uBawo Uyinikela iAyi kumaSirayeli

UBawo wethu unikela iAyi okwesibini, ngokulalela nangokwenza ngathi uyabaleka, waza ukumkani wayo waxhonywa. Kwandula, ngokungaqhelekanga phakathi kweemfazwe, lonke ibandla—kuquka nabasemzini—lema ezintabeni ezimbini lo gama onke amazwi omthetho, intsikelelo nesiqalekiso, efundwa ngokuvakalayo.

Isahluko 8.

Waza uBawo wethu wathi kuYoshuwa: “Sukoyika, ungakwantyi. Wonke umkhosi wamadoda okulwa mawuhambe nawe, wenyukele eAyi. Ndikunikele ukumkani waseAyi kwakunye nabantu bakhe, nomzi wakhe, nelizwe lakhe. Yenza eAyi nokumkani wayo oko wakwenzayo eYeriko nokumkani wayo; ke wona amaxhoba kunye neenkomo nozithimbela nina. Beka abalaleli emva komzi.”

Wesuka ke uYoshuwa nabantu bonke bokulwa, besiya eAyi. Wanyula amawaka angamashumi amathathu amagorha anobukroti, wawathuma ebusuku. Wabawisela umthetho, wathi: “Nibe ngabalaleli emva komzi; ningabi kude kakhulu nomzi. Nonke ke, lindani. Mna nabantu bonke endinabo siya kusondela emzini. Kothi, bakuphuma beza kusihlasela njengawokuqala, sibaleke phambi kwabo. Baya kuphuma besilandela, side sibatsalele kude nomzi; kuba baya kuthi: ‘Nabo bebaleka phambi kwethu njengakuqala.’ Size ke sibaleke kubo. Vukani nina ekulaleleni, niwuthimbe umzi; kuba uBawo wenu uya kuwunikela esandleni senu. Kothi, nakuwuthimba umzi, niwutshise ngomlilo. Nenze ngokomthetho kaBawo wethu. Yabonani, ndiniwisele umthetho.”

UYoshuwa wawathuma, aya endaweni yabalaleli, ahlala phakathi kweBheteli neAyi, ngasentshonalanga kweAyi; kodwa yena wahlala phakathi kwabantu ngobo busuku. UYoshuwa wavuka kusasa ngengomso, wababala abantu, wenyuka nabo waya eAyi, yena namadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli. Bonke abantu bokulwa ababenaye besuka, benyuka basondela, bada bafika bamalunga nomzi, bamisa ngasentla kweAyi, umfula uphakathi kwabo neAyi. Wathabatha amadoda angathi angamawaka amahlanu, wawabeka ukuba babe ngabalaleli phakathi kweBheteli neAyi, ngasentshonalanga komzi. Bababeka ke abantu, wonke umkhosi ongasentla komzi, nesixhenxe sawo ngasentshonalanga komzi; waza uYoshuwa ngobo busuku waya phakathi komfula. Kwathi, akubona oku ukumkani waseAyi, akhawuleza avuka kusasa amadoda omzi, aphuma ngobungxamo esiya kuhlangabeza amaSirayeli emfazweni, endaweni emisiweyo emalunga neArabha, yena nabantu bakhe bonke. Wayengazi ukuba kukho abalaleli ngasemva komzi. ^a UYoshuwa namaSirayeli onke bazenza oyisiweyo, babaleka besiya entlango. Bakhwazwa bonke abantu ababesemzini ukuba babasukele; bamsukela uYoshuwa, batsalwa bemka emzini. Akwasala namnye umntu eAyi naseBheteli ongaphumanga esukela amaSirayeli; bawushiya uvulekile umzi, bawasukela amaSirayeli.

Wathi ke uBawo wethu kuYoshuwa: “Yolula umkhonto osesandleni sakho ube ngaseAyi; kuba ndiya kuyinikela esandleni sakho.” UYoshuwa wawolula umkhonto owawusesandleni sakhe waba ngasemzini.

