UJoshuwa 10

10 ¹U-Adoni-Zedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema wezwa ukuthi uJoshuwa wayeyithumbile i-Ayi wayinikela ekubhujisweni—enza e-Ayi nasenkosini yayo njengoba enze eJeriko nasenkosini yayo—nokuthi abantu baseGibeyoni babenze ukuthula no-Israyeli, manje sebehlala phakathi kwabo. ²Abantu baseJerusalema besaba kakhulu, ngokuba iGibeyoni yayingumuzi omkhulu, njengomunye wemizi yobukhosi, nangokuba yayinkulu kune-Ayi, futhi onke amadoda ayo ayengamaqhawe. ³Ngakho u-Adoni-Zedeki inkosi yaseJerusalema wathumela izwi kuHohamu inkosi yaseHebroni, nakuPhiramu inkosi yaseJarimuthi, nakuJafiya inkosi yaseLakishi, nakuDebiri inkosi yase-Egiloni, wathi: ⁴“Yenyukelani kimi ningisize, sihlasele iGibeyoni, ngokuba yenzile ukuthula noJoshuwa nabantu bakwa-Israyeli.” ⁵Khona-ke amakhosi amahlanu ama-Amori—amakhosi aseJerusalema, naseHebroni, naseJarimuthi, naseLakishi, nase-Egiloni—ahlangana ndawonye enyuka namabutho awo onke. Amisa inkambu maqondana neGibeyoni, ayilwa impi. ⁶Amadoda aseGibeyoni athumela lesi sigijimi kuJoshuwa enkambu yaseGiligali, athi: “Ungazishiyi izinceku zakho! Woza ngokushesha usisindise—usisize! Onke amakhosi ama-Amori ezweni lezintaba ahlangene ukusilwa.”

⁷Ngakho uJoshuwa wenyuka esuka eGiligali enamadoda akhe onke empi—amaqhawe akhe anamandla.

⁸UBaba wethu wathi kuJoshuwa: “Ungabesabi—ngibanikele esandleni sakho. Akekho noyedwa oyakuma phambi kwakho.”

⁹Ngakho uJoshuwa wabafikela ngokuzuma, esehambe ubusuku bonke enyuka esuka eGiligali. ¹⁰UBaba wethu wabaphithizelisa phambi kuka-Israyeli, wababulala ngokubulawa okukhulu eGibeyoni, wabaxosha endleleni eyenyukela eBeti-horoni, wabanquma kwaze kwaba seka-Azeka naseMakheda. ¹¹Kwathi lapho bebaleka phambi kuka-Israyeli behla ngomthambeka waseBeti-horoni, uBaba wethu waphonsa phezu kwabo amatshe amakhulu evela esibhakabhakeni, kwaze kwaba se-Azeka, bafa. Baningi ababulawa ngamatshe esichotho kunalabo abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababulala ngenkemba.

¹²Khona-ke uJoshuwa wakhuluma kuBaba wethu ngosuku uBaba wethu anikela ngalo ama-Amori kubantu bakwa-Israyeli, phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke wathi: “Langa, yima ngqi phezu kweGibeyoni, nawe nyanga, phezu kweSigodi sase-Ajaloni.” ¹³Ilanga lama ngqi, nenyanga yema, saze isizwe saziphindiselela ezitheni zaso. Lokhu akulotshiwe yini eNcwadini kaJashari? Ilanga lama phakathi nesibhakabhaka alisheshanga ukushona cishe usuku olugcwele. ^a a v13 INcwadi kaJashari yayiyiqoqo lasendulo lezinkondlo nezingoma zesiHebheru, manje eselahlekile. ¹⁴Alukaze lube khona usuku olunjengalolo, ngaphambili nasemuva, lapho uBaba wethu alalela khona izwi lomuntu—ngokuba uBaba wethu wayelwela u-Israyeli.

¹⁵Khona-ke uJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye babuyela enkambu yaseGiligali.

Amakhosi Amahlanu Ehliselwa Phansi

¹⁶Lawa makhosi amahlanu ayebalekile azicashisa emhumeni waseMakheda. ¹⁷UJoshuwa watshelwa kwathiwa: “Amakhosi amahlanu atholiwe, ecashile emhumeni waseMakheda.”

¹⁸UJoshuwa wathi: “Giqelani amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume, nibeke amadoda eceleni kwawo ukuba awaqaphe. ¹⁹Kodwa nina ningahlali lapho. Xoshani izitha zenu nizishaye ngemuva. Ningazivumeli ukuba zifinyelele emizini yazo, ngokuba uYihlo uzinikele esandleni senu.”

