Ukuchithwa kweAyi

8INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Ungesabi, ungatshaywa luvalo; thatha kanye lawe bonke abantu bempi, usukume wenyukele eAyia; bona, nginikele esandleni sakho inkosi yeAyi, labantu bayo, lomuzi wayo, lelizwe layob. 2 Uzakwenza-ke eAyi lenkosini yayo njengokwenza kwakho eJeriko lenkosini yayoc. Kuphela impango yayo lezifuyo zayo lizaziphangela. Uzibekele abacathameli ngasemzini emva kwawod.

3 UJoshuwa wasesukuma labo bonke abantu bempi ukwenyukela eAyi; uJoshuwa wasekhetha amaqhawe alamandla ayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, wawathuma ebusuku. 4 Wawalaya esithi: Bonani, lizawucathamela umuzi ngemva komuzi. Lingabi khatshana kakhulu lomuzi, kodwa lungani lonkee. 5 Mina-ke labo bonke abantu abalami sizasondela emzini. Kuzakuthi-ke lapho bephuma ukumelana lathi njengakuqala sibaleke phambi kwabo. 6 Njalo bazaphuma emva kwethu size sibadonse basuke emzini. Ngoba bazakuthi: Bayabaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala. Ngakho sizabaleka phambi kwabof. 7 Lina-ke lizasukuma ekucathameni, liwuthumbe umuzi; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu izawunikela esandleni senu. 8 Kuzakuthi-ke seliwuthumbile umuzi, liwutshise umuzi ngomlilo, lizakwenza njengokwelizwi leNkosi. Bonani, ngililayileg.

9 UJoshuwa wasebathuma, baya ekucathameni, bahlala phakathi kweBhetheli leAyi, entshonalanga kweAyi, kodwa uJoshuwa walala phakathi kwabantu ngalobobusukuh. 10 UJoshuwa wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu, wabala abantu, wenyuka, yena labadala bakoIsrayeli, phambi kwabantu, waya eAyi. 11 Labo bonke abantu bempi ababelaye benyuka, basondela, beza maqondana lomuzi, bamisa inkamba enyakatho kweAyi. Njalo kwakulesihotsha phakathi kwabo leAyi. 12 Wasethatha phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezinhlanu, wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli leAyi entshonalanga komuzi. 13 Lapho sebemisa abantu, lonke ibutho elalisenyakatho komuzi, labacathami ngasentshonalanga komuzi, uJoshuwa waya phakathi kwesihotsha ngalobobusuku.

14 Kwasekusithi inkosi yeAyi ikubona, aphangisa avuka ngovivi; lamadoda omuzi aphuma impi emelane loIsrayeli, yona labantu bayo bonke, ngesikhathi esimisiweyo, phambi kwamagceke; kodwa yona yayingazi ukuthi kukhona abayicathameleyo emva komuzii. 15 UJoshuwa loIsrayeli basebetshaywa phambi kwawo, babaleka ngendlela yenkangalaj. 16 Kwasekubizwa bonke abantu ababesemzini ukuxotshana labo. Nxa bexotshana loJoshuwa badonswa basuka emzinik. 17 Njalo kakusalanga muntu eAyi kumbe eBhetheli, abangaphumanga ukulandela uIsrayeli; bawutshiya umuzi ukhamisile, baxotshana loIsrayeli. 18 INkosi yasisithi kuJoshuwa: Yelulela umkhonto osesandleni sakho eAyi, ngoba ngizayinikela esandleni sakho. UJoshuwa waseselulela umkhonto osesandleni sakhe emzini. 19 Abacathemeyo basebesukuma masinyane endaweni yabo; bagijima esanda ukwelula isandla sakhe, bangena emzini, bawuthumba, baphangisa, bawutshisa umuzi ngomlilo. 20 Kwathi lapho amadoda eAyi enyemukula abona, khangela-ke, intuthu yomuzi yenyukela emazulwini, njalo ayengelandawo yokubalekela ngapha langapha, ngoba abantu ababebalekele enkangala baphendukela ababaxotshayol. 21 Kwathi uJoshuwa loIsrayeli wonke bebona ukuthi abacathemeyo sebewuthumbile umuzi lokuthi intuthu yomuzi yenyuka, baphenduka batshaya amadoda eAyi. 22 Lalaba baphuma emzini ukumelana lawo, aze aba phakathi kukaIsrayeli, abanye ngapha labanye ngale; basebewatshaya, kakwaze kwasala muntu kuwo, owasilayo kumbe owaphunyukayom. 23 Kodwa inkosi yeAyi bayibamba iphila, bayisondeza kuJoshuwa. 24 Kwasekusithi lapho uIsrayeli eseqedile ukubulala bonke abahlali beAyi egangeni, enkangala lapho ababebaxotshele khona, babewile bonke ngobukhali benkemba, baze baqedwa, uIsrayeli wonke wabuyela eAyi, bayitshaya ngobukhali benkemba. 25 Kwasekusithi, bonke abawayo mhlalokho, kusukela kwabesilisa kusiya kwabesifazana, babeyizinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, bonke abantu beAyi. 26 Njalo uJoshuwa kasifinyezanga isandla sakhe ayelule umkhonto ngaso baze batshabalalisa bonke abahlali beAyi. 27 Kuphela izifuyo lempango yalowomuzi uIsrayeli waziphangela, njengelizwi leNkosi eyalilaya uJoshuwan. 28 UJoshuwa waseyitshisa iAyi, wayimisa yaba yinqwaba phakade, unxiwa, kuze kube lamuhlao. 29 Lenkosi yeAyi wayiphanyeka esihlahleni kwaze kwaba yisikhathi santambamap. Lekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bethule isidumbu sayo esihlahleni, basiphosele emnyango wesango lomuziq, bamisa phezu kwaso inqwaba enkulu yamatshe, ekhona kuze kube lamuhlar.

Umlayo ufundwa nguJoshuwa entabeni yeEbhali

30 Khona uJoshuwa wayakhela iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ilathi entabeni yeEbhalis. 31 Njengokulaya kukaMozisi inceku yeNkosi kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, njengalokhu kubhalwe egwalweni lomlayo kaMozisi, ilathi lamatshe apheleleyo, okungazange kusetshenziswe nsimbi phezu kwalot. Basebenikela phezu kwalo eNkosini iminikelo yokutshiswa, bahlaba iminikelo yokuthulau.

32 Wasebhala lapho ematsheni impinda yomlayo kaMozisi, ayibhala phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeliv. 33 UIsrayeli wonke-ke, labadala babo, lezinduna, labahluleli babo, bema ngapha langapha komtshokotsho, beqondene labapristi, amaLeviw, abathwala umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosix, owezizwe njengowokuzalwa. Ingxenye yabo imaqondana lentaba yeGerizimi, lengxenye yabo maqondana lentaba yeEbhaliy, njengokulaya kukaMozisi inceku yeNkosi, ukubusisa abantu bakoIsrayeli kuqalaz. 34 Langemva kwalokho wamemezela wonke amazwi omlayoa, isibusisob lesiqalekisoc, njengakho konke okubhaliweyo egwalweni lomlayo. 35 Akwabakho ilizwi kukho konke uMozisi akulayayo uJoshuwa angalimemezelanga phambi kwebandla lonke lakoIsrayeli labesifazana labantwanyanad labezizweni ababehamba phakathi kwaboe.