Kwathi kwaoko aphakamise isandla sakhe, abalaleli basuka kamsinya endaweni yabo, bagidima bangena emzini, bawuthimba, bakhawuleza bawutshisa ngomlilo. Abheka emva kwawo amadoda aseAyi, nango umsi womzi unyuka usiya ezulwini; aba engasenandlela yokubaleka, ngokuba abo babaleka besiya entlango babuyela kwababasukelayo. Bakubona ke uYoshuwa namaSirayeli onke umzi usele uthinjwe ngabalaleli, waza umsi wawo wenyuka, babuya bawaxabela amadoda aseAyi. Abanye baphuma emzini ukubahlangabeza, aza amadoda aseAyi aba phakathi kwamaSirayeli, amanye ngapha amanye ngapha. Awabulala ke amaSirayeli, kwada akwasala namnye osindileyo nosabileyo. Kodwa ukumkani waseAyi bambamba ehleli, bamzisa kuYoshuwa.

Kwathi, akugqiba amaSirayeli ukuwabulala onke amadoda aseAyi asentsimini, nasentlango ababewasukele kuyo, akuba onke ewile ngohlangothi lwekrele, ada aphela, abuyela onke amaSirayeli eAyi, ayibulala ngohlangothi lwekrele. Bonke abawayo ngaloo mini, amadoda nabafazi, baba ngamawaka alishumi elinamabini—bonke abantu baseAyi. UYoshuwa akasibuyisanga isandla sakhe abesolule ngomkhonto, wada wabasingela phantsi bonke abemi baseAyi. Kodwa iinkomo namaxhoba aloo mzi, amaSirayeli azithimbela ngokwawo, njengoko uBawo wethu wamwiselayo umthetho uYoshuwa. Wayitshisa ke uYoshuwa iAyi, wayenza imfumba yamanxuwa engunaphakade, yangamanxuwa unanamhla. Ukumkani waseAyi wamxhoma emthini, wada kwahlwa. Kwathi ekutshoneni kwelanga, uYoshuwa wawisa umthetho ukuba isidumbu sakhe sithulwe, siphoswe ekungeneni kwesango lomzi; baphakamisa phezu kwaso imfumba enkulu yamatye, ekhona unanamhla.

AmaSirayeli Ahlaziya uMnqophiso kaBawo wethu

Waza uYoshuwa wakhela uBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, isibingelelo entabeni ye-Ebhali, njengoko uMoses, umkhonzi kaBawo wethu, wawawisela umthetho amaSirayeli—njengoko kubhaliwe encwadini yomthetho kaMoses—isibingelelo samatye awonke, okungaphakanyiselwanga ntsimbi phezu kwawo. Banyusa phezu kwaso amadini anyukayo kuBawo wethu, babingelela nemibingelelo yoxolo. Apho, phambi koonyana bakaSirayeli, wabhala ematyeni impinda yomthetho kaMoses, awubhala uMoses. AmaSirayeli onke, abasemzini nakozalelwe ekhaya ngokufanayo, kunye namadoda amakhulu, nababhali, nabagwebi, bema ngamacala omabini etyeya, bakhangelana nababingeleli abaLevi ababethwele ityeya yomnqophiso kaBawo wethu. Isiqingatha sabo sakhangela ngasentabeni yeGerizim, esinye isiqingatha sakhangela ngasentabeni ye-Ebhali, njengoko uMoses umkhonzi kaBawo wethu wabawisela umthetho ngaphambili, ukuba basikelele abantu bakwaSirayeli. Emva koko wawalesa onke amazwi omthetho, intsikelelo nesiqalekiso, kanye njengoko kubhaliwe encwadini yomthetho. UYoshuwa walesa lonke ilizwi uMoses awabawisela umthetho ngalo; akashiyanga nalinye, phambi kwebandla lonke lakwaSirayeli, nabafazi, nabantwana, nabasemzini ababehleli phakathi kwabo.