala, sibaleke phambi kwabo.
6 Bayakuphuma, basilandele, size sibasuse emzini, ngokuba bayakusho ukuthi: ‘Babaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala,’ bese sibaleka phambi kwabo;
7 niyakusuka ekuqamekeleni, niwudle umuzi, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uyakuwunikela esandleni senu.
8 Kuyakuthi lapho seniwuthathile umuzi, nithungele umuzi ngomlilo, nenze njengezwi likaJehova; bhekani, senginiyalile.”
9 UJoshuwa wayesebathuma, baya ukuyoqamekela, bahlala phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga kwase-Ayi; uJoshuwa walala lobo busuku phakathi kwabantu.
10 UJoshuwa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabutha abantu, wakhuphuka, yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli, phambi kwabantu, waya e-Ayi.
11 Bonke abantu bempi ayenabo bakhuphuka, basondela, baya phambi komuzi, bamisa ngasenyakatho kwase-Ayi; kwakukhona isigodi phakathi kwakhe ne-Ayi.
12 Wathatha amadoda kungathi izinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, wawaqamekelisa phakathi kweBethele ne-Ayi ngasentshonalanga komuzi.
13 Sebehleliwe abantu, lonke ibandla elalingasenyakatho komuzi nabaqamekeleyo babo ababengasentshonalanga komuzi, uJoshuwa waya ngalobo busuku phakathi kwesigodi.
14 Kwathi inkosi yase-Ayi ikubona lokho, ashesha avuka ekuseni amadoda omuzi, aphuma ukuhlasela u-Israyeli, yona nabantu bayo, endaweni enqunyiweyo ngaphambi kwehlane; yayingazi nokho ukuthi babekhona abayiqamekeleyo ngasemva komuzi.
15 UJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli benza kungathi bahluliwe phambi kwabo, babaleka ngendlela eya ehlane.
16 Bonke abantu basemzini babizwa ukuba babaxoshe; bamxosha uJoshuwa, basuswa emzini.
17 Akusalanga muntu e-Ayi naseBethele ongaphumanga ukubaxosha abakwa-Israyeli, bawushiya umuzi ugengelezile, babaxosha abakwa-Israyeli.
18 UJehova wathi kuJoshuwa: “Yelulela umkhonto osesandleni sakho ngase-Ayi, ngokuba ngiyakulinikela esandleni sakho.” UJoshuwa welulela-ke umkhonto osesandleni sakhe ngasemzini.
19 Abaqamekeleyo bashesha basuka endaweni yabo, bagijima lapho eselula isandla sakhe, bangena emzini, bawuthatha; bawuthungela ngomlilo masinyane.
20 Lapho amadoda ase-Ayi ebheka emva kwabo, abona, bheka, umusi womuzi wenyukela ngasezulwini; ayengenamandla ukubaleka ngalapha noma ngalapha, lapho abantu ababebalekele ngasehlane sebephendukela ababaxoshayo.
21 Ngokuba nxa uJoshuwa nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli bebona ukuthi abaqamekeleyo bawuthathile umuzi nokuthi umusi womuzi wenyuka, base bebuyela emuva, bawabulala amadoda ase-Ayi.
22 Labo abanye baphuma emzini ukuba babahlasele baze babe phakathi kuka-Israyeli, abanye ngalapha, abanye ngalapha, bababulala, kwaze kwangasala muntu owaphunyuka, wabaleka.
23 Inkosi yase-Ayi bayibamba isaphila, bayiyisa kuJoshuwa.
24 Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli eseqedile ukubulala bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi endle ehlane, lapho ebebaxoshele khona, bese bewe bonke ngosiko lwenkemba baze baqedwa, bonke abakwa-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi, balichitha ngosiko lwenkemba.
25 Bonke abawa ngalolo suku, abesilisa nabesifazane, babeyizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, abantu bonke base-Ayi.
26 UJoshuwa akabuyisanga isandla sakhe awelula ngaso umkhonto, engakaqothuli bonke abakhileyo e-Ayi.
27 Izinkomo kuphela nempango yalowo muzi u-Israyeli waziphangela khona, njengezwi likaJehova amyala ngalo uJoshuwa.
28 UJoshuwa wayeselishisa i-Ayi, walenza laba yiduma lenxiwa kuze kube phakade; liyincithakalo kuze kube namuhla.
29 Inkosi yase-Ayi wayiphanyeka emthini kwaze kwahlwa; ukushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wabayala ukuba behlise isidumbu sayo emthini, basintshinga ngasesikhaleni sesango lomuzi, wamisa phezu kwaso inqwaba enkulu yamatshe ekhona nanamuhla.
30 Khona uJoshuwa wamakhela uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli i-altare entabeni yase-Ebali,
31 njengalokho uMose inceku kaJehova wayala abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, njengokulotshiweyo encwadini yomthetho kaMose, i-altare lamatshe angabaziwe, angaphakanyiselwanga muntu insimbi; banikela phezu kwalo ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova, banikela ngeminikelo yokuthula.
32 Waloba khona ematsheni impinda yomthetho kaMose ayilobayo phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
33 Bonke abakwa-Israyeli namalunga abo, nezinduna zabo, nabahluleli babo babemi ngalapha nangalapha komphongolo phambi kwabapristi bamaLevi abathwala umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, abafokazi nabokuzalwa ekhaya, inxenye yabo ibhekene nentaba yaseGerizimu, inxenye yabo ibhekene nentaba yase-Ebali, njengalokho uMose inceku kaJehova ebeyalile, ukuba babusise abantu bakwa-Israyeli kuqala.
34 Ngasemuva wafunda onke amazwi omthetho, isibusiso nesiqalekiso, njengakho konke okulotshiwe encwadini yomthetho.
35 Akwabakho zwi kukho konke akuyalayo uMose, angalifundanga uJoshuwa phambi kwebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli, nabesifazane, nabantwana, nabafokazi ababehamba phakathi kwabo.