UJoshuwa 1

1 ¹Emva kokufa kukaMose inceku kaBaba wethu, uBaba wethu wathi kuJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, umsizi kaMose:

²“Ufile uMose inceku yami. Manje sukuma, uwele iJordani, wena kanye nabo bonke laba bantu, ningene ezweni engibanika lona, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ³Zonke izindawo lapho unyawo lwakho luyonyathela khona ngikunike zona, njengoba ngathembisa uMose. ⁴Umngcele wakho uyosuka ehlane naleli Lebanoni kuze kufike emfuleni omkhulu iYufrathe—lonke izwe lamaHeti—kuze kufike eLwandle Olukhulu ngasentshonalanga. ⁵Akekho oyoma phambi kwakho zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakho. Njengoba nganginoMose, ngiyoba nawe; angiyikukushiya noma ngikulahle.

⁶“Yiba namandla, ube nesibindi, ngokuba uyohola laba bantu ukuba badle ifa lezwe engafunga kokhokho babo ukuthi ngiyobanika lona. ⁷Kuphela yiba namandla, ube nesibindi kakhulu, uqaphele ukugcina wonke umthetho akuyala wona uMose inceku yami. Ungaphambuki kuwo uye ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo, ukuze uphumelele nomaphi lapho uya khona. ⁸Le ncwadi yomthetho mayingasuki emlonyeni wakho; uzindle ngayo emini nasebusuku, ukuze uqaphele ukwenza konke okulotshwe kuyo. Khona-ke indlela yakho iyochuma futhi uyophumelela. ⁹Angikuyalanga yini? Yiba namandla, ube nesibindi. Ungesabi, ungapheli amandla, ngokuba mina, uBaba wakho, nginawe nomaphi lapho uya khona.”

UJoshuwa uqoqa abantu ukuba bawele

¹⁰UJoshuwa wayala izinduna zabantu wathi:

¹¹“Dabulani ekamu niyale abantu nithi: ‘Lungiselani umphako, ngokuba emva kwezinsuku ezintathu nizowela iJordani ningene nithathe izwe uBaba wenu anipha lona ukuba libe ngelenu.’”

¹²KumaRubeni, kumaGadi, nasengxenyeni yesizwe sakwaManase, uJoshuwa wathi:

¹³“Khumbulani lokho uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, anikuyala: ‘UBaba wenu uyaniphumuza, uyoninika leli zwe.’ ¹⁴Omkenu, abantwana benu, nemfuyo yenu kuyohlala ezweni uMose aninika lona ngasempumalanga yeJordani; kodwa nina nonke maqhawe niyowela nihlomile phambi kwabafowenu ukuba nibasize, ¹⁵kuze kube yilapho uBaba wethu enika abafowenu ukuphumula, njengoba enike nina, nabo babuye bathathe izwe abanika lona. Khona-ke nibuyele ezweni lenu nilithathe—izwe uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, aninika lona ngaphesheya kweJordani ngasempumalanga.”

¹⁶Baphendula uJoshuwa bathi: “Konke osiyale khona sizokwenza, nakuphi lapho usithuma khona siyoya khona. ¹⁷Njengoba samlalela uMose kukho konke, siyokulalela nawe. Kuphela uBaba wakho makabe nawe, njengoba ayenoMose. ¹⁸Noma ngubani ovukela umyalo wakho, angawalaleli amazwi akho kukho konke omyala ngakho, kuyomelwe abulawe. Kuphela yiba namandla, ube nesibindi.”