²⁰Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa nabantu bakwa-Israyeli sebebashaye ngokushaya okukhulu baze babaqeda—noma abasindayo abambalwa babalekela emizini ebiyelwe. ²¹Khona-ke bonke abantu babuyela ngokuthula kuJoshuwa enkambu yaseMakheda, akekho noyedwa owalokotha akhulume ngokumelene nomuntu wakwa-Israyeli. ²²Khona-ke uJoshuwa wathi: “Vulani umlomo womhume, nikhiphele kimi lawo makhosi amahlanu.” ²³Ngakho bawakhiphela kuye lawo makhosi amahlanu emhumeni: inkosi yaseJerusalema, neyaseHebroni, neyaseJarimuthi, neyaseLakishi, neyase-Egiloni. ²⁴Kwathi sebewakhiphele kuJoshuwa lawa makhosi, wabiza wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli, wathi kubaholi bempi ababehambe naye: “Sondelani, nibeke izinyawo zenu ezintanyeni zalawa makhosi.” Ngakho basondela babeka izinyawo zabo ezintanyeni zawo.

²⁵UJoshuwa wathi kubo: “Ningesabi ningethuki. Yibani namandla nibe nesibindi—yilokhu uBaba wethu azakukwenza kuzo zonke izitha enizilwayo.”

²⁶Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wawashaya amakhosi, wawabulala, wawaphanyeka ezihlahleni ezinhlanu, lapho ahlala khona kwaze kwahlwa. ²⁷Kwathi ngokushona kwelanga uJoshuwa wayala ukuba izidumbu zehliswe ezihlahleni ziphonswe emhumeni amakhosi ayecashe kuwo. Babeka amatshe amakhulu emlonyeni womhume, asekhona nanamuhla.

²⁸Ngalolo suku uJoshuwa wayithatha iMakheda, wayishaya nenkosi yayo ngenkemba, waqothula wonke umuntu owawukuyo—akusalanga osindayo. Wenza enkosini yaseMakheda njengoba enze enkosini yaseJeriko.

UBaba wethu Unikela Imizi YaseNingizimu

²⁹Khona-ke uJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye basuka eMakheda baya eLibhina, balwa neLibhina. ³⁰UBaba wethu wayinikela nayo, kanye nenkosi yayo, ku-Israyeli. UJoshuwa wayishaya nabo bonke abantu ababekuyo ngosiko lwenkemba, akashiyanga osindayo. Wenza enkosini yayo njengoba enze enkosini yaseJeriko.

³¹Khona-ke uJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye basuka eLibhina baya eLakishi, bamisa inkambu maqondana nayo, balwa nayo. ³²UBaba wethu wayinikela iLakishi ku-Israyeli, uJoshuwa wayithumba ngosuku lwesibili, wayishaya nabo bonke ababekuyo ngenkemba, njengoba enze eLibhina. ³³Khona-ke uHoramu inkosi yaseGezeri wenyuka ukusiza iLakishi, kodwa uJoshuwa wamshaya yena nabantu bakhe, akashiyanga osindayo.

³⁴UJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye basuka eLakishi baya e-Egiloni, bamisa inkambu maqondana nayo, balwa nayo. ³⁵Bayithumba ngalolo suku bayishaya ngosiko lwenkemba. Ngalolo suku wanikela ekubhujisweni wonke umuntu owawukuyo, njengoba enze eLakishi.

³⁶Khona-ke uJoshuwa, kanye no-Israyeli wonke, wenyuka esuka e-Egiloni waya eHebroni, bayihlasela. ³⁷Bayithumba, bayishaya ngosiko lwenkemba—inkosi yayo, nayo yonke imizi yayo, nabo bonke ababekuyo. Akashiyanga osindayo, njengoba enze e-Egiloni, wayinikela ekubhujisweni kanye nabo bonke ababekuyo.

³⁸Khona-ke uJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye babuyela eDebiri, balwa nayo. ³⁹Wayithumba, nenkosi yayo, nayo yonke imizana yayo, wawashaya ngenkemba, wanikela ekubhujisweni wonke umuntu owawukuyo—akusalanga osindayo. Wenza eDebiri nasenkosini yayo njengoba enze eHebroni naseLibhina nasenkosini yayo. ⁴⁰UJoshuwa walishaya lonke izwe—izwe lezintaba, neNegevi, namathafa, nemithambeka—nawo wonke amakhosi awo. Akashiyanga osindayo; waqothula konke okuphefumulayo, njengoba uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ayalile. ⁴¹UJoshuwa wabashaya kusukela eKadeshi-barineya kuze kube seGaza, nalo lonke izwe laseGosheni, kuze kube seGibeyoni. ⁴²UJoshuwa wawathatha wonke lawa makhosi nezwe lawo ngasikhathi sinye, ngokuba uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wayelwela u-Israyeli. ⁴³Khona-ke uJoshuwa kanye no-Israyeli wonke ababenaye babuyela enkambu yaseGiligali.