AbaseGibheyon Bakhohlisa Abantu bakaThixo
AbaseGibheyon bafika beneembadada ezonakeleyo nesonka esikhuntileyo, besithi bavela ehambeni elide. AmaSirayeli ahlola umphako kodwa akabuza uBawo wethu, aza afunga umnqophiso. Emva kweentsuku ezintathu ubuxoki buyavela—kodwa isifungo sihleli simile, ngoko baba ngabathezi beenkuni.
9 1Bakuva oku bonke ookumkani abaphesheya kweYordan—ezintabeni, nasesihlanjeni, nommandla wonke wolwandle olukhulu ngaseLebhanon—amaHeti, nama-Amori, namaKanan, namaPerizi, namaHivi, namaYebhusi, 2bahlanganisana njenganoda-nye ukuba balwe noYoshuwa namaSirayeli. 3Ke bakuva abemi baseGibheyon oko uYoshuwa abekwenzile eYeriko naseAyi, 4nabo benza ngobuqhophololo: banduluka bezenza izigidimi, bethwele iingxowa ezonakeleyo neentsuba zewayini ezindala, ezicandekileyo nezaxwebhayo, phezu kwamaesile abo, 5neembadada ezonakeleyo nezaxwebhayo ezinyaweni zabo, neengubo ezingamanikiniki phezu kwabo; sonke isonka sabo somile sinqunqwa. 6Baya kuYoshuwa eminqubeni eGiligali, bathi kuye nakumaSirayeli: “Size sivela ezweni elikude; yenzani ngoku umnqophiso nathi.”
7Kodwa amadoda akwaSirayeli athi kumaHivi: “Mhlawumbi nihleli phakathi kwethu nca. Singathini na ukwenza umnqophiso nani?”
8Bathi kuYoshuwa: “Singabakhonzi bakho.” Wathi uYoshuwa: “Ningoobani na, niphume phi na?”
9Bathi kuye: “Abakhonzi bakho bavela ezweni elikude kakhulu ngenxa yegama likaNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, ngokuba sivile udumo lwakhe—konke akwenzayo eYiputa, 10nako konke akwenzayo kookumkani ababini bama-Amori abaphesheya kweYordan—uSihon ukumkani waseHeshbhon, no-Ogi ukumkani waseBhashan, obelawula eAshtaroti. 11Ngoko amadoda amakhulu ethu nabantu bakowethu bonke bathi, ‘Thabathani umphako wendlela, niye kubahlangabeza, nithi kubo, “Singabakhonzi benu; yenzani ngoku umnqophiso nathi.”’ 12Isonka sethu besishushu oko sasiphakayo ekhaya mhla sanduluka ukuza kuni; ngoku, khanibone—somile sinqunqwa. 13Ezi ntsuba zewayini bezintsha oko sasizizalisa—ngoku zicandekile. Neengubo zethu neembadada zethu zonakele luhambo olukude kakhulu.”
14Ngoko amadoda azingcamla iinto zomphako wabo, kodwa akabuzanga cebo kuBawo wethu. 15Wenza ke uYoshuwa uxolo nabo, wenza umnqophiso wokuba baphile, baza iinkokeli zebandla zabafungela. a a v15 Igama elithi ‘ukwenza umnqophiso’ sisiqhelo samandulo: izivumelwano ezizimiseyo zaziqinisiswa ngokubingelela nokwahlula izilwanyana phakathi kwamacala omabini. 16Zakuba ziintsuku ezintathu, bakuba benze umnqophiso nabo, beva ukuba aba bantu ngabamelwane abahleli phakathi kwabo. 17Anduluka amaSirayeli, afika kwimizi yabo ngomhla wesithathu. Imizi yabo yiGibheyon, neKefira, neBheheroti, neKiriyati-yeharim. 18Kodwa amaSirayeli akababulala, ngokuba iinkokeli zebandla zazibafungele ngoBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli. Laza lonke ibandla lazikrokrela iinkokeli. 19Kodwa zonke iinkokeli zathi kwibandla lonke: “Sibafungele ngoBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, ngoko ngoku asinakubachukumisa. 20Yiyo le into esiya kuyenza kubo: mabaphile, ukuze kungehli msindo phezu kwethu ngenxa yesifungo esabafungela sona.” 21Zathi iinkokeli kubo: “Mabaphile.” Baza baba ngabatheni beenkuni nabakhi bamanzi kwibandla lonke, njengoko iinkokeli zazithethile.
22Wandula ke uYoshuwa ukubabiza: “Yini na ukuba nisikhohlise, nisithi, ‘Sihleli kude kakhulu kuni,’ nihleli nje phakathi kwethu nca? 23Ngoko ke niqalekisiwe ngoku: niya kuhlala ningabakhonzi—abatheni beenkuni nabakhi bamanzi bendlu kaBawo wam.”
24Baphendula uYoshuwa bathi: “Abakhonzi bakho baxelelwa kakuhle ukuba uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho wayemwisele umthetho umkhonzi wakhe uMoses wokuba aninike ilizwe lonke, nokuba atshabalalise bonke abahleli kulo phambi kwenu. Ngoko, sisoyika kakhulu ngobomi bethu ngenxa yenu, siyenze le nto. 25Ngoku sisesandleni sakho. Yenzani kuthi oko kulungileyo nokubonakala kuthe tye emehlweni akho.”
26Wenjenjalo ke kubo, wabahlangula esandleni samaSirayeli, akabhulala. 27Ngaloo mini uYoshuwa wabenza abatheni beenkuni nabakhi bamanzi bebandla nesibingelelo sikaBawo wethu kuloo ndawo aya kuyinyula—kunjalo ke unanamhla.
