Ilifa lakwaManase
Isabelo sakwaManase siquka oodade abahlanu abathi, ngokomyalelo kaBawo wethu kuMoses, bafune ilifa uyise awayengenanyana wokulifumana, baza balifumana. Inzala kaYosefu iyakhalaza isithi isabelo sayo sincinci kakhulu; uYoshuwa ubaxelela ukuba bahlakule ihlathi bayeke ukoyika iinqwelo zensimbi.
17 1Iqashiso lesizwe sakwaManase, owamazibulo kaYosefu: uMakire, owamazibulo kaManase, uyise kaGiliyadi, wanikwa iGiliyadi neBhashan, kuba ebeyindoda yeemfazwe. 2Abanye oonyana bakaManase balabelwa umhlaba ngokwemizalwane yabo: uAbhiyezere, noHeleki, noAseriyeli, noShekem, noHefere, noShemida. Ngabo abo oonyana abangamadoda bakaManase, unyana kaYosefu, ngokwemizalwane yabo. 3Ke uTselofehadi—owakwaManase ngoMakire, noGiliyadi, noHefere—ebengenanyana; waye eneentombi zodwa: uMala, noNoha, noHogela, noMilka, noTirtsa. 4Zeza phambi koElazare umbingeleli, noYoshuwa unyana kaNun, nezikhulu, zisithi: “uBawo wethu wamwisela umthetho uMoses ukuba asinike ilifa phakathi kwabazalwana bethu.” Ngoko ke ngokomlomo kaBawo wethu, uYoshuwa wazinika ilifa phakathi kwabazalwana bakayise. 5Kwawela izabelo ezilishumi kuManase, ngaphandle kwelaseGiliyadi neBhashan phesheya kweYordan, 6kuba iintombi zikaManase zafumana ilifa ndawonye noonyana bakhe. Ke umhlaba waseGiliyadi waba ngowabanye oonyana bakaManase. 7Umda wakwaManase wathabathela kwa-Ashere waya eMikemetati, ngasempumalanga kwaShekem; wandula wasinga ngasezantsi kubemi base-En-tapuwa. 8UManase wayenelizwe laseTapuwa, kodwa iTapuwa esecaleni lomda wakwaManase yayiyeyoonyana bakaEfrayim. 9Wehla umda waya emlanjaneni waseKana. Ngasezantsi komlanjana, le mizi ephakathi kweyakwaManase yayiyeyakwaEfrayim; umda wakwaManase waya ngasentla komlanjana, wema ngolwandle. 10Ilizwe lakwaEfrayim langasezantsi, elakwaManase lingasentla, nolwandle lwaba ngumda walo. Ngasentla bafikelela kwa-Ashere, ngasempumalanga kwaIsakare. 11KwaIsakare nakwa-Ashere, uManase wayenawo neBhete-shehan namagxamesi ayo, neIblam namagxamesi ayo, nabemi baseDore namagxamesi ayo, nabemi base-En-dore nemizana yayo, nabemi baseTahanaki nemizana yayo, kwanabemi baseMegido nemizana yayo—iinduli ezintathu. 12Kodwa oonyana bakaManase ababanga nako ukuyithabatha le mizi, aza amaKanan aphikela ukuhlala kwelo zwe. 13Kwathi, akuba amaSirayeli omelele, awafaka uviko amaKanan, kodwa akawagqogqanga ngokupheleleyo. 14Oonyana bakaYosefu babuza kuYoshuwa, besithi: “Kutheni usinike iqashiso elinye nesabelo esinye ukuba libe lilifa? Singabantu abaninzi, kuba uBawo wethu usisikelele kwada kwangoku.”
15Waphendula uYoshuwa wathi kubo: “Ukuba niliqela elininzi kangaka, nyukani niye ehlathini, nizihlahlele khona umhlaba ezweni lamaPerizi namaRafa, ekubeni ilizwe laseleentaba lakwaEfrayim lixinene kuni.”
16Oonyana bakaYosefu bathi: “Ilizwe laseleentaba alisaneli thina, kananjalo onke amaKanan asentilini aneenqwelo zokulwa zesinyithi—lawo aseBhete-shehan namagxamesi ayo nabemi basentilini yaseYizereli.”
17Waza uYoshuwa wathi kuyo indlu kaYosefu—uEfrayim noManase—: “Nina niliqela elininzi, ninamandla amakhulu. Aniyi kuba neqashiso elinye lodwa, 18kuba nelizwe laseleentaba loba lelenu. Lihlathi, kodwa niya kulihlahla, nemida yalo ekude ibe yeyenu. Niya kuwagqogqa amaKanan, nangona iinqwelo zawo zisisinyithi, nangona enamandla.”
