1 Abantwana bakwaRubeni nabantwana bakwaGadi babenemfuyo eningi, nalapho belibona izwe laseJazeri nezwe lakwaGileyadi ukuthi leyo ndawo iyindawo yezinkomo,
2 abantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaRubeni beza bakhuluma kuMose, naku-Eleyazare umpristi, nakuzo izikhulu zenhlangano, bathi:
3 “I-Atharoti, neDiboni, neJazeri, neNimra, neHeshiboni, ne-Elehale, neSebamu, neNebo, neBehoni,
4 izwe alinqoba uJehova phambi kwenhlangano ka-Israyeli liyizwe lezinkomo, futhi izinceku zakho zinezinkomo.”
5 Bathi futhi: “Uma sifumene umusa emehlweni akho, leli zwe malinikwe izinceku zakho libe yifa lazo; ungasiwelisi iJordani.”
6 UMose wayesethi kubantwana bakwaGadi nakubantwana bakwaRubeni: “Abafowenu bayakuphuma impi, nina nihlale lapha, na?
7 Niqedelani inhliziyo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuba bangaweli ukuya ezweni uJehova abanike lona na?
8 Benze njalo oyihlo mhla ngibathuma besuka eKadeshi Barineya ukubona izwe.
9 Ngokuba ekukhuphukeni kwabo ukuya esiGodini sase-Eshikoli balibona izwe, baqeda inhliziyo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuba bangangeni ezweni uJehova abanike lona.
10 Intukuthelo kaJehova yavutha ngalolo suku, wafunga wathi:
11 ‘Impela kulaba bantu abaphuma eGibithe, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu, akayikubona noyedwa izwe engalifungela u-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe, ngokuba abangilandelanga ngokuphelelyo,
12 ngaphandle kukaKalebi indodana kaJefune, umKhenizi, noJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, ngokuba bamlandele uJehova ngokupheleleyo.’
13 Intukuthelo kaJehova yabavuthela abakwa-Israyeli, wabazulisa ehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane, saze saphela sonke leso sizukulwane esasenzile okubi emehlweni kaJehova.
14 “Bhekani, senivukile nina esikhundleni sawoyihlo, inzalo yabantu abonayo, ukwandisa futhi intukuthelo kaJehova evuthela u-Israyeli.
15 Ngokuba uma nibuyela emuva ekumlandeleni, uyakubuye abashiye ehlane, nize nibhubhise laba bantu.”
16 Basondela kuye, bathi: “Siyakwakhela lapha izinkomo zethu izibaya nabancane bethu imizi;
17 kepha thina uqobo lwethu siyakushesha sihlome, sihambe phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, size sibafinyelelise endaweni yabo, abancane bethu bahlale emizini ebiyelweyo ngenxa yabakhileyo ezweni.
18 Asiyikubuyela ezindlini zethu, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bengakalidli ifa labo, kube yilowo nalowo wabo.
19 Ngokuba asiyikulidla ifa nabo ngaphesheya kweJordani nangaphambili, lokhu silidlile elethu nganeno kweJordani ngasempumalanga.”
20 UMose wayesethi kubo: “Uma nenza lokhu, uma nihloma ukuba nihambe phambi kukaJehova, niphume impi,
21 kuwele iJordani onke amadoda enu ahlomileyo phambi kukaJehova, aze axoshe izitha zakhe phambi kwakhe,
22 izwe linqotshwe phambi kukaJehova, khona ngasemuva niyakubuya, nibe ngabangenacala kuJehova naku-Israyeli, leli zwe libe yifa lenu phambi kukaJehova.
23 “Kepha uma ningenzi njalo, bhekani, nonile kuJehova; yazini ukuthi isono senu siyakunifumana.
24 Zakheleni imizi yabancane benu nezibaya zezimvu zenu, nikwenze lokho okuphumileyo emlonyeni wenu.”
25 Abantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaRubeni bakhuluma kuMose, bathi: “Izinceku zakho ziyakwenza njengalokhu inkosi yami iyala.
26 Abancane bethu, nawomkethu, nezimvu zethu, nazo zonke izinkomo zethu kuyakuba lapho emizini yakwaGileyadi,
27 kepha izinceku zakho ziyakuwela, kube yilowo nalowo ohlomele ukulwa, phambi kukaJehova, ziphume impi, njengalokhu isho inkosi yami.”
28 UMose wayeseyala u-Eleyazare umpristi, noJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, nezinhloko zezindlu zawoyise bezizwe zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngabo.
29 UMose wathi kubo: “Uma abantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaRubeni bewela nani iJordani, bonke abahlomele ukulwa, phambi kukaJehova, izwe linqotshwe phambi kwenu, niyakubanika izwe lakwaGileyadi libe yifa labo;
30 kepha uma bengaweli nani behlomile, bayakunikwa ifa phakathi kwenu ezweni laseKhanani.”
31 Abantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaRubeni baphendula bathi: “Njengalokho uJehova eshilo kuzo izinceku zakho, siyakwenze njalo.
32 Siyakuwela, siye ezweni laseKhanani phambi kukaJehova sihlomile, izwe lefa lethu lisale nokho ngaphesheya kweJordani.”
33 UMose wayesebanika abantwana bakwaGadi nabantwana bakwaRubeni nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase indodana kaJosefa umbuso kaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori nombuso ka-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani, izwe nemizi yalo namaphethelo ayo, imizi yezwe nxazonke.
34 Abantwana bakwaGadi bakha iDiboni, ne-Athoriti, ne-Aroweri,
35 ne-Athiroti Shofanu, neJazeri, neJogibeha,
36 neBeti Nimra, neBeti Harana, imizi ebiyelweyo nezibaya zezimvu.
37 Abantwana bakwaRubeni babuye bakha iHeshiboni, ne-Elehale, neKiriyatayimi,
38 neNebo, neBali Mehoni iphendulwe ngamagama neSibima; banika imizi abayakhayo amanye amagama.
39 Abantwana bakwaMakiri indodana kaManase baya kwaGileyadi, balithatha, baxosha ama-Amori ayekulo.
40 UMose wanika uMakiri indodana kaManase elakwaGileyadi, wahlala kulo.
41 UJayire indodana kaManase wahamba wathatha imizana yalo, wayibiza ngokuthi iHawoti Jayire.
42 UNoba wahamba wathatha iKhenati nemizana yalo, walibiza ngokuthi iNoba ngegama lakhe.