UJoshuwa 18

18 ¹Ngakho lonke ibandla lama-Israyeli labuthana eShilo, lamisa khona itende lokuhlangana, ngokuba izwe laselinqotshiwe phambi kwabo. ²Kwasala izizwe eziyisikhombisa phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezazingakalamukeli ifa lazo. ³UJoshuwa wayesethi kuma-Israyeli: “Koze kube nini nilibala ukungena ukuba nidle izwe uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, aninike lona? ⁴Zikhetheleni amadoda amathathu esizweni ngasinye; ngizobathuma ukuba bahambe bedabule izwe, balibhale phansi ngokwefa labo, babuyele kimi. ⁵Bayolihlukanisa libe yizingxenye eziyisikhombisa: uJuda uyohlala emngceleni wakhe ngaseningizimu, nendlu kaJosefa iyohlala emngceleni wayo ngasenyakatho. ⁶Libhaleni phansi izwe libe yizingxenye eziyisikhombisa, nikulethe lapha kimi, bese nginenzela inkatho lapha phambi kukaBaba wethu. ⁷AmaLevi awanasabelo phakathi kwenu—ubupristi bukaBaba wethu buyifa labo. UGadi, uRubeni, nenxenye yesizwe sakwaManase sebelamukele ifa labo ngasempumalanga kweJordani, abaliphiwa nguMose, inceku kaBaba wethu.”

⁸Asuka lawo madoda, uJoshuwa wayala labo ababeya ukuba babhale phansi izwe, wathi: “Hambani, nidabule izwe, nilibhale phansi, nibuyele kimi, lapha-ke ngizonenzela inkatho phambi kukaBaba wethu eShilo.”

⁹Ahamba lawo madoda, awela izwe, alibhala phansi ngokwemizi libe yizabelo eziyisikhombisa emqulwini, abuyela kuJoshuwa ekamu eShilo. ¹⁰UJoshuwa wabenzela inkatho eShilo phambi kukaBaba wethu, khona lapho uJoshuwa wabahlukanisela izwe ama-Israyeli, enika ngamunye isabelo sakhe.

Isipho SikaBaba KuBhenjamini

¹¹Inkatho yesizwe senzalo kaBhenjamini yaphuma ngokwemindeni yabo; umngcele wenkatho yabo waphuma phakathi kwenzalo kaJuda nenzalo kaJosefa. ¹²Umngcele wabo wasenyakatho waqala eJordani, wenyukela esiqongweni esisenyakatho neJeriko, wenyuka udabula izintaba ngasentshonalanga, waphelela ehlane laseBeti-aveni. ¹³Kusuka lapho umngcele wawela uya ngaseningizimu eLuzi, emmangweni wayo (iBhetheli), wayesehlela e-Atharoti-adari, entabeni eseningizimu neBeti-horoni Elingezansi. ¹⁴Umngcele wagwegwa waphendukela ngaseningizimu ohlangothini lwasentshonalanga, usuka entabeni ebhekene neBeti-horoni uya ngaseningizimu, waphelela eKiriyati-bhali (iKiriyati-jeharimi), umuzi wenzalo kaJuda. Lolu kwakuluhlangothi lwasentshonalanga. ¹⁵Uhlangothi lwaseningizimu lwaqala ekugcineni kweKiriyati-jeharimi; umngcele waqonda ngasentshonalanga uya emthonjeni wamanzi aseNefuthowa. ¹⁶Umngcele wehlela ekugcineni kwentaba ebhekene neSigodi sakwaBeni-hinomu, esicongweni esisenyakatho neSigodi samaRefa, wayesehlela eSigodini saseHinomu uya emmangweni waseningizimu wamaJebusi, uqhubekela e-Eni-rogeli. ¹⁷Waphendukela ngasenyakatho uya e-Eni-shemeshi, waqhubekela eGeliloti ebhekene nommango wase-Adumimi, wayesehlela eTsheni laseBohani indodana kaRubeni. ¹⁸Wadlula uya emmangweni obhekene ne-Araba ngasenyakatho, wayesehlela e-Araba. ¹⁹Umngcele waqhubeka uya emmangweni wasenyakatho waseBeti-hogla, waphelela etheku lasenyakatho loLwandle Olufile, ekugcineni kweningizimu kweJordani. Lona kwakungumngcele waseningizimu. ²⁰IJordani yayiwumngcele walo ngasempumalanga. Leli kwakuyifa lenzalo kaBhenjamini, nemingcele yalo eyihaqile, ngokwemindeni yabo. ²¹Imizi yesizwe sakwaBhenjamini, ngokwezizukulwane zabo, yayiyiJeriko, iBeti-hogla, i-Emeki-khezizi, ²²iBeti-araba, iZemarayimi, iBhetheli, ²³i-Avimi, iPhara, i-Ofra, ²⁴iKhefari-amoni, i-Ofeni, neGeba—imizi eyishumi nambili nemizana yayo. ²⁵iGibheyoni, iRama, iBheyeroti, ²⁶iMizpha, iKhefira, iMoza, ²⁷iRekemi, i-Iripeyeli, iTharala, ²⁸iTsela, iHaelefi, umuzi wamaJebusi—iJerusalema—iGibeya, neKiriyati: imizi eyishumi nane nemizana yayo. Leli yifa lenzalo kaBhenjamini ngokwemindeni yabo.