UBawo wethu uthuma uYuda enyuke kuqala

Ukuwa okuphindaphindiweyo: abantu bamlahle uNdikhoyo, bawe ezintshabeni zabo, bakhale, baze bahlangulwe—kaninzi. Isimanga sale ncwadi asingabagwebi, kodwa nguBawo ohlala ephendula.

Isahluko 1.

Emva kokufa kukaYoshuwa, oonyana bakaSirayeli babuza kuBawo wethu, besithi: “Ngubani na oya kunyuka kuqala, aye kuwachasa amaKanan, alwe nawo?”

UBawo wethu wathi: “UYuda uya kunyuka. Yabona, ndilinikele ilizwe ezandleni zakhe.”

UYuda wathi kumnakwabo uSimon: “Nyuka nam, uye kweli lifa lam, silwe namaKanan; nam ndiya kuhamba nawe kwelakho.” Wahamba ke uSimon naye. Wenyuka ke uYuda, uBawo wethu wawanikela amaKanan namaPerizi ezandleni zabo, bawaxabela amadoda alishumi lamawaka eBhezeki. EBhezeki bamfumana uAdoni-bhezeki, balwa naye, bawaxabela amaKanan namaPerizi. Wabaleka uAdoni-bhezeki, kodwa bamsukela, bambamba, bamnqumla izithupha zakhe noobhontsi bakhe beenyawo. Wathi uAdoni-bhezeki: “Ookumkani abangamashumi asixhenxe abanqunqulwe izithupha noobhontsi beenyawo badla amabhuduzelo phantsi kwetafile yam. Njengoko ndenzayo, wenjenjalo uThixo ukundibuyisela.” Bamsa eYerusalem, wafela khona.

Amadoda akwaYuda alwa neYerusalem, ayithimba, ayixabela ngekrele, awutshisa loo mzi. Emva koko wehla uYuda, waya kulwa namaKanan awayehleli kwelo leentaba, nakwelasezantsi, nakumathafa asentshonalanga. Wafika uYuda kumaKanan awayehleli eHebron (eyayiyiKiriyati ka-Arbha ngenxa engaphambili), wabaxabela ooSheshayi, noAhiman, noTalemayi.

Banduluka apho, baya kulwa nabemi baseDebhiri (ekuqaleni igama leDebhiri beliyiKiriyati-sefere). Wathi uKalebhi: “Othe wayihlasela wayithimba iKiriyati-sefere, ndomnika intombi yam, uAkesa, ibe ngumkakhe.” UOteniyeli, unyana kaKenazi umninawa kaKalebhi, wayithimba; ngoko uKalebhi wamnika intombi yakhe uAkesa ukuba ibe ngumkakhe.

Yathi yakufika kuOteniyeli, yamyala ukuba acele intsimi kuyise. Yathi yakwehla e-esileni, uKalebhi wayibuza, wathi: “Ufuna ntoni na?”

Yathi kuye: “Ndisikelele. Ekubeni undinike ilizwe lasezantsi, ndinike nemithombo yamanzi.” Wayinika ke uKalebhi imithombo engaphezulu neyangezantsi. Inzala yomKeni, usapho loyise womkaMoses, lwenyuka noonyana bakwaYuda, luphuma emzini wamasundu, lwaya entlango yakwaYuda ekwelasezantsi ngaseAradi, lwahlala phakathi kwabantu. ^a UYuda wahamba nomnakwabo uSimon; bawaxabela amaKanan awayehleli eTsefati, bayitshabalalisa kwaphela loo mzi, waza umzi lowo wathiywa igama lokuba yiHorma. ^b Kananjalo uYuda wayithimba iGaza, neAshkelon, ne-Ekron, kunye nemimandla yazo. UBawo wethu waba noYuda, waza walithimba ilizwe leentaba, kodwa akaba nako ukubagqogqa abemi bamathafa, ngokuba babeneenqwelo zesinyithi. Bamnika uKalebhi iHebron, njengoko wathembisayo uMoses, waza wabagqogqa apho oonyana baka-Anaki abathathu. Kodwa uBhenjamin akabagqogqa amaYebhusi awayehleli eYerusalem; ngoko ke amaYebhusi ahleli noBhenjamin eYerusalem unanamhla.

Nendlu kaYosefu yenyuka yaya eBheteli, waza uBawo wethu waba nayo. Indlu kaYosefu yathuma amadoda ukuba aye kuhlola iBheteli (umzi lowo wathiywa igama lokuba yiLuzi ngenxa engaphambili). Iintlola zabona indoda iphuma emzini, zathi kuyo: “Sibonise indlela yokungena, siya kukwenzela inceba.” Yabonisa ke indlela yokungena, baza bawuxabela umzi ngekrele, kodwa bayiyeka yahamba loo ndoda nosapho lwayo lonke. Loo ndoda yaya ezweni lamaHeti, yakha umzi, yathi igama lawo yiLuzi—ligama lawo unanamhla.

UManase akabagqogqa abemi baseBhete-shehan, naseTahanaki, naseDore, naseIbleyam, naseMegido, nemizana yabo; ngoko ke amaKanan azimisele ukuqhubeka ehleli kwelo zwe. Kwathi, bakomelela amaSirayeli, awafaka uviko amaKanan, kodwa abawagqogqa kwaphela. UEfrayim akabagqogqa amaKanan awayehleli eGezere, ngoko aqhubeka ehleli phakathi kwawo apho. UZebhulon akabagqogqa abemi baseKitron, nabemi baseNahaloli, ngoko amaKanan ahlala phakathi kwawo, kodwa afakwa uviko. UAshere akabagqogqa abemi baseAko, naseTsidon, naseAlebhi, naseAkezibhi, naseHelebha, naseAfiki, naseRehobhi; ngoko ke ama-Ashere ahlala phakathi kwamaKanan elo zwe, ngokuba engawagqogqanga. UNafetali akabagqogqa abemi baseBhete-shemeshe nabaseBhete-anati, ngoko ahlala phakathi kwamaKanan elo zwe; kodwa abemi baseBhete-shemeshe nabaseBhete-anati bafakwa uviko lwakhe. Ama-Amori awabalela oonyana bakaDan kwelo leentaba, akawavumela ukuba behle emathafeni. Ama-Amori azimisele ukuhlala entabeni yeHeheres, naseAyalon, naseShahalebhim, kodwa isandla sendlu kaYosefu saba nzima phezu kwawo, afakwa uviko. Umda wama-Amori wathabathela ekunyukeni kweAkrabhim, wathabathela eSela wenyuka.