UYoshuwa 24 FHB Father's Heart Bible™

24 ¹UYoshuwa wazihlanganisa zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli eShekem, wabiza amadoda amakhulu azo, neentloko, nabagwebi, nababhali, baza bema phambi koBawo wethu.

²Wathi uYoshuwa ebantwini bonke: “Utsho uBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Kudala ooyihlo babehleli phesheya koMlambo ongumEfrati—uTera, uyise ka-Abraham noNahore—bekhonza thixo bambi.’” ³Ndamthabatha uyihlo uAbraham phesheya koMlambo, ndamkhokela kulo lonke ilizwe lamaKanan, ndayandisa abantwana bakhe, ndamnika uIsake. ⁴UIsake ndamnika uYakobi noEsawu, uEsawu ndamnika intaba yakwaSehire ukuba ibe yeyakhe, kodwa uYakobi noonyana bakhe behlela eYiputa.

⁵“‘Ndathuma uMoses no-Aron, ndayibetha iYiputa ngoko ndakwenzayo phakathi kwayo, ndaza ndanikhupha.’” ⁶Ndabakhupha eYiputa ooyihlo; naza nafika elwandle. Asukela ooyihlo amaYiputa, ephethe iinqwelo zokulwa nabamahashe, esa eLwandle oluBomvu. ⁷Bakukhala kum, ndamisa ubumnyama phakathi kwenu namaYiputa, ndaluzisa ulwandle phezu kwawo, ndawagubungela. Amehlo enu abona oko ndakwenzayo eYiputa. Naza nahlala entlango ixesha elide.

⁸“‘Ndanizisa kwelama-Amori, phesheya kweYordan. Alwa nani; ndaza ndawanikela ezandleni zenu, nalihlutha ilizwe lawo. Ndawabhangisa phambi kwenu. ⁹Wathi ke uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, wasuka walwa noSirayeli. Wathumela waya kubiza uBhileham unyana kaBhehore, ukuze aniqalekise, ¹⁰kodwa andimphulaphulanga uBhileham, ngoko wanisikelela ngokuphindaphindiweyo, ndaza ndanihlangula esandleni sakhe.

¹¹Nayiwela iYordan naya eYeriko. Abemi bayo balwa nani—ama-Amori, namaPerizi, namaKanan, namaHeti, namaGirgashi, namaHivi, namaYebhusi—kodwa ndawanikela ezandleni zenu. ¹²Ndathuma oonomeva phambi kwenu; bawagxotha ookumkani bobabini bama-Amori phambi kwenu—kungekhona ngekrele lenu nangesaphetha senu. ¹³Ndaninika ilizwe eningazange nilisebenzele, nemizi eningayakhanga—nihlale kuyo; nidle ezidiliyeni nasemiyezweni yeminquma eningayityalanga.’

¹⁴Ngoku ke, moyikeni uBawo wethu, nimkhonze ngokugqibeleleyo nangokuthembeka. Basuseni oothixo ababekhonza ooyihlo benu phesheya koMlambo naseYiputa, nikhonze uBawo wethu. ¹⁵Kodwa ukuba ukumkhonza uBawo wethu kubi emehlweni enu, zinyuleleni namhla eniya kumkhonza—oothixo ababekhonza ooyihlo phesheya koMlambo, okanye oothixo bama-Amori enihleli kwelawo ilizwe. Kodwa mna nendlu yam, thina siya kumkhonza uBawo wethu.”

¹⁶Baphendula abantu bathi: “Makube lee kuthi ukuba simshiye uBawo wethu sikhonze thixo bambi. ¹⁷Kuba uBawo wethu wasikhupha thina noobawo bethu ezweni laseYiputa, endlwini yobukhoboka, wenza le miqondiso mikhulu phambi kwamehlo ethu. Wasigcina kuyo yonke indlela esahamba ngayo, naphakathi kwazo zonke izizwe esacanda kuzo. ¹⁸UBawo wethu wazigxotha phambi kwethu zonke izizwe, kwanama-Amori awahlala kwelo zwe. Nathi siya kumkhonza, kuba nguBawo wethu.”

¹⁹Wathi uYoshuwa ebantwini: “Aninako ukumkhonza uBawo wethu—unguThixo oyingcwele, unguThixo onekhwele. Akayi kuluxolela ukreqo lwenu nezono zenu. ²⁰Ukuba nithe namshiya uBawo wethu, nakhonza oothixo basemzini, uya kuguquka, anenzakalise, anigqibele, emveni kokuba enenzele okulungileyo.”

²¹Kodwa abantu bathi kuYoshuwa: “Hayi! Siya kumkhonza uBawo wethu.”

²²Wathi uYoshuwa ebantwini: “Ningamangqina kuni ngokwenu, okuba nizinyulele uBawo wethu, ukuba nimkhonze.” “Singamangqina,” batsho.

²³“Ngoko basuseni oothixo basemzini abaphakathi kwenu, niziphethule iintliziyo zenu kuBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli.”

²⁴Bathi abantu kuYoshuwa: “Siya kumkhonza uBawo wethu, siliphulaphule nelizwi lakhe.”

²⁵Wenza uYoshuwa umnqophiso nabantu ngaloo mini, wabamisela ummiselo nesiko eShekem. ²⁶UYoshuwa wawabhala la mazwi encwadini yomthetho kaBawo wethu, waza wathabatha ilitye elikhulu, walimisa phantsi kom-oki ongasendaweni engcwele kaBawo wethu, khona apho.

²⁷Wathi uYoshuwa ebantwini bonke: “Khangelani, eli litye liya kuba lingqina kuthi, ngokuba live onke amazwi awawathethayo uBawo wethu kuthi. Liya kuba lingqina kuni, ukuze ningamkhanyeli uBawo wenu.” ²⁸Wandula uYoshuwa ukubandulula abantu, elowo waya elifeni lakhe.

UYoshuwa, uMkhonzi kaBawo, Uyaphumla

²⁹Emva koku, wabhubha uYoshuwa unyana kaNun, umkhonzi kaBawo wethu, eneminyaka elikhulu elinashumi-nye ezelwe. ³⁰Bamngcwabela emhlabeni welifa lakhe eTimnati-sera, kwilizwe leentaba lakwaEfrayim, ngasentla kwentaba yaseGahashe. ³¹AmaSirayeli amkhonza uBawo wethu ngayo yonke imihla awabakho ngayo uYoshuwa, nangemihla yonke yamadoda amakhulu awaphila emva koYoshuwa, awayewazi wonke umsebenzi awawenzele amaSirayeli uBawo wethu. ³²Amathambo kaYosefu, awawanyusayo oonyana bakaSirayeli ephuma eYiputa, bawangcwabela eShekem, kwindawo yomhlaba awayithengayo uYakobi kubo oonyana bakaHamore, uyise kaShekem, ngekhulu lemali—yaba lilifa loonyana bakaYosefu. ³³Wafa uElazare unyana ka-Aron, bamngcwabela eGibheha kaPinehasi unyana wakhe, awayinikwayo kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim.