UJoshuwa 17

17 ¹Inkatho yesizwe sakwaManase, izibulo likaJosefa: uMakhiri, izibulo likaManase noyise kaGileyadi, wathola iGileyadi neBashani, ngokuba wayeyindoda yempi. ²Amanye amadodana kaManase athola umhlaba ngezinsendo zawo: u-Abiyezeri, uHeleki, u-Asriyeli, uShekemi, uHeferi, uShemida—laba kwakungabesilisa enzalweni kaManase indodana kaJosefa, ngezinsendo zabo. ³uZelofehadi—owenzalo kaManase ngoMakhiri, noGileyadi, noHeferi—wayengenamadodana, amadodakazi kuphela: uMahla, uNowa, uHogla, uMilka, noThiriza. ⁴Beza phambi kuka-Eliyazari umpristi, noJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, nabaholi, bathi: “uBaba wethu wayala uMose ukuba asinike ifa phakathi kwabafowethu.” Ngakho ngomyalo kaBaba wethu, uJoshuwa wabanika ifa phakathi kwabafowabo bakayise. ⁵Izabelo eziyishumi zawela kuManase, ngaphandle kwezwe laseGileyadi neBashani ngaphesheya kweJordani, ⁶ngokuba amadodakazi kaManase athola ifa phakathi kwamadodana akhe. Izwe laseGileyadi laba ngelamanye amadodana kaManase. ⁷Umhlaba kaManase wasuka kwa-Asheri waya eMikhimethati, esempumalanga yeShekemi; wayesehla ngaseningizimu uya kubantu base-Eni-Thapuwa. ⁸uManase wayenezwe laseThapuwa, kodwa iThapuwa esemngceleni kaManase laba ngelamadodana ka-Efrayimi. ⁹Umngcele wehla waya esihosheni saseKhana. Ngaseningizimu yesihosha, le mizi ephakathi kweyakaManase yayingeyaka-Efrayimi; umngcele kaManase wawusenyakatho yesihosha, waphelela olwandle. ¹⁰Izwe lika-Efrayimi laliseningizimu, elikaManase lisenyakatho, kwathi ulwandle lwaba ngumngcele walo. Enyakatho bafinyelela kwa-Asheri, nasempumalanga kwa-Isakari. ¹¹Kwa-Isakari nakwa-Asheri, uManase wayephethe neBheti-Sheyani nemizana yayo, ne-Ibhileyamu nemizana yayo, nabakhileyo eDori nemizana yayo, nabase-Eni-Dori nemizana yayo, nabaseThanaki nemizana yayo, nabaseMegido nemizana yayo—amagquma amathathu. ¹²Kodwa amadodana kaManase ayengakwazi ukuyithatha le mizi, amaKhanani aqhubeka ehlala kulelo zwe. ¹³Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli eseqinile, wawaphoqa amaKhanani ukuba enze imisebenzi yobugqila, kodwa akazange awaxoshe ngokupheleleyo. ¹⁴Amadodana kaJosefa abuza uJoshuwa, athi: “Usinikelani inkatho eyodwa nesabelo esisodwa kube yifa? Singabantu abaningi, ngokuba uBaba wethu usibusisile kuze kube manje.”

¹⁵uJoshuwa wabaphendula wathi: “Uma niyibantu abaningi kangaka, khuphukelani ehlathini nizivulele umhlaba lapho ezweni lamaPherizi namaRefa, njengoba izwe elinezintaba lika-Efrayimi lincane kakhulu kini.”

¹⁶Amadodana kaJosefa athi: “Izwe elinezintaba alisaneli, futhi onke amaKhanani asesigodini anezinqola zensimbi—lawo aseBheti-Sheyani nemizana yayo nalawo asesigodini saseJizreyeli.”

¹⁷uJoshuwa wayesethi kuyo indlu kaJosefa—u-Efrayimi noManase—“Nibaningi futhi ninamandla kakhulu. Ngeke nibe nenkatho eyodwa kuphela, ¹⁸ngokuba izwe elinezintaba liyakuba ngelenu nalo. Liyihlathi, kodwa niyakulivula, nemikhawulo yalo ekude ibe ngeyenu. Niyakuwaxosha amaKhanani, nakuba izinqola zawo ziyinsimbi futhi enamandla